Final answer:
Western societies leveraged colonialism to economically exploit smaller societies by extracting raw materials and exploiting labor. This resulted in western enrichment at the expense of the colonized regions' impoverishment. Historical colonialism and its legacy remain influential in today's global economic inequality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Western societies historically used colonialism as a strategy to advance their economies by dominating smaller societies. The late 19th century saw a rush by European powers to secure overseas territories with the goal of accessing raw materials needed for their burgeoning industrial economies. This often involved the establishment of colonial governments that operated under ethnocentric assumptions, wrongly portraying non-Western societies as either tyrannical or lacking in political organization.
Economically, colonialism was designed as a means for industrialized Europe to extract raw materials, such as rubber, minerals, and cash crops like tea and cotton, from the colonies. Using force and pseudo-legal means, land was seized, and native peoples were frequently subjected to brutal forms of labor exploitation, including slavery and semi-slavery. These actions served the economic interests of the colonizing powers, enriching them while leaving the colonized regions impoverished and environmentally damaged.
The legacy of colonialism and the ongoing patterns of neocolonialism continue to influence global economic structures, producing disparities in wealth and power. To grasp modern economic challenges faced by formerly colonized nations, one must consider the profound impacts of historic colonial practices and the manner by which they have perpetuated inequality.