Negative Effects of Imperialism - 1321 Words

The Dark Side of Imperialism Imagine for a moment that you are a fourteen-year old boy and belong to the Ibo tribe in Nigeria, Africa. Your father is a yam farmer and holds an important tribal position in your clan. Your mother is one of five wives to your father, all of whom treat him with respect and serve his every need. You are content with your life and your future looks promising. Your days consist of aiding your father in farming his crops and learning the culture and traditions of your tribe. Then, suddenly, the Europeans come and everything starts to fall apart. At first they seem kind and only want to help those in need and share their religion. Overtime, however, they strip you of all your beliefs and make you change your†¦show more content†¦Although the Africans were the ones who the government was affecting, they had no control over how it was run. Government and the way in which conflicts are dealt play a large role in the culture of a country and when the gov ernment and justice system were taken away from the natives, a large part of culture was also destroyed. The novel Things Fall Apart by Chineau Achebe shows first hand how the imperialists forced themselves upon the Africans and how it hurt the villagers. Okonkwo, the main characters in the book, was a strong man who held important tribal positions. Okonkwo was exiled for seven years due to a crime he committed and during that time the European imperialists came into his home village and began to alter the tribes way of life. When Okonkwo came back he saw that many great and powerful leaders had converted to Christianity and left the villagers with no leader, causing the tribe to fall apart (Achebe). Also, the new laws the white men came with were enforced and many people were killed because they disobeyed them. When Okonkwo had finally seen enough, he led a rebellion with a handful of villagers. During the revolt, Okonkwo killed a European ambassador and ended up hanging himself. H e did this because he felt suicide was less painful than enduring the punishments that would be inflicted upon him by the Europeans. His death symbolized the destruction of the tribe. Okonkwo was a stubborn and courageous leader and if the Europeans couldShow MoreRelatedThe Negative Effects Of Imperialism884 Words   |  4 PagesImperialism. Noun. A policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force. Imperialism is an age-old practice in which powerful countries will engulf or take over smaller weaker countries to expand their empire. New imperialism has the same idea, but it would have started in the 1870’s and the motive to continue this practice was heavily economic. Imperial powers will expand their empire for many different reasons, the victims or the colonist will make an attemptRead MoreNegative Effects Of Imperialism1139 Words   |  5 Pagesevents are talked about. That just shows what imperialism causes. Imperialism is w hen a dominant country seeks to increase their size and forces (either by war or diplomacy) a smaller country to submit to their rule. The Age of Imperialism began in the 1870s and went until World War 1. During this time imperialism was very prevalent and the events that took place during this time had lasting effects and still affect us to this day. While imperialism could be seen as beneficial, especially to theRead MoreNegative Effects Of Imperialism736 Words   |  3 Pagesnonnative. As a result, Imperialism began in the late nineteenth century due to economic, political, and social forces including the Industrial Revolution, trade, and military conditions. Imperialism is the domination over an undeveloped, less industrialized country by a stronger, more industrialized nation. Although Imperialism has shaped the culture and customs all over the world, it had both negative and positive impacts throughout imperialized nations. The Perspectives on imperialism varied widely betwee nRead MoreNegative Effects Of Imperialism850 Words   |  4 Pages Imperialism is defined as the policy when a powerful nation seeks to dominate other countries politically, economically, or socially. Imperialism was mostly devised because of the nationalistic feelings that the industrial revolution produced. In my opinion, imperialism has had both good and harmful effects on the world. In some ways, it has brought modernization to countries that were stuck in their old ways. In some cases, I believe it would have been better to leave these countries alone, butRead MoreNegative Effects Of Imperialism973 Words   |  4 Pagestoday. America annexed many new and useful lands due to this decision. Imperialism therefore, was justified because it provided protection and food for the developing countries. Imperialism also helped the United States acquire countless amounts of land with an abundance of resources. However, many argue that imperialism was harmful because it caused many people to lose their lives. Imperialism had many positive effects because the United States would protect and help the developing countriesRead MoreEssay on The Negative Effects of Imperialism in Africa621 Words   |  3 PagesImperialism is a policy of extending a country’s power and influence through diplomacy or military force. In the 20th century many European countries attempted to colonize the great continent of Africa. Europeans saw Africa as an area they would be able to profit from, as it had a great climate, good size, and some phenomenal natural resources. While the Europeans divided the continent of Africa they failed to see the possible negative effects on themselves, and the indigenous people of AfricaRead MoreThe Negative Effects of Imperialism in Nigeria (its possible to go into more detail, but my pages were limited to this many)1570 Words   |  7 Pageshad exported slaves from here and other places along West Africa, but this time they had a different goal. “European activities revolved around four major issues: exploration, Christianity, trade, and imperialism.” Consequently, all these were related, because one lead to the next. Therefore, in effect, all of these were roots of the problems to come. Gradually, in the 1850Â’s the British began to make their presence felt even more. Then, beginning in 1861, the British set up the policy of indirectRead MoreEuropean Imperialism - Dbq Essay804 Words   |  4 Pagesthe history of the world, imperialism has played a major role. Imperialism is one country’s complete domination of the political, economic, and social life of another country. Imperialism has many positive and negative effects. The Age of Imperialism is considered 1800 - 1914. During this time Europe became a major world leader. European countries set up colonies all over Africa, Latin America, and Asia, and encouraged their citizens to populate them. European imperialism boosted Europe’s economyRead MoreImperialism is when a mother nation takes over another nation and become its colony for political,700 Words   |  3 PagesImperialism is when a mother nation takes over another nation and become its colony for political, social, and economical reasons. Imperialism is a progressive force for both the oppre ssors (mother country) and the oppressed (colony), majorly occurring during the late 19th and early 20th century. It had more negative effects than positive effects due to its domination to other nations. Documents 1 and 5 show how imperialism should work over politics and their benefits over the colonies while documentsRead MoreEssay on Africa vs European Imperialism841 Words   |  4 PagesDBQ: Imperialism In AfricaAzra Azvar Period 3 2/21/10 Whites vs Blacks In the late 19th and early 20th centuries European imperialism caused its countries to divide up the rest of the world, each country claiming bits as its own. Due to its large amounts of resources, Africa was one of the main areas European nations invaded in the cause if imperialism. In Africa, there were positive and negative effects towards the Africans and the invaders. Some positive effects on Africans were that