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Essays on Imperialism

Hook examples for imperialism essays, anecdotal hook.

Imagine standing on the shores of a distant land, witnessing the arrival of foreign ships, and realizing that your world is about to change forever. Such was the impact of imperialism on countless nations, and it's a story that must be explored.

Quotation Hook

""The sun never sets on the British Empire."" These words, often attributed to Joseph Chamberlain, encapsulate the vast reach and influence of imperialism. But behind this grandeur lies a complex tale of power, domination, and resistance.

Colonial Consequences Hook

Imperialism left a lasting mark on colonized nations. Delve into the consequences of colonialism, from cultural clashes and exploitation to the enduring legacy of imperialism on global politics.

Imperialist Motivations Hook

Why did powerful nations seek to expand their empires? Explore the motivations behind imperialism, whether it was driven by economic interests, territorial ambitions, or a quest for dominance on the world stage.

Resistance and Independence Hook

Imperialism didn't go unchallenged. Investigate the stories of resistance and the struggle for independence, where individuals and movements defied imperial rule in pursuit of self-determination.

Imperialism in Modern Context Hook

Imperialism isn't confined to history; its echoes are still felt in the modern world. Analyze how imperialism's legacy continues to shape international relations and the dynamics of global power today.

The Human Cost Hook

Behind the geopolitical maneuvering, imperialism had a profound human cost. Explore the stories of individuals and communities who bore the brunt of imperial ambitions.

Positive Effects of Imperialism in Africa

Positive and negative sides of the imperialism, made-to-order essay as fast as you need it.

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The Causes of Imperialism in Africa

The factors and sources of american imperialism, the history of imperialism in africa, british imperialism: the east india company, let us write you an essay from scratch.

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Unpacking American Imperialism: a Critical Analysis

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The Primary Terms and Motivating Factors of American Imperialism

Around the world in eighty days and the depiction of imperialism, negative effects of american imperialism in the countries involved, economic and political profits of american imperialism, imperialism, the world war and social democracy, parallels of imperialism in the film avatar, imperialism in europe and effects of the policy on european nations, the spanish-american war and american imperialism, the portrayals of imperialism in "things fall apart" and "heart of darkness", colonialism and imperialism in great britain, a policy of imperialism in america, du bois’ analysis of imperialism focusing on race, effects of colonialism in africa: nigeria and the congo, compassionate colonialism in typee: a peep at polynesian life, a theme of imperialism in the heart of darkness, reasons for american shift to imperialism: an explanation, political cartoons on imperialism, main causes of world war 1: discussion, a study on the political motives in europe during the 19th century, the domino theory: the main reason for us involvement in the vietnam war.

Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other territories and peoples.

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American Imperialism Essay

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Introduction

Criticism of imperialism, outcome of the policy in the twentieth century, reference list.

Imperialism is the establishment of political and economic dominance over other nations. Many nations took part in colonial empires including the U.S. during the nineteenth century. America, on its own, is not supposed to be an empire. It was a rebel colony initially being the first system to dispose British rule.

Imperialism was first practiced in Samoa which motivated the rest of the America. The United States had positive motives when they got involved in the task. Their reason for participation was to control economy and compete with other industrialized nations as well as to maintain their reputation in other countries. Another motive was to obtain a constant market for gainful investments. There was also the religious motivation with the desire to introduce Christianity to foreign and traditional cultures (Streich, 2009, p.1).

Americans viewed imperialism as a way of uplifting the uncivilized people in the world in a moral way. Production was very high and America needed to protect its expanding foreign markets. Hawaii had been dominated by Americans way before the war. America had already started investing in Cuba’s natural resources while Hawaii’s best ports, already under America’s control, was used to access China for efficient trading. The state’s secretary pressured Europeans to stop blocking America’s participation in China’s trade.

America had a war with Spain in 1898 which after its conclusion, America was given the ownership of Cuba, Philippines and Puerto Rico which were previous possessions of Spain. America wanted an efficient and easier access of its navy to the Pacific and the Caribbean oceans.

A negotiation between American officials and Britain confirmed the America’s domination and regulation over the canal. A French canal company official gave Americans a central section of Panama to build the canal. He also gave America rights to take more land or use troops on Panama when necessary.

The Panamanians were to be given their independence only if they accepted the treaty, but they refused to sign it so the Americans took ownership of the canal region (Bella, 2003, p.1). The United States therefore destroyed all European empires after taking over Cuba and Philippines from Spain.

They built a navy ready for European in case they became troublesome or destabilized. In 1939 to 1945, the then American president, Roosevelt, extracted British colonies including the Caribbean and West Africa and in exchange He offered assistance to Britain during war. After years after the World War II, America was already exercising authority and power in Belgian Congo which was previously dominated by Britain, and French Indochina (Selfa, 1999, p.1).

Despite the fact that many Americans believed in overseas expansion, many other Americans opposed the move. They formed the American anti-imperialism league in 1899. However, their campaigns were not successful. The league argued that the imperialism policy was intimidating to personal liberty.

They argued that all human races no matter the color have the right to live and pursue happiness at all times. The group maintained that the government should obtain their rightful powers from the citizen’s consent. They insisted that forced control is criminal assault and lack of devotion to government principles.

The league firmly condemned the national administration in the Philippines and demanded an immediate stop to the discrimination against human liberty. They required Spain to initiate the process since it was one of the first countries to practice imperialism. They had the aim of forming a congress that would officially inform the Philippines of America’s intentions to grant them their rightful independence.

The group also disapproved strongly the American soldiers for being involved in an unjust war. Their arguments were based on the fact that the United States had always detested international laws which allowed forceful control o f the weak by the strong party. The obligation of nation’s citizens to support its government during hazardous moments did not fit applicably for this situation of imperialism (Halsall, 1997, p.1).

An obvious outcome is America now stretches from Atlanta the Pacific. With this entire region where there are no import and export tax barriers, it has been quite easy for America to increase its per capita. However, America was left with the heritage of oppression which is no different from slavery.

However, some positive effects have been felt especially through the Panama Canal that was constructed then which has helped improve the region’s economy. Transportation and communication services were extensively improved. Uncivilized areas got the opportunity of adopting higher livelihood values. The countries that were colonized were affected negatively as well especially in the economic sector where most of the key and productive elements are up to date owned or controlled by foreign economic agencies.

