The dictionary defines colonialism as “the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically,” a tactic commonly associated with American and European history. Empires rise and fall while innocent people die due to a leader’s desperation to become a global superpower, but imperialism is still a policy used by many countries whose governments obsess over expansion. History continues to repeat itself time and time again, dating back to the Roman Empire stretching across Europe, followed by the British, French, and Spanish expanding into the Western World for colonization, and more recently, American expansion throughout the Western Hemisphere. These significant events in history led to long term consequences that still significantly impact the world today.
The effects of colonialism date back to a time before America was even founded, but one of the greatest examples of imperialism occurred when Columbus decided to sail to the Americas. After Columbus’s “discovery,” England and France joined Italy in its exploration of North and South America in order to expand and
…show more content…
All the intriguing cultural aspects of Native American culture was superseded by European culture. In Latin America, the primary languages are now Portuguese, Spanish, and English, and even the most well-known tribes like the Aztechs and the Incas are virtually unheard of. Another long term effect of colonialism was that the colonizers often deplete the country of all natural resources, leaving it unable to stabilize on its own. Also, in the West, slavery became extremely widespread due to the colonization of Africa. In conclusion, colonialism is a harmful practice that causes a lot of bloodshed without any long-term benefits for any of the parties