"I contend that we are the first race in the world, and the more of the world we inhabit, the better it is for the human race…. It is our duty to seize every opportunity of acquiring more territory and we should keep this one idea steadily before our eyes that more territory simply means more of the Anglo-Saxon race, more of the best, the most human, most honourable race the world possesses."
Document-based questions:
1. Cecil Rhodes was responsible for British settlements in southern Africa; the country of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) was even named after him. Rhodes writes here that the human race is improved by having greater numbers of Britons living throughout the world. How might a native African react to this statement? Explain.
2. Rhodes is expressing the view that the English are Anglo-Saxons, and that Anglo-Saxons are the "best" race. This sort of flawed logic regarding unscientific, biased views of human beings (divided into "races"), became extremely popular as imperialism grew. Why and how did racism grow as imperialism grew?
Click here to print. Answers will vary.
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