Spanish-American War and Imperialism · US History

The concept of 'White Man's Burden' was often used to justify imperialism by claiming:

  1. Industrial nations were being exploited by their colonies
  2. All races were fundamentally equal and should be free to govern themselves
  3. War was an outdated concept that should be abandoned
  4. Western nations had a moral duty to 'civilize' non-Western peoples
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Correct answer: Western nations had a moral duty to 'civilize' non-Western peoples

Based on a poem by Rudyard Kipling, this idea suggested that imperialism was a selfless, burdensome task taken on by Europeans and Americans to bring Christianity and 'civilization' to other parts of the world.

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