European Colonization

In Europe, industrialization and imperialism were very much hand in hand. When resources became scarce in one country, they could be acquired in a new country. With Europeans being the primary facilitators of this revolution, this caused a new way they viewed themselves, as well was other cultures. Although Europeans had a sense of superiority, it is important to note that they took influence from different societies. Europeans mixed with cultures like China and India which were considered to be less technologically advanced, thus placing a title on them known as “noble savages.” The Europeans definitely thought highly of themselves, so once they have set a tall personal standard, it becomes easy to see others as inferior. These thoughts help normalize racism and prejudice against cultures that were different, making Europeans ethnocentric. In terms of Social Darwinism, with thoughts of superiority, war and aggressive imperialism seemed normative, allowing only the strong to survive. With colonial empires arising, the concept of education was relative to prestige. Those born into wealth and privilege were obviously more likely to have a strong education, which left those who were illiterate or native to be considered as primitive. 

Overall, I find the colonization of empires to be positive, due to the flourishing of societies. People  learned to apply themselves by using science to stimulate economy, establish hierarchies and form societies. However, it is hard to be proud of the racism that was strongly accepted during this time. Where even racism was broken down to a science, making white men to be normally referred to as master, while grown men of african descent were referred to as boys. Today’s sense of equality is tarnished from these origins and although we have come a long way, it is important to know how people were treated in the past, due to what they were born with, their race.