Social Darwinism Imperialism How to define Imperialism is

Social Darwinism

Imperialism • How to define? • Imperialism is the policy by a stronger nation to attempt to create an empire by dominating weaker nations economically, politically, culturally, or militarily. • Similar to colonialism • Influence of the Industrial Revolution

The Role of Ideology • • The desire to “civilize” non-Europeans The belief in social Darwinism Racism “The White Man’s Burden”

The Social-Darwin Differences Western (White Europeans) • Inventive • Scientific • Rational • Self-Controlled • Democratic • Civilized • Economically Progressive • Moral Christian • Independent Eastern (Non-whites, Non-European) • Ignorant • Irrational • Superstitious • Lazy • Childlike • Savage • Dependent

“White Man’s Burden”

political cartoon from The Journal, Detroit, 1923 about “The White Man’s Burden”

Life magazine, 1899

The Role of Ideology

• • • What type of source is this? How can you tell? Who might this man be? How can you tell? Where does he appear to be?

• What does the ad claim is “the first step towards lightening The White Man’s Burden”? • What does this imply?

• What does “dark corners” refer to? • What does this choice of phrase reveal about attitudes of people in Western nations toward nonwhites?

• Describe the illustrations in the corners of the picture. • What might each of these symbolize?

• Why do you think Pears chose this image for their ad? • Why might consumers have found this ad appealing?

“THE WHITE MAN’S BURDEN” BY RUDYARD KIPLING (1899)

1 • Take up the White Man's burden— Send forth the best ye breed-Go bind your sons to exile To serve your captives' need; To wait in heavy harness, On fluttered folk and wild-Your new-caught, sullen peoples, Half-devil and half-child.

2 • Take up the White Man's burden-In patience to abide, To veil the threat of terror And check the show of pride; By open speech and simple, An hundred times made plain To seek another's profit, And work another's gain.

3 • Take up the White Man's burden-The savage wars of peace-Fill full the mouth of Famine And bid the sickness cease; And when your goal is nearest The end for others sought, Watch sloth and heathen Folly Bring all your hopes to nought.

4 • Take up the White Man's burden-No tawdry rule of kings, But toil of serf and sweeper-The tale of common things. The ports ye shall not enter, The roads ye shall not tread, Go mark them with your living, And mark them with your dead.

5 • Take up the White Man's burden-And reap his old reward: The blame of those ye better, The hate of those ye guard-The cry of hosts ye humour (Ah, slowly!) toward the light: -"Why brought he us from bondage, Our loved Egyptian night? "

6 • Take up the White Man's burden-Ye dare not stoop to less-Nor call too loud on Freedom To cloke your weariness; By all ye cry or whisper, By all ye leave or do, The silent, sullen peoples Shall weigh your gods and you.

7 • Take up the White Man's burden-Have done with childish days-The lightly proferred laurel, The easy, ungrudged praise. Comes now, to search your manhood Through all the thankless years Cold, edged with dear-bought wisdom, The judgment of your peers!

How do you interpret Kipling’s poem? • Is he being Eurocentric and asserting that European culture has a duty to bring civilization to the rest of the world? • Is he using satire against notions of imperialism and making fun of these ideas of the superiority of the white race? • Here are some ways political cartoons and even advertisements depicted the so called “white man’s burden. ”