Imperialism can never be a good practice no matter the circumstances. It does not matter whether the imperialistic country has good intentions or not. If any nation at all feels the need to offer help to another country, it should do so in a better way and certainly not by controlling the other depriving them of their freedom and rights. Assistance can be offered as ideas and policies that the country should implement on its own depending on what suits the situation it is faced with.

Bella, R. (2003). Imperialism, American style . Web.

Halsall, P. (1997). American Anti-Imperialist League . Web.

Selfa, L. (1999). U.S. Imperialism: A Century of Slaughter . Web.

Streich, M. (2009). American Imperialism in the 1890s. Web.

• U.S. Involvement in International Affairs
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• The Watergate Scandal
• Patriot Act Importance for the American Citizens
• Imperialism or National Protection: What is the Definition of the United States of America?
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IvyPanda. (2018, July 23). American Imperialism. https://ivypanda.com/essays/american-imperialism/

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AP World History: Sample DBQ Thesis Statements

Using the following documents, analyze how the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups within its empire for the period 1876–1908. Identify an additional document and explain how it would help you analyze the views of the Ottoman Empire.

Crafting a Solid Thesis Statement

Kaplan Pro Tip Your thesis can be in the first or last paragraph of your essay, but it cannot be split between the two. Many times, your original thesis is too simple to gain the point. A good idea is to write a concluding paragraph that might extend your original thesis. Think of a way to restate your thesis, adding information from your analysis of the documents.

Thesis Statements that Do NOT Work

There were many ways in which the Ottoman government viewed ethnic and religious groups.

The next statement paraphrases the historical background and does not address the question. It would not receive credit for being a thesis.

The Ottoman government brought reforms in the Constitution of 1876. The empire had a number of different groups of people living in it, including Christians and Muslims who did not practice the official form of Islam. By 1908 a new government was created by the Young Turks and the sultan was soon out of his job.

This next sentence gets the question backward: you are being asked for the government’s view of religious and ethnic groups, not the groups’ view of the government. Though the point-of-view issue is very important, this statement would not receive POV credit.

People of different nationalities reacted differently to the Ottoman government depending on their religion.

The following paragraph says a great deal about history, but it does not address the substance of the question. It would not receive credit because of its irrelevancy.

Throughout history, people around the world have struggled with the issue of political power and freedom. From the harbor of Boston during the first stages of the American Revolution to the plantations of Haiti during the struggle to end slavery, people have battled for power. Even in places like China with the Boxer Rebellion, people were responding against the issue of Westernization. Imperialism made the demand for change even more important, as European powers circled the globe and stretched their influences to the far reaches of the known world. In the Ottoman Empire too, people demanded change.

Thesis Statements that DO Work

Now we turn to thesis statements that do work. These two sentences address both the religious and ethnic aspects of the question. They describe how these groups were viewed.

The Ottoman government took the same position on religious diversity as it did on ethnic diversity. Minorities were servants of the Ottoman Turks, and religious diversity was allowed as long as Islam remained supreme.

This statement answers the question in a different way but is equally successful.

Government officials in the Ottoman Empire sent out the message that all people in the empire were equal regardless of religion or ethnicity, yet the reality was that the Turks and their version of Islam were superior.

Going Beyond the Basic Requirements

• have a highly sophisticated thesis
• show deep analysis of the documents
• use documents persuasively in broad conceptual ways
• analyze point of view thoughtfully and consistently
• identify multiple additional documents with sophisticated explanations of their usefulness
• bring in relevant outside information beyond the historical background provided

Final Notes on How to Write the DBQ

• Take notes in the margins during the reading period relating to the background of the speaker and his/her possible point of view.
• Assume that each document provides only a snapshot of the topic—just one perspective.
• Look for connections between documents for grouping.
• In the documents booklet, mark off documents that you use so that you do not forget to mention them.
• As you are writing, refer to the authorship of the documents, not just the document numbers.
• Mention additional documents and the reasons why they would help further analyze the question.
• Mark off each part of the instructions for the essay as you accomplish them.
• Use visual and graphic information in documents that are not text-based.

Don’t

• Repeat information from the historical background in your essay.
• Assume that the documents are universally valid rather than presenting a single perspective.
• Spend too much time on the DBQ rather than moving on to the other essay.
• Write the first paragraph before you have a clear idea of what your thesis will be.
• Ignore part of the question.
• Structure the essay with just one paragraph.
• Underline or highlight the thesis. (This may be done as an exercise for class, but it looks juvenile on the exam.)

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Thesis Statements

What is a thesis statement.

Your thesis statement is one of the most important parts of your paper.  It expresses your main argument succinctly and explains why your argument is historically significant.  Think of your thesis as a promise you make to your reader about what your paper will argue.  Then, spend the rest of your paper–each body paragraph–fulfilling that promise.

Your thesis should be between one and three sentences long and is placed at the end of your introduction.  Just because the thesis comes towards the beginning of your paper does not mean you can write it first and then forget about it.  View your thesis as a work in progress while you write your paper.  Once you are satisfied with the overall argument your paper makes, go back to your thesis and see if it captures what you have argued.  If it does not, then revise it.  Crafting a good thesis is one of the most challenging parts of the writing process, so do not expect to perfect it on the first few tries.  Successful writers revise their thesis statements again and again.

A successful thesis statement:

• makes an historical argument
• takes a position that requires defending
• is historically specific
• is focused and precise
• answers the question, “so what?”

How to write a thesis statement:

Suppose you are taking an early American history class and your professor has distributed the following essay prompt:

“Historians have debated the American Revolution’s effect on women.  Some argue that the Revolution had a positive effect because it increased women’s authority in the family.  Others argue that it had a negative effect because it excluded women from politics.  Still others argue that the Revolution changed very little for women, as they remained ensconced in the home.  Write a paper in which you pose your own answer to the question of whether the American Revolution had a positive, negative, or limited effect on women.”

Using this prompt, we will look at both weak and strong thesis statements to see how successful thesis statements work.

While this thesis does take a position, it is problematic because it simply restates the prompt.  It needs to be more specific about how  the Revolution had a limited effect on women and  why it mattered that women remained in the home.

