The Ideas And Institutions Of Colonial Modernity

After reading “Second Thoughts of Colonial Historians and American Indians” by James H. Merrell, it is important to acknowledge the symbolicism of the language used by so many Colonial Historians as they recount significant instances throughout our Indigenous American History. In many comparisons, word selection used to describe the Native peoples, tend to simplify their existence as merely hunters and gatherers.

While the motives of colonists in the Americas were various- to build a new society, to promote Christianity, to acquire riches, or, as early colonists in New England expressed it, to secure a ‘competencie’ ; they all faced the same challenges of establishing themselves in an alien environment that would require them readjust and respond to new circumstances. It would be justifiable to submit that the main consequences of colonialism were largely detrimental for the native population. The colonisation of the Americas throughout the early modern period resulted in the decimation of the native population as they increasingly lost their traditional lands to white settlers. This can be attributed to

Once the new world was discovered, it took over a century before England successful began to colonize. When the first town, Jamestown, was established, more towns sprouted up, and eventually colonies were formed along the Atlantic coast. As time went on, these colonies could be grouped by regions. The regions of the New world, though sharing general similarities, had major differences in religion, social organization, economy and ethnic patterns, which set the path for colonial sectionalism at the time.

What allowed America its prosperity? Riddled with hurricanes, tribal warfare, harsh winters, and other difficulties, it seems like colonial America should’ve been decimated without constant support from Great Britain. And with benign negligence from Great Britain, Colonial America started to understand they could in fact hold their own as a group of colonies, but not without vast intellectual and economic innovation and progress to overcome the disasters of famine, weather, and the wild nature of the American continent. Colonial America saw these dangers and knew there was a need for a system to gather the most food and provide the most work; that system came to be known as capitalism after socialist-like communes failed their colonies.

India was under imperialistic rule by the British Empire or the “Bristish Raj” from 1858 to 1947.The region under British control—commonly called “India” in the British period included areas directly administered by the United Kingdom as well as the “princely states” ruled by individual rulers under the paramount of the British throne. In my recent visit to London precious jewels and Indian made goods are displaced in Windsor castle under high security. Most of the goods accumulated from India were under Queen Victoria’s reign; the other monarchs who were reigning during this imperialistic time were Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, and George VI. W.E.B Dubois writes in “the Souls of White Folks,” “We see Europe’s greatest sin precisely where we found Africa’s and Asia’s,—in human hatred, the despising of men; with this difference, however: Europe has the awful lesson of the past before her, has the splendid results of widened areas of tolerance, sympathy, and love among men, and she faces a greater, an infinitely greater, world of men than any preceding civilization ever faced.” England took advantage of its darker counterparts by showing superiority through color, religion, and technological advances.

British imperialism had a negative impact on the politics of India because of the establishment of the framework for India that leads to their downfall and the Indian Army which they used to control their own kind. According to Dr.Lalvani, the British established the framework for India’s justice system, civil services, loyal army, and the efficient loyal police. (Paragraph #6). While this is true, the framework didn’t include the Indians, because “Of 960 civil offices, 900 are occupied by English men and 60 by natives”(Doc. #2). British laws often benefited the British and were designed to limit the freedom of speech of the Indians, for example, the Rowlatt Act in 1919. (Gandhi). This evidence shows that the British, when creating the framework for the new and improved India wanted to benefit from it while trying to lower the Indian’s and limit the

Colonial America was the era when America was made up of different colonies; in this case there were thirteen. Colonial America lasted from 1587 to 1770, 183 years long. As said before, there were thirteen colonies: four New England colonies, four Middle colonies, and five Southern colonies. The New England colonies were New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, otherwise known as the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The four Middle colonies were New York, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Maryland made up the Southern colonies. These colonies were located in North America, along the Atlantic coast. Although these were the main colony groups, the very first colony was founded at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607. People settled in the colonies in North America to have a better life, and to escape persecution from people with different beliefs. The next colony, founded in 1620 by the Pilgrims, was Plymouth, Massachusetts. Native Americans assisted the Pilgrims when they first arrived at Plymouth. Two of the Native Americans were Samoset and Squanto, an English-speaking Pawtuxet, who was kidnapped by Europeans, but was later freed. Another colony that was helped by Native Americans was Virginia, where tobacco was used as a cash crop that helped Virginia prosper. The colonies in Colonial America not only prospered from cash crops, but slaves as well. African Americans were brought in on trade ships

