Question

Explain how the “White Man’s Burden” differs from Cecil Rhodes point of view on imperialism.

Answer 1

Rhodes was a rich diamond miner who thought that the British race was the supreme race and any place would have the good fortune of being colonized by the United Kingdom. Rhodes thought that the British were doing the Africans a favor by colonizing them. While the "White Man's Burden" man had the idea that many European countries had the duty to spread their religion and culture to the less civilized. It was also claimed that the Africans were really helpless before the material gods of the white man.

Answer 2

The White Man's Burden is a rhetorical mandate to the white man to colonize the other races for the benefit of these same, being their "burden" both the task and the people themselves to colonize. Because of this issue, as well as the resounding title, it soon became an emblem of colonial rule and Eurocentrism.

On the other hand, Rhodes had a mystical concept of imperialism. It owes much to him the conception of the Cape-Cairo axis, which for a long time inspired the British colonial policy and that ended up becoming reality at the cost of the Portuguese, French and German aspirations in Africa.

He wanted British settlers and governors, with local politicians. This put him in conflict with many in Britain, as well as with British missionaries who were not in favor of what was happening in the colony.

In other words, The White Man's Burden proposed a cultural colonization, while Cecil Rhodes only sought the economic exploitation of the territories.