Revised Thesis:  The Revolution wrought little political change in the lives of women because they did not gain the right to vote or run for office.  Instead, women remained firmly in the home, just as they had before the war, making their day-to-day lives look much the same.

This revision is an improvement over the first attempt because it states what standards the writer is using to measure change (the right to vote and run for office) and it shows why women remaining in the home serves as evidence of limited change (because their day-to-day lives looked the same before and after the war).  However, it still relies too heavily on the information given in the prompt, simply saying that women remained in the home.  It needs to make an argument about some element of the war’s limited effect on women.  This thesis requires further revision.

Strong Thesis: While the Revolution presented women unprecedented opportunities to participate in protest movements and manage their family’s farms and businesses, it ultimately did not offer lasting political change, excluding women from the right to vote and serve in office.

Few would argue with the idea that war brings upheaval.  Your thesis needs to be debatable:  it needs to make a claim against which someone could argue.  Your job throughout the paper is to provide evidence in support of your own case.  Here is a revised version:

Strong Thesis: The Revolution caused particular upheaval in the lives of women.  With men away at war, women took on full responsibility for running households, farms, and businesses.  As a result of their increased involvement during the war, many women were reluctant to give up their new-found responsibilities after the fighting ended.

Sexism is a vague word that can mean different things in different times and places.  In order to answer the question and make a compelling argument, this thesis needs to explain exactly what  attitudes toward women were in early America, and  how those attitudes negatively affected women in the Revolutionary period.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution had a negative impact on women because of the belief that women lacked the rational faculties of men. In a nation that was to be guided by reasonable republican citizens, women were imagined to have no place in politics and were thus firmly relegated to the home.

This thesis addresses too large of a topic for an undergraduate paper.  The terms “social,” “political,” and “economic” are too broad and vague for the writer to analyze them thoroughly in a limited number of pages.  The thesis might focus on one of those concepts, or it might narrow the emphasis to some specific features of social, political, and economic change.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution paved the way for important political changes for women.  As “Republican Mothers,” women contributed to the polity by raising future citizens and nurturing virtuous husbands.  Consequently, women played a far more important role in the new nation’s politics than they had under British rule.

This thesis is off to a strong start, but it needs to go one step further by telling the reader why changes in these three areas mattered.  How did the lives of women improve because of developments in education, law, and economics?  What were women able to do with these advantages?  Obviously the rest of the paper will answer these questions, but the thesis statement needs to give some indication of why these particular changes mattered.

Strong Thesis: The Revolution had a positive impact on women because it ushered in improvements in female education, legal standing, and economic opportunity.  Progress in these three areas gave women the tools they needed to carve out lives beyond the home, laying the foundation for the cohesive feminist movement that would emerge in the mid-nineteenth century.

Thesis Checklist

When revising your thesis, check it against the following guidelines:

• Does my thesis make an historical argument?
• Does my thesis take a position that requires defending?
• Is my thesis historically specific?
• Is my thesis focused and precise?
• Does my thesis answer the question, “so what?”

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Shadows of Empire: American Presidential Rhetoric and Imperialism

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8 Theses on USA Imperialism and Anti-Imperialist Struggles in the 21st Century

• 9 September 2020

Professor Ramón Grosfoguel’s latest essay looks at the possible scenarios that confront the anti-imperialist and decolonial struggles vis a vis the USA, its upcoming elections and its ongoing imperial decline.

Overviewing 8 scenario / theses on the impact of different presidencies, the attacks on anti-imperial struggles, in particularly in Venezuela, the need for different epistemologies of struggle and decolonisation, Grosfoguel puts forth a powerful vision of the future of resistance.

Download the paper here , or read the full text below.

8 Theses on USA Imperialism and Anti-Imperialist Struggles in the 21st Century by Ramón Grosfoguel

[As a continuation of the monthly conference “Ciclo Internacional: Nuestra America en los Planes del Imperialismo” (“International Colloquium: Our America in the Plans of US Imperialism), in the event “Una Mirada desde América del Norte” (A Gaze from North America) celebrated on August 25th, 2020, by the Caracas Movement of Social Scientists “Simon Bolivar,” we share the lecture delivered by Ramon Grosfoguel entitled “8 Theses on USA Imperialism and Anti-Imperialist Struggles in the 21st Century.”]

Thesis 1: The cycle of American hegemony in the world-system has entered into a terminal crisis. The American hegemony that began shortly after WWII in 1945, has come to an end in 2020. The new center of the capitalist world-economy has shifted towards China. With the highest death toll in the world and the more than 50 million people having lost their jobs over the last 12 weeks, the United States of America remains the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic as well as the epicenter of a Global Great Depression of global capitalism.

Thesis 2: In the long run, the decline of U.S. empire is good news for the world at large, but in the short run bad news for Latin America. After losing the wars in the Middle East, and after having lost the trade war with China in Africa and Asia, the U.S. empire has retreated to the only zone that remains, its historical periphery: Latin America and the Caribbean. This means that as the fall of empire accelerates, U.S. foreign policy in our region will be more hawkish and more aggressive. The empire seeks to monopolize the markets and natural resources of the region and it looks to recuperate the countries it has lost to preserve and hold onto its imperial status in the world; hence the wave of soft and hard coups d’etats of the last decade, the last ones being against the government of Evo Morales in Bolivia last November, and the 4th Generation War against Venezuela.

Thesis 3: Over the course of the next few months, Venezuela will experience great tension. The Trump administration is coming up against an election in which it fears losing. In the midst of the presidential election, the administration, in an act of desperation, is using Colombia, with its neocolonial, narcopolitical, and parapolitical puppet government and neighboring neocolonial governments to escalate tensions and if possible manufacture a conflict that will divert attention away from domestic issues. This has always been a classic move on the part of US empire: diverting the discussion of its internal problems through warlike adventures abroad. If in the Middle East they deployed the rhetoric of “Islamic terrorism” to justify their imperialist state- sanctioned terror to destroy countries and murder millions of human beings, in Latin America they use the rhetoric of “narco-trafficking.” We have already witnessed their use of “fake news” to invent a cartel (the “Los Soles Cartel”) and accused President Maduro along with other members of the Bolivarian government of heading the cartel. Using this false accusation, the USA emited a warrant calling for the arrest of the Bolivarian leadership in Venezuela. This is all a pretext for global public opinion, but above all, for public opinion consumption inside the empire. Thus, the war of information becomes fundamental and we must brace ourselves for the worse so that we are met with no surprises.

