American Colonialism In The 1800s
Colonialism is the practice of exploration, exploitation and expansion by a powerful country, over foreign dependent land. Originating in the 1400’s with Christopher Columbus, colonialism gained its reverence as it proved valuable politically, socially, and most importantly economically for powerful nations. Colonization was run by the colonists, for the colonists, meaning all other parties suffered. In the 1800’s, the “Scramble for Africa,” marked the beginning of racial oppression towards Blacks. Originally desired for their resource abundant land and hard working people, the African origin peoples were taken as a means to build up the New World. This subjugation evolved, as they became racialized through the pigmentation of their skin. Europe’s
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Soon after, the entire Western hemisphere fell under the control of European power, predominantly held by France and England. By the 1500’s the Canadian fur trade was born, a mutually beneficial affair between North American inhabitants and the European colonizers, made to stimulate economic prosperity. (Poteet, 2014) This exchange however, marked the end of mutually profitable relations between Europe and indigenous peoples. By the 1800’s the age of New Imperialism arose, a period of colonial expansion made to enhance economic growth within Europe. This capitalist driven interest motivated the “Scramble for Africa,” the mass colonization of Africa’s West coast by predominant European powers. The African people were sought out as the focus of exploitation, as they were a cheap, easily attained, hard working people. Subject to exploitation, the people were dispossessed of their land and “relocated into Canada through forced and impelled migration,” (Mensah, 41) marking the beginnings of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Once in North America, those of African origin were enslaved to European powers, obliged to function as merchandise, the people were bought and sold to provide domestic work for the dominant class/race. Dependent on the enslavement of the African people, the European economy flourished, through the development of its enslaved labour force overseas in North
Soon after, the entire Western hemisphere fell under the control of European power, predominantly held by France and England. By the 1500’s the Canadian fur trade was born, a mutually beneficial affair between North American inhabitants and the European colonizers, made to stimulate economic prosperity. (Poteet, 2014) This exchange however, marked the end of mutually profitable relations between Europe and indigenous peoples. By the 1800’s the age of New Imperialism arose, a period of colonial expansion made to enhance economic growth within Europe. This capitalist driven interest motivated the “Scramble for Africa,” the mass colonization of Africa’s West coast by predominant European powers. The African people were sought out as the focus of exploitation, as they were a cheap, easily attained, hard working people. Subject to exploitation, the people were dispossessed of their land and “relocated into Canada through forced and impelled migration,” (Mensah, 41) marking the beginnings of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Once in North America, those of African origin were enslaved to European powers, obliged to function as merchandise, the people were bought and sold to provide domestic work for the dominant class/race. Dependent on the enslavement of the African people, the European economy flourished, through the development of its enslaved labour force overseas in North