Imperialists and Boy Scouts
This lecture analyzes the 'New Imperialism' of the late 19th century, identifying religious proselytizing, profit, and inter-imperial political strategy as key drivers. It also examines the cultural program of imperialism, using the Boy Scouts as a case study for domestic support.
European Civilization, 1648-1945 (HIST 202)
The boom in European colonial expansion in the second half of the nineteenth century, the so-called New Imperialism, can be seen to follow from three principle factors, in ascending order of importance: religious proselytizing, profit, and inter-imperial political strategy. With respect to the latter concern, the conflicts emerging from imperialism set the stage for World War I. Along with its military and industrial consequences, imperialism also entailed a large-scale cultural program dedicated to strengthening support for its objectives among the domestic populations of the imperial powers. The creation of the Boy Scouts is an exemplary form of such a program, founded upon a mythology of the American frontier reformulated to encompass Africa and Asia.