Thesis 4: The Empire is torn between two versions of white supremacy: (1) the version of apartheid with an open and blatant racism represented by Donald Trump and the terrorist white supremacist militias that follow him and (2) the version of a new form of liberal multicultural apartheid currently headed by Joe Biden. The multicultural liberal apartheid version of the Clinton, Bush and Obama administrations seeks to put a multicultural and multiracial face on white supremacy so that nothing changes.

Thesis 5: These two versions of white supremacy constitute the two different responses to the fact that White Americans will soon become a demographic minority within the next two decades. Latinxs are the fastest growing population. The response on the part of Trump’s version of classic apartheid is to put up a wall on the southern border to stop the Latinx demographic growth. The liberal multicultural response is to give the empire a multiracial face by integrating elites from racialized groups into the administration while the white racial state and the white capitalist elites continue to rule over and further impoverish and exploit the Black and Latinx populations which the integrated elites claim to now represent. This is why we now have Black and Latinx political elites, a former Black President and today a female Black vice-presidential candidate with no significant change in terms of race relations, capitalism, or imperialism in the United States. What is important to note here is that these two versions of American White Supremacy are simply two sides of the same coin. The differences are secondary and relate to the domestic politics of empire. As for the imperialist foreign policy there is no difference. For this reason we should have no illusions about any American president: be it Donald Trump’s version of classic apartheid or Joe Biden’s version of liberal multicultural neo-apartheid. In its decline, the empire’s aggressive policy toward Latin America will intensify, above all against Venezuela, regardless of who wins the presidential elections. As long as the WHITE house continues to be WHITE, it matters little who occupies the presidency. The state will remain a white supremacist, imperialist, and racial capitalist institution.

Thesis 6: The demographic growth of non-white people is slated to be a majority inside the empire in the next 15 to 20 years and has the potential to strengthen anti-imperialist struggles within empire and move towards a decolonization that can put an end to the imperialist barbarity of the U.S. racial capitalist state, in hopes of transforming the country into a civilized member of the international community that behaves itself in solidarity, peace, and equality with the rest of the peoples of the world. These struggles have been rendered essentially invisible outside of the United States as a result of a media blackout. But regardless, these anti-imperialist movements exist inside the empire and contain a lot of strategic potential. Let us remember that the war in Vietnam was won not only through the heroic struggles of Vietnamese people but also by the mass anti-war mobilizations that occurred inside the empire. The empire will only fall as a result of the efforts made by anti-imperialist struggles within its borders joined together by efforts of anti-imperialist struggles abroad.

Thesis 7: Facing the 21st Century, we cannot conceive of anti-imperialist struggles without coordination with anti-imperialist struggles inside of the US empire. In the 21st century, the empire is torn between white supremacy in either of its two versions and the struggle for the decolonization of the empire from within. The Latinx population along with other groups inside empire, such as Black people, Indigenous people, and migrants are strategic. Demographic changes open up a decolonial potential. This is not automatic as we have seen with the Obama Presidency, where imperialism and the racial state did not change. It is about organizing a political project towards the decolonization of empire from within, and in solidarity with other peoples, build an anti-imperialist movement that will bring an end to the empire.

Thesis 8: In the same way that a 21st century anti-imperialism cannot be conceived of without the coordination with anti-imperialist struggles within the empire, neither can we conceive of a 21st century anti-imperialism without epistemic diversity. We have to think of an anti- imperialism that does not have a singular epistemology or worldview as its starting point. The anti-imperialism of the 21st century must be epistemically and spiritually pluriversal, that is, a universal that is diverse and plural. The anti-imperialist’s principles of unity must be peace, solidarity and the people’s right to self-determination, while respecting different spiritualities and epistemic diversity. And it must have as a central theme the defense of LIFE, because the imperialist system with its ecological destruction of the planet is only leading us towards death.

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American Imperialism - List of Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

American Imperialism refers to the United States’ influence and control over other countries, either directly or through various coercive methods. Essays could discuss historical instances of American imperialism, its motivations and effects, or compare it to other forms of imperialism around the globe. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to American Imperialism you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

Modern American Imperialism

By the end of the 18th century, the British Empire was one of the biggest colonial powers in the world. It had colonies in many countries across the world such as India and Australia. There were other colonial powers such as Spain, France, and the Netherlands. One of the latest countries which entered the imperialistic way was the U.S. It saw that other countries, especially Great Britain, were gaining resources, territories and most importantly dominance over the world. The U.S. […]

Manifest Destiny: the Dark Side of American Imperialism

"During the 19th century, American settlers felt an enthusiastic fervor to explore the western lands of America and to expand the reach of their ideals beyond their borders. However, the utopian idea of westward expansion wasn’t so romantic to those who stood in the path of the American dream. During the “Age of Imperialism”, ideas such as Manifest Destiny often came at the expense of others, leading to war and suffering in and around the nation. Due to the negative […]

America’s Role in the World after the Civil War

As the civil war came to an end Americas southern territory was in a horrible economic place it was, looted burned, and destroyed by the unions strength to defeat the confederacy. America saw this as a time to reconstruct morally, socially, and economically. During post-war northern Americas industries soared with the help of tariffs passed during war time. It helped corporations like steel and oil to grow and create better technology and mechanics. The growth of industries in America made […]

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American Imperialism: this is when it all Began

Historically, race has had a significant impact on American foreign policy. Racism has played a huge part in diplomacy. The concept of Imperialism was used to justify the unreal brutality of the expansion of the United States. Race and Imperialism are directly correlated. The imperialist views on America were fueled by the American Government themselves. Historians analyzed the perspective of race and imperialism through the American Government involvement in the Philippines. Paul A. Kramer, a well-known historian from Vanderbilt University, […]

