Final answer:
Cecil Rhodes, known as 'The Colossus', was a powerful figure in British colonial history and was elected to the Cape Colony Assembly in 1881. He proposed a railway connecting Britain's Cape Colony to Egypt, earning him his nickname and demonstrating his ambition for British expansion in Africa.
Step-by-step explanation:
The man known as The Colossus, who was elected to the Cape Colony Assembly in 1881, is Cecil Rhodes. He is famously caricatured in Punch magazine in 1892 as striding across Africa, representing his vision for a railway connecting Britain's Cape Colony to Egypt, often referred to as 'The Rhodes Colossus'. This bold vision earned him his nickname, as it demonstrated his enormous ambition for British expansion in Africa.
Rhodes played a crucial role in the expansion of British territories in southern Africa, establishing Rhodesia (modern-day Zimbabwe and Zambia).
He was a controversial figure with significant influence, evidently showcased by his resources to propose and plan the railway, although some lines were not completed until the 20th century with others never being built.
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