Nationalism & Imperialism

Purpose:
The last major wave of imperial expansion in world history developed in earnest after 1875. It came to an end,
more or less, with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. The rationale for empire was, as we saw in Unit 6,
diverse. Economic motivations for markets, labor, and raw materials, evangelical religion, racism, and an
Enlightenment-inspired visions of a civilizing mission were among the principle arguments public officials gave
for their imperial projects. There was not one argument, of course, but many. The real world does not exist in
black and white. Shades of grey are critical to understanding the past and present. The purpose of this essay is
to encourage students to think critically about the complexity of official justifications for imperialism and to
explore how these rationales could support or contradict one another.
Task:
For this essay, you will draw on the primary source documents linked below, especially the section entitled
“Motives and Attitudes,” to explain the arguments European elites gave for their imperial projects at the end of
the nineteenth century. Use a close reading of the online textbook to provide historical context for your
argument. Your essay should explore the relationships among various arguments for empire, i.e., the way, for
example, racism may have buttressed calls for civilization or how evangelical impulses may have undercut or
supported economic arguments. Take at least two of the arguments you think are most important and explore
their interaction.
https://sourcebooks.fordham.edu/mod/modsbook34.asp
Expectations and Criteria for Success:
You should base your discussion with the information in the Unit 6 course content module as well as the two
sources linked above, but outside research is allowed if needed. Outside research should be supplemental to
the two primary sources attached to this essay. DO NOT use Wikipedia as a source. As always, be sure to
keep track of where you find your information so that you can provide citations in your final essay. Essays
should be typed in 12-point font with a simple, clean font such as Times New Roman. Use 1″ inch margins on
all sides and double-space the text. Your essays should each be around 1000 words.
Successful essays should be carefully organized, with strong thesis statements and specific evidentiary
support. In your introduction, briefly describe the context of the documents that you are analyzing. The body of
the essay will focus on analyzing/explaining two justifications that can be seen in more than one
document/context. Combine evidence from multiple primary sources and context from the class text to make
an argument about how Europeans justified imperialism. And note that the best essays will also explore the
connections between the two justifications (how did they “support or contradict” each other?). Conclude by
assessing how these justifications shaped 19th-century imperialism. Be sure to revise and edit carefully