History of American Imperialism

Imperialism is a policy that ensures the extension of a countries power and influence through diplomacy or military force. The manifest destiny was a 19thcentury belief that said the expansion was justified and bound to happen. There’s no doubt that these two go hand in hand. The American Imperialism brought both positive and negative effects and in doing my research, I wanted to explore both aspects. There were a few motives that pushed the movement of the westward expansion. One […]

The Influence of Sea Power Upon History

The nation’s growing exceptionalism and jingoism led to continuations and departures from past United States imperialism in the late 19th through early 20th century. In 1890, Alfred Thayer Mahan, published “The Influence of Sea Power upon History”, which brought about the importance of naval control to become a global empire. This surge for naval power caused sudden competition between the US and nations like Germany, France, and Japan. By the next decade, the United States would possess a top global […]

American Imperialism’s Effect on Countries

In the wake of World War II, America had no part in the European fighting overseas. But once there was a surprise attack from the Japanese on Pearl Harbor, Americans were enraged and they reacted violently against Japan and the Japanese people. After Pearl Harbor, America’s perception of the Japanese was “rarely perceived as being human beings of a generally comparable and equal sort” (Dower 99), while the Japanese proceeded to view Americans and the other western allies as “demons […]

The American Imperialism

American imperialism took place in the 1850s, having many causes and effects, although not all were bad. The three leading causes of American Imperialism were linked to economics, politics, and culture[1]. The economic factors were supposed to find new markets for trade. Most political motives were based on the nation's desire to gain as much power as possible to enable the US to compete with other countries, expand territory, increase military force, and boost national security and pride. The Alaska […]

American Expansion and Imperialism Essay

Across all of time, imperialism and expansion from country to country has been widespread. From the Holy Roman empire, to the expansion of Germany in World War II, expansion has been a common occurrence in history for hundreds of years. However, some question the morality of expansion. Isn’t it better to just leave countries alone? That was a very common question during the late 1800’s, when imperialism and expansion became more widespread in America. Many people questioned the morality and […]

The History of American Imperialism

"American imperialism" refers to the economic, military and cultural impact of the United States on other countries. The beginning of Industrialization made American businessmen want to seek for new international markets where they could sell and receive goods. Following the Spanish American war in 1898 some argue that this was the beginning of American imperialism, but I believe that America has always been around in America, but it is know taking different forms. Westward expansion is a good example of […]

The Three Main Causes of American Imperialism

American Imperialism took place in the 1850s. U.S. imperialism has many causes and effects, but not all were bad. There are three main causes of American Imperialism. The three main causes are economics, politics, and culture. The economic factors were supposed to find new markets for trade. American Imperialism is the economic, political, and cultural influence of the united states on other countries. Many of the political motives were based on the nation's desire to gain as much power as […]

Change in America’s Role in Foreign Policy

America’s role in foreign affairs underwent significant changes from 1865-1920. Prior to this period, Americans were generally indifferent to and minimally involved in foreign affairs. America was primarily focused on domestic issues such as the Civil War, industrialization, and settlement of the west. However, this changed after 1865, the end of the Civil War, for many reasons. For one, industrial growth led to larger production quantities and a need for bigger markets and additional raw materials. In addition, the Spanish-American […]

Russian Global Expansion

A general consensus has formed among the leaders of Western nations and among western-oriented international organizations like NATO and the European Union (EU). “Not only have spheres of influence returned in the twenty-first century, but they have come back because of Russia’s desire to disrupt the post-Cold War peace.”. Russia’s current policies have two distinct goals. First Russian seeks to reclaim its control over the post-Soviet space. Secondly its larger goal which has become increasingly evident in the period since […]

The Big Stick in the Caribbean Sea and Overfishing

This is a huge problem, but few people know about it. The Caribbean, an amazing place teeming with life, used to be one of the most diverse marine ecosystems in the whole world. It still has a number of coral reefs in many areas, but the use of large gill nets is starting to wipe out the population of many species of fish, including the endangered red snapper and the endangered bluefin tuna that live in these areas. Not only […]

The Complex Issues and Imperial Past of Egypt

Egypt, officially known as the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country in the northeast part of the African continent. Egypt borders Libya to the west, Sudan to the south, and Israel to the northeast. The world’s longest river, the Nile, runs through Egypt’s capital, Cairo. Egypt was the bridge that connected Europe to Asia for the older trade routes. On land, Egypt connects Asia with Africa through the Sinai Peninsula. On the sea, Egypt has access to the Mediterranean […]

Imperialism – 1850 to about 1910

During the period of 1850 to about 1910, American imperialism was motivated by four main factors: economic, political, geographic, and cultural. The economic factors were desires to find new markets for trade. By extending colonial power throughout the world, the United States would have new trading partners and markets. In addition, the U.S. would be closer to new markets; when the U.S. became a colonial power in the Philippines, it opened up trade with East Asia. In the political world, […]

Vietnam War and Crisis

In 1887, France imposed a colonial system over Vietnam, Tonkin, Annam, Cochin China and Cambodia, calling it French Indochina. Laos was added in 1893. Upon the weakening of France during WWII, Japanese troops invaded French Indochina. In 1945, Japanese troops carried out a coup against French authorities and declared Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia as independent states. When Japan was defeated, a power vacuum opened over Indochina. France began to reassert its authority, and met resistance from Ho Chi Minh and […]

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Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other territories and peoples. Because it always involves the use of power, whether military or economic or some subtler form, imperialism has often been considered morally reprehensible. Examples from history include Greek imperialism under Alexander the Great and Italian imperialism under Benito Mussolini .

Today the term imperialism is commonly used in international propaganda to denounce and discredit an opponent’s  foreign policy . International organizations, including the United Nations, attempt to maintain peace using measures such as collective security arrangements and aid to developing countries. However, critics say imperialism exists today; for example, many in the Middle East saw the U.S. -led Iraq War as a new brand of anti-Arab and anti-Islamic imperialism.

Following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, European nations sought to extend their economic and political power overseas, especially in Africa, in a period dubbed “the New Imperialism .” This competition led European elites and the broad literate classes to believe that the old European  balance of power  was over and a new world order was dawning. Some scholars argue that this process intensified imperial rivalries and helped provoke World War I .

imperialism , state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas. Because it always involves the use of power, whether military or economic or some subtler form, imperialism has often been considered morally reprehensible, and the term is frequently employed in international propaganda to denounce and discredit an opponent’s foreign policy .

