Primary Source Document Analysis

The European occupation of colonies across the globe required a sense of Christian duty and capitalist ambition. There was also a sense of racist disregard for local cultures. It is not a story of villains and heroes, but one of millions of people seeking security for themselves and sometimes relying on great violence and exploitation. The nuances are quite complex. This week, let’s consider these view points while using multiple sources. Part of this week’s assignment will require you to cite your sources as you use them and synthesize information from multiple sources in a single paragraph.

During the European occupation of areas spanning the world, often explorers, officers, and travelers exaggerated the sense of brutality in the areas they saw. Why was it important to portray the local people in colonies as unfit to rule themselves, even in areas where it wasn’t really accurate? Use the following links to give examples of these kinds of comments and use your textbook for historical context in order to write a 2-page paper concerning the depictions of colonial subjects during the 19th century. Be sure to cite the sources as you use them.

Edmondo de Amicis, One Day in Morocco, c. 1870
(Amicis, One Day) for in-line citation
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1870morocco.asp

Paul du Chaillu, Travels in Africa, 1868-1870
(Chaillu, Travels) for in-line citation
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1870chaillu-africa.asp

Alfred Egmont Hake, The Death of General Gordon at Khartoum, 1885
(Hake, Khartoum) for in-line citation
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/islam/1885khartoum1.asp

Dadabhai Naoroji, The Benefits of British Rule, 1871
(Naoroji, British Rule) for in-line citation
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1871britishrule.asp

** Your final page should include a bibliography of the sources you used, including the Author, Title, web URL, and date accessed.