Since 1492, Europeans have increasingly encountered non-Europeans across the globe, yet the terms of those encounters have changed over time.Write an essay that traces the history of European colonization, imperialism, and decolonization from 1492 to 1989. Be sure to consider changing power dynamics (e.g. slavery and abolition; confessional competition; nationalism; technological asymmetries), shifting economic motivations (e.g. bullion acquisition; sugar, coffee, etc.; tropical goods such as palm oil and rubber), and cultural consequences (e.g. cultural relativism; European ethnocentrism; racism; nationalist chauvinism; Darwinism; primitivism; cultural representations in middle class households, etc.).What led Europeans to be successful in their expansion through much of the period? Why did such expansion ultimately lead to catastrophe and retreat?
Be sure to organize your essay around a clearly stated explanatory thesis, and be sure to support your argument with concrete examples and evidence.
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