British Colonialism: Empire, Power, and Its Legacy

Introduction: Colonialism and Its Historical Context

The argument surrounding the recent conflict in Iraq was two-sided: one side favored ridding Iraq of Saddam Hussein; the other did not. Arguments from the anti-war side bordered on accusing the United States of being an imperialist and colonialist power — that America had become an occupying force seeking to impose its will on a weaker nation, a view that found favor among most Middle Eastern Islamic countries. Though this argument may prove philosophically and intellectually disingenuous, there is historical precedent for colonialist ambition. The Dutch, Spaniards, French, British, and, to a lesser extent, the Danish colonized most of the world for more than five hundred years.

The legacy we see today in the world's lingua franca, the English language, is testament to the fact that the British were largely victorious in the intra-imperialist wars. "Britannia" ruled the world for several centuries. Over the last century, most colonized countries attained independence. This legacy is also visible in the Commonwealth of Nations — countries that were, in the past, British colonies. The most recent colony to be returned to China was Hong Kong, amid much fanfare. Not all colonies, however, have attained independence: almost two decades ago, the British fought the Argentines to retain possession of the Falkland Islands, also known as the Malvinas.

Two of the key British possessions were what became the United States of America and, famously, the "Jewel in the (British) Crown" — India. The circumstances surrounding the creation and eventual relinquishing of both colonies are completely different. India was a civilization that had endured several millennia of history; the British initially entered as trading partners. In the Americas, European (mostly English) settlers came to the "New Country," where they had to contend with non-uniform groups of indigenous, Native American tribes. The new settlers, who had evolved an identity of their own, eventually grew tired of being dictated to by the government of the Old Country.

In this essay, the rationale for British colonialism is discussed from the perspective of other colonial powers in Europe. The European perspective was broadly favorable to colonialism, the primary — albeit unspoken — premise being the assertion of superiority. The revisionist perspective, by contrast, is one of revulsion toward imperialism. The lives of three symbols of colonial power are examined: Lord Robert Clive, an early Governor General of India; Lord Charles Cornwallis, the last British Governor General in America; and Captain James Cook, the discoverer and first foreign (non-Aboriginal) surveyor of Australia. Britain's history may extol these men's martial abilities and adventurous spirit, but their exploits also resulted in untold hardships in the colonies they helped establish.

In colonialism, one state claims sovereignty over territory and people outside its own boundaries — often for economic supremacy over resources, labor, and markets. Supporters of colonialism argue that the colonizers are superior to the colonized, thereby justifying this form of rule, and that colonialist administration benefits the colonized by developing the economic and political infrastructure necessary for modernization and democracy. European supporters further claimed to have helped unify nations with disparate regions, bringing civilization to the so-called "savage." The British were assisted in their colonial ambitions partly because they became the seat of the Industrial Revolution, which enabled them to establish manufacturing infrastructure in different colonies — driven in part by the ready availability of raw materials that England, as a small nation, lacked. Critics have argued, however, that colonialism actually transferred wealth from the colonized to the colonizer and inhibited successful economic development, while also inflicting political, psychological, and moral damage on colonized peoples.