Identification:
Colonialism is generally referred to the domination of people and places. Europeans were the most common cultures to embrace colonialism, resulting in an arms race to colonize as many areas of the world as possible. It involved the mass migration of European settlers to all areas of the world. Major areas colonized during the colonial era include; North America, Latin America, Australia, Africa, New Zealand, and parts of Asia. The colonial era is seem as an era of power and violence. Colonized areas would be subject to assimilation and extermination of its native people. Although similar to Imperialism, colonialism include the mass migration of permanent settlers to colonized areas.
Historical Significance:
It is because of Colonialism that our society is the way it is today, despite its rather violent history. The importance of colonialism lie in both its benefits and its negative consequences, both of which were present during the colonial era and present day. During the colonial era, the spread of the “modern” way of life was helpful to those from Europe, but not those indigenous to the colonized areas. Colonies in places like North America provided Europeans with a new but familiar way of life, keeping their old laws and traditions in place while being able to escape the pressure of government control. For indigenous people however, mass genocide, slavery, and assimilation were all side effects of the colonial era. New independent nations such as the USA, Canada, Mexico, and numerous African countries were formed as a result of post-colonialism. Some of these countries would eventually surpass their colonizers in terms of wealth. The spread of language is also apparent (many African colonies speak French as a result of their French colonizers). Many colonies relied on their colonisers for trade, resources, and political/economic management, and as a result, are now impoverished and unable to keep up with the rapidly modernizing world.
Key Historical Proponents:
In terms of who played the key roles of the colonial era, European countries including mainly Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal were the main colonizers. In terms of the most important people, the credits goes towards the many people in the colonies who were against colonialism and against their former countries. Events such as the independence of the United States are of a direct result of conflict between the colonizers and their colonies. Important historical figures such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson played key arts in the United States’ separation. The process of colonialism was made solely to benefit the original countries, whether this was by mercantilism or symbolic power. In terms of how much these countries cared for the wellbeing of the colonies, its understandable laughable. One of the most important, although general, historical actors of the colonial era is the aboriginal peoples. Colonialism by definition is a product of domination, which was evident by the mass genocide of aboriginals not only in North America, but in Latin America, Australia, and New Zealand. The after math has left modern aboriginals in a very poor state. The event of colonialism had taken most of their land, polluted their home, and decreased health and life expectancy (due to disease brought over from European settlers).
Nicholas Verspaget
Sources:
Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 4, No. 1, Colonialism and Decolonization (Jan., 1969), Rupert Emerson
INEQUALITY / THEORY 1 POST-COLONIALISM, RACISM AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCE, Paragraph, Vol. 16, No. 1 (MARCH 1993), Patrick Williams
Current Anthropology, Vol. 13, No. 1 (Feb., 1972), Ronald J. Horvath
The American Journal of Comparative Law, Vol. 51, No. 2 (Spring, 2003), Julie Cassidy
Cosmos|Hearth 