Imperialism in ancient times is clear in the history of China and in the history of western Asia and the Mediterranean—an unending succession of empires. The tyrannical empire of the Assyrians was replaced (6th–4th century bce ) by that of the Persians , in strong contrast to the Assyrian in its liberal treatment of subjected peoples, assuring it long duration. It eventually gave way to the imperialism of Greece . When Greek imperialism reached an apex under Alexander the Great (356–323 bce ), a union of the eastern Mediterranean with western Asia was achieved. But the cosmopolis, in which all citizens of the world would live harmoniously together in equality, remained a dream of Alexander. It was partially realized when the Romans built their empire from Britain to Egypt .

This idea of empire as a unifying force was never again realized after the fall of Rome. The nations arising from the ashes of the Roman Empire in Europe, and in Asia on the common basis of Islamic civilization ( see Islamic world ), pursued their individual imperialist policies. Imperialism became a divisive force among the peoples of the world.

Three periods in the modern era witnessed the creation of vast empires, primarily colonial. Between the 15th century and the middle of the 18th, England, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain built empires in the Americas, India , and the East Indies . For almost a century thereafter, relative calm in empire building reigned as the result of a strong reaction against imperialism. Then the decades between the middle of the 19th century and World War I (1914–18) were again characterized by intense imperialistic policies.

Russia , Italy, Germany, the United States , and Japan were added as newcomers among the imperialistic states, and indirect, especially financial, control became a preferred form of imperialism. For a decade after World War I the great expectations for a better world inspired by the League of Nations put the problem of imperialism once more in abeyance . Then Japan renewed its empire building with an attack in 1931 upon China. Under the leadership of Japan and the totalitarian states—Italy under the Fascist Party , Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union —a new period of imperialism was inaugurated in the 1930s and ’40s.

In their modern form, arguments about the causes and value of imperialism can be classified into four main groups. The first group contains economic arguments and often turn around the question of whether or not imperialism pays. Those who argue that it does point to the human and material resources and the outlets for goods, investment capital, and surplus population provided by an empire. Their opponents—among them Adam Smith , David Ricardo , and J.A. Hobson—often assert that imperialism may benefit a small favoured group but never the nation as a whole. Marxist theoreticians interpret imperialism as a late stage of capitalism wherein the national capitalist economy has become monopolistic and is forced to conquer outlets for its overproduction and surplus capital in competition with other capitalist states. This was the view held, for instance, by Vladimir Lenin and N.I. Bukharin , for whom capitalism and imperialism were identical. The weakness in their view is that historical evidence does not support it and that it fails to explain precapitalist imperialism and communist imperialism.

A second group of arguments relates imperialism to the nature of human beings and human groups, such as the state . Such different personalities as Machiavelli , Sir Francis Bacon , and Ludwig Gumplowicz , reasoning on different grounds, nevertheless arrived at similar conclusions—which Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini also endorsed , though not for intellectual reasons. Imperialism for them is part of the natural struggle for survival. Those endowed with superior qualities are destined to rule all others.

The third group of arguments has to do with strategy and security. Nations are urged, proponents of this viewpoint say, to obtain bases, strategic materials, buffer states, “natural” frontiers, and control of communication lines for reasons of security or to prevent other states from obtaining them. Those who deny the value of imperialism for these purposes point out that security is not thereby achieved. Expansion of a state’s control over territories and peoples beyond its borders is likely to lead to friction, hence insecurity, because the safety zones and spheres of influence of competing nations are bound to overlap sooner or later. Related to the security argument is the argument that nations are inevitably imperialistic in their natural search for power and prestige .

The fourth group of arguments is based on moral grounds, sometimes with strong missionary implications . Imperialism is excused as the means of liberating peoples from tyrannical rule or of bringing them the blessings of a superior way of life. Imperialism results from a complex of causes in which in varying degrees economic pressures, human aggressiveness and greed, the search for security, the drive for power and prestige, nationalist emotions, humanitarianism, and many other factors are effective. This mixture of motivations makes it difficult to eliminate imperialism but also easy for states considering themselves potential victims to suspect it in policies not intended to be imperialistic. Some states of the developing world have accused the former colonial powers and other nations of neocolonialism . Their fear is that the granting of aid or the supply of skilled personnel for economic and technical development might be an imperialist guise.

Under international organizations , attempts have been made to satisfy by peaceful means the legitimate aspirations of nations and to contain their illegitimate ones. Measures for these purposes have included collective security arrangements, the mandate and the trusteeship system for dependent areas, the stimulation of cultural relations between nations, aid to developing countries, and the improvement of health and welfare everywhere. See also colonialism .

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In This Article Expand or collapse the "in this article" section Cultural Imperialism Theories

Introduction.

• Critical Reviews, Discussions, and Limits of the Notion of Media and Cultural Imperialism
• Rethinking the Cultural Imperialism Theory
• Cultural Imperialism and UNESCO
• Cultural Imperialism versus Globalization
• Global South and Cultural Imperialism
• Cultural Imperialism and Social Sciences

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Cultural Imperialism Theories by Rodrigo Gómez García , Ben Birkinbine LAST REVIEWED: 27 June 2018 LAST MODIFIED: 27 June 2018 DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199756841-0209