The Colonial Elite were known to be the most powerful citizens of the colonies. Although, they weren’t as rich or powerful as the English aristocrats, they still enjoyed a wealthy lifestyle. Most of the colony’s elite included the rulers of proprietary colonies much like Pennsylvania and Maryland. Elites who were in connection with imperial centers pretty much controlled the political and economic life of every colony. The wealthier of the colonists had so much wealth that they 're able to build mansions with rooms devoted to one single purpose. Some of the American colonies did most of their business or communication with Britain than other groups of people. As they socialized with them more and more, they became more English-like. They tried to replicate British mannerisms and live a similar lifestyle. This was an action called Anglicization. The more wealthier of the elites would display this change by importing fine furniture, literature, and building large homes with display cases that held luxury goods.

After the French and Indian War, which resulted in a massive territorial gain and enormous expenses for the British government, the British attempts to reform the American Empire. Growing tensions between residents of Great Britain’s 13 North American colonies and the colonial government (British crown) lead to the American Revolution (History.com Staff, 2009). The British had three terms of reform that resulted in tighter controls over the colonies by eliminating royal officials corruptions, limit the areas where colonists could settle, and increase revenue (Schultz, 2013). Significant alteration in the colonial relationship must happen

One of the many aspects of colonial times was life in the city. A key part of life in the city life was the variety of jobs that were offered. For instance, in Excerpt B, William Penn listed many of the jobs, including printer, shoemaker, butchers, and carpterners. In addition to being a center for jobs, the city provided other opportunities Visual B, there are many men gathered for a market in Philadelphia. Markets were one of many opportunities the city offered for trading goods. Furthermore, the city  had taverns, shapes, and churches that attracted

The beginning of colonial life started off with great living conditions. There was a lack of disease and good amount of clean drinking. These new conditions for the colonist added a few years to the life expectancies. Because of the new great life spans of the colonist, the growth of New England was at an all-time high.

The 13 Colonies struggled for independence from Great Britain. The British passed many laws that the colonists thought were unfair. The American colonists took action to defeat the British.

In early colonial cases involving sentencing, the judges and or juries were more lenient towards white offenders more than black offenders of whom were slaves at the time. The punishments of the colonial era emulated English practices with ties to biblical references. Four cases illustrated the discrepancies involving slaves receiving harsher punishments compared to their white counterparts. In Virginia, the case of Re Davis (1630), where a white male, Hugh Davis, “violated the law by sleeping with a Black woman, [with] a sentence of penance on the next Sabbath day” (Gabbidon & Greene, 2015, pg. 182). Within the society of the time, a class bias is already formed between the superior races and inferior races.

Throughout the years many historians have compilated and examined why Indian people were so desperate to gain back their independence from the British Empire during their rule over India, from 1612 to 1947. The reasoning can most definitely be found as the British discriminated against Indian people as they believe that they were inferior; it is no surprise that Indian people fought so hard for their independence. Throughout the British Raj, they placed and put forward unbelievably racist acts and laws which discriminated against Indian people. Which of course led to Indians to rebel against the British rule and which the British reacted with causing massacres. Explaining the nationalistic many India’s felt during the British Raj.

Liberal and democratic aspects of British colonialism in India played a significant role in leading to a democratic South Asia following Indian independence in 1947. Yet, the British -- first through the East India Company and then through direct government control -- held almost all of the political and economic power in India during the Empire’s expansion and apogee, guaranteeing the Indian economy could not evolve and/or function independent of the ruling power’s control; ensuring raw materials extracted from Indian soil would go towards British manufacturing industries mostly without profiting the vast majority of Indians; and leading to lives of privation for millions of indigenous subjects. Although there have been arguments made that, in political and