Final answer:
Cecil Rhodes stands over 1. Africa in the political cartoon, symbolizing European superiority and their 'civilizing mission', involved in colonization and the expansion of the British Empire, particularly with initiatives like the 'Cape to Cairo' railway.
Step-by-step explanation:
The political cartoon showing Cecil Rhodes standing over the continent of 1. Africa represents the European feelings of superiority. Rhodes, symbolized as a colossus, believed that it was the Europeans' responsibility to civilize other continents by imparting Western culture.
In this historical context, Rhodes's actions and the ideology he embodied are indicative of a broader European imperialist attitude during the era of New Imperialism, which sought to expand European control over various regions around the world, including Africa, under the pretext of a 'civilizing mission'.
This sense of racial superiority and the drive for expansion were expressed not only by Rhodes but also by other Europeans, as well as Americans who shared this Eurocentric worldview. Rhodes was particularly influential in the colonization of Southern Africa and famously proposed the 'Cape to Cairo' railway, aiming to strengthen British hegemony on the continent.