The theory of cultural imperialism has its roots in critical communication scholarship and was used to describe the growing influence of the United States and its commercial media system around the world, specifically in the context of the Cold War, after the Second World War, when the United States and the Soviet Union were attempting to compel and persuade other countries to adopt their respective socioeconomic systems. The theory specifically focused on the ways in which US culture was being spread to and sometimes imposed upon developing nations by US communications and media corporations, by specific media products and their imagery and messages, and by the expansion of the private model of the media system. The critical edge to the theory was its staunch criticism of the strategies and tactics used by the United States in this regard and how the US communications and media system expanded and maintained the asymmetrical economic, political, and cultural power relations between the United States and other countries in the world system. Correspondingly, the theory was also used as a basis for arguing that those people who were subjected to cultural imperialism ought to be granted the right to develop their own sovereign national media systems. The struggle to develop those systems occurred within the context of national liberation struggles against the remnants of Western territorial colonialism and the new de-territorialized imperialism of both the US and Soviet empires. However, the theory was challenged on at least a couple different fronts. The first challenge came from cultural studies researchers who questioned the total homogenizing influences of mass-produced media content on audiences. Drawing from ethnographic and reception studies of audiences, these researchers demonstrated how American media influence was rarely as totalizing and complete as the cultural imperialism theory suggested. Rather, such commercial images and messages were also subject to local adaptation, indigenization and resistance and therefore not always influencing of audiences. A second line of critique focused more on the national economic and political structure of non-US media systems and whether those systems were directly influenced by the United States. Scholars within this area focused on ownership patterns and the structures of media systems, including the impact of dominant, far-reaching systems of government influence and industrial media production that establish prevalent media models or channels. In addition, these scholars focused on whether such systems enable or constrain alternative media forms and functions, and the degree to which they set routine parameters for discourse, thereby shaping the sociocultural norms that media tend to promote and the political and economic interests they routinely serve. Over time, these criticisms of the cultural imperialism thesis have been re-integrated within it, further strengthening its analytical value. Some scholars have sought to revise the theory by incorporating some of the criticisms, while others have tried to reemphasize the value of the original theory. Indeed, the theory’s utility continues to be debated, particularly in light of historical changes and other emergent trends that have reshaped the geopolitical economy of the global communication system. In addition to these ongoing debates, the theory has also shown dynamism in the way that it has been applied across various academic fields in the social sciences and the humanities.

The entries in this section address the more influential texts that figure prominently within the early ideas of cultural and media imperialism during the 1970s, such as Schiller 1969 , Schiller 1973 , Schiller 1976 , Mattelart 1976 , and Mattelart 1979 . The foundations of the media or cultural imperialism theory were laid during the 1970s in the context of the Cold War and the Non Aligned Movement’s struggle for a New World Information and Communication Order at UNESCO, and developed by political economy of communications scholars, North and South, East and West. In addition, the development of the idea of media and cultural imperialism had a substantial impact in policy international circles. Even though Schiller 1969 is often identified as originating the theory, the conceptual basis for the theory has a shared history both within the United States as well as Latin American authors such as Armand Mattelart, Hector Schmucler, Rafael Reyes Mata, Luis R. Beltrán, and Elizabeth Fox, among others. Also included are other influential works that have contributed to the development of the notion from a geopolitical and critical perspective since the 1970s, such as Tunstall 1977 , Boyd-Barrett 1977 , and Boyd-Barrett 1998 . Another important book is Schiller 1989 , which focuses on the growing power of transnational corporate conglomerates to shape and colonize in a wider sense the organization of culture in the United States.

Boyd-Barrett, Oliver. 1977. Media imperialism: Towards an international framework for the analysis of media Systems. In Mass communication and society . Edited by James Curran, Michael Gurevitch, and John Woollacott, 116–135. London: Edward Arnold.

Outlines the contours of media imperialism as a general thesis to explain the processes by which a given country’s media systems are shaped by or subject to pressures from another country without proportionate reciprocation. The remainder of the chapter is spent discussing “four modes of media imperialism,” which include the shape of the communication vehicle, a set of industrial arrangements, a body of values, and specific media content. In addition, he outlines the necessary preconditions for media imperialism, as well as the consequences and implications of media imperialism.

Boyd-Barrett, Oliver. 1998. Media imperialism reformulated. In Electronic empires: Global media and local resistance . Edited by Daya Thussu, 157–176. London: Arnold.

In this chapter, Boyd-Barrett responds to ongoing debates at the time about the usefulness of the “media imperialism” concept in light of developments within theories of globalization. His argument is that media imperialism is still a relevant, as it directly examines the relationship between national economies and the global capitalist economy and focuses attention on the ways that culture and media sustain that relationship.

Mattelart, Armand. 1976. Cultural imperialism in the multinationals’ age. Instant Research on Peace and Violence 6.4: 160–174.

This early article by Mattelart aims to address the specific forms of US cultural imperialism in Latin America, particularly in the age of multinationals and the supremacy of local bourgeois and authoritarian regimes. He understands that the US multinational firms have a double function as agents for economic penetration and ideological propaganda, on one hand, while also serving as agents of order, on the other.

Mattelart, Armand. 1979. Multinational corporations and the control of culture: The ideological apparatuses of imperialism . Brighton, UK: Harvester.

In this book, Mattelart gives an important overview of the interlocks between multinational corporations and the different forms they use for the control of culture, particularly in the Third World. This book is an example of the transnational issues related to communication, culture, and information from a critical perspective.

Schiller, Herbert I. 1969. Mass communication and American empire . Boston: Beacon Press.

This book is the primary source text for the cultural imperialism theory. Schiller argued that the United States emerged following the Second World War as a new kind of empire without formal territorial colonies. Rather, its systems of mass communication were used to impose its influence around the globe. In addition, US media are commercial products and tools of Americanization that dominate the airwaves, cinemas, and cultures of other countries without reciprocation of influence by them.

Schiller, Herbert. 1973. The mind managers . Boston: Beacon Press.

In this book, Schiller turns his attention to the ways in which consciousness is being manipulated by those he calls “mind managers (MM),” which are those who control the means of communication and mass culture. The dynamics of MM are shaped by a complex interplay of forces from government, media, military, corporations, public opinion polling, popular culture, and information technology. Schiller explores the concrete ways in which the mechanisms and messages of the MM have become seemingly normal and inevitable components of social life.

Schiller, Herbert. 1976. Communication and cultural domination . White Plains, NY: ME Sharpe.

While Mass Communication and American Empire is the first Schiller book associated with his cultural imperialism theory, in this book he offers a more accurate definition. In fact, in this book we can find the most cited quotation related with cultural imperialism (p. 9). Schiller conceptualized US cultural imperialism as part of the broader US project of empire.

Schiller, Herbert. 1989. Culture, Inc . New York: Oxford University Press.

Focuses on the growing power of transnational corporate conglomerates to shape and colonize in a wider sense the organization of culture in the United States. Specifically, Schiller expands and updates the “culture industry” thesis of the Frankfurt School by demonstrating how those spheres that were previously imagined as separated from corporate ownership and commercialization, such as the fine arts and education, have been integrated into capitalist productions.

Schiller, Herbert I. 1992. Mass communication and American empire . 2d ed. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

In this updated edition, published twenty-three years after the original, Schiller responds to and elaborates upon some ideas that were criticized or discredited from the original idea of cultural domination. Perhaps most importantly, he added an entire chapter, “A Quarter-Century Retrospective,” to address those critiques. The chapter answers the question of what differentiates the 1990s from the mid-1960s with respect to media-cultural influence by specifically arguing that a distinctly “American” cultural imperialism had become “trans-nationalized.”

Tunstall, Jeremy. 1977. The media are American: Anglo-American media in the world . London: Constable.

In this classic book, Tunstall focuses on the export of media from the United States to countries around the world. As such, he argues that the world’s media systems are largely dominated by US products. Rather than focusing purely on the content of media, however, Tunstall also focuses his attention on the ways in which styles and patterns of media production and consumption have also been exported around the world. His central thesis is that media are about more than merely their content; they are about politics, commerce, and ideas.

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Hobson’s Research on Imperialism and Its Legacy

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• First Online: 02 July 2020
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• Simon Chilvers 3  

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John Atkinson Hobson (1858–1940), who signed his name as J.A. Hobson, can be considered a major theorist of imperialism. His book Imperialism: A Study ( 1902 ) is arguably the single most-influential work for this study field.

John Atkinson Hobson (1858–1940), who signed his name as J.A. Hobson, can be considered a major theorist of imperialism. His book Imperialism: A Study ( 1902 ) is arguably the single most-influential work for this study field. Although it claims to isolate the ‘taproot of imperialism’ and inspired mass struggle leaders, its significance lies also in its thematic heterogeneity and possible contradictory interpretations. Some exegeses are thus vital when presenting this text and Hobson’s wider oeuvre, for he wove original ideas together with the essential strands of British Liberalism.

On Thrift, Poverty, and Monopoly Capital

Hobson was born in Derby, England, to a regional newspaper proprietor, attending grammar school before attending Oxford University and...

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Hobson, J. A. (1891). Problems of poverty: An inquiry into the industrial condition of the poor . London: Methuen and Company.

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Hobson, J. A. (1900a). Capitalism and imperialism in South Africa. The Contemporary Review, 77 , 1–17.

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Hobson, J. A. (1904). International trade: An application of economic theory . London: Methuen and Company.

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Hobson, J. A. (1911). An economic interpretation of investment . London: The Financial Review of Reviews.

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Hobson, J. A. (1917). Democracy after the war . London: George Allen and Unwin.

Hobson, J. A. (1919). Taxation in the new state . London: Methuen and Company.

Hobson, J. A. (1920). The morals of economic internationalism . Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Hobson, J. A. (1921). Problems of a new world . London: George Allen and Unwin.

Hobson, J. A. (1938). Confessions of an economic heretic . London: George Allen and Unwin.

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Selected Works

Austen, R. A. (1975). Economic imperialism revisited: Late-nineteenth-century Europe and Africa. The Journal of Modern History, 47 (3), 519–529.

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Cain, P. J., & Hopkins, A. G. (1993). British imperialism: Innovation and expansion 1688–1914 . London: Longman.

Clarke, P. F. (1981). Hobson, free trade, and imperialism. The Economic History Review , New Series , 34 (2), 308–312.

Coppock, D. J. (1953). A reconsideration of Hobson’s theory of unemployment. Manchester School, 21 (1), 1–21.

Coyle, M. (1994). Organizing Organicism: J.A. Hobson and the Interregnum of Raymond Williams. English Literature in Transition, 1880–1920, 37 (2), 162–191.

Eckstein, A. M. (1991). Is there a “Hobson-Lenin thesis” on late nineteenth-century colonial expansion? The Economic History Review , New Series , 44 (2), 297–318.

Etherington, N. (1982). Reconsidering theories of imperialism. History and Theory, 21 (1), 1–36.

Fieldhouse, D. K. (1961). “Imperialism”: An historiographical revision. The Economic History Review , New Series , 14 (2), 187–209.

Freeden, M. (1973). J.A. Hobson as a new liberal theorist: Some aspects of his social thought until 1914. Journal of the History of Ideas, 34 (3), 421–443.

Gallagher, J., & Robinson, R. (1953). The imperialism of free trade. The Economic History Review , New Series , 6 (1), 1–15.

Hamilton, D. (1954). Hobson with a Keynesian twist. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 13 (3), 273–282.

Hobson, J. M. (2011). John A. Hobson, the international man: A report from earth. In J. M. Hobson & C. Tyler (Eds.), Selected writings of John A. Hobson, 1932–1938: The struggle for the international mind (pp. 1–78). London: Routledge.

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Kruger, D. H. (1955). Hobson, Lenin, and Schumpeter on imperialism. Journal of the History of Ideas, 16 (2), 252–259.

Mitchell, H. (1965). Hobson revisited. Journal of the History of Ideas, 26 (3), 397–416.

Platt, D. C. M. (1968). The imperialism of free trade: Some reservations. The Economic History Review , New Series , 21 (2), 296–306.

Robinson, R., Gallagher, J., & Denny, A. (1961). Africa and the Victorians: The official mind of imperialism . London: Macmillan.

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Schneider, M. (1996). J.A. Hobson . Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Stokes, E. (1969). Late nineteenth-century colonial expansion and the attack on the theory of imperialism: A case of mistaken identity? The Historical Journal, 12 (2), 285–301.

Wood, J. C. (1983). J. A. Hobson and British imperialism. American Journal of Economics and Sociology, 42 (4), 483–500.

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Economic Geography, University of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford, BC, Canada

Simon Chilvers

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Chilvers, S. (2020). Hobson’s Research on Imperialism and Its Legacy. In: Ness, I., Cope, Z. (eds) The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Imperialism and Anti-Imperialism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91206-6_288-1

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DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91206-6_288-1

Received : 29 May 2020

Accepted : 29 May 2020

Published : 02 July 2020

Publisher Name : Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

Print ISBN : 978-3-319-91206-6

Online ISBN : 978-3-319-91206-6

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