imperialism

The word imperialism is now so loosely used that it has almost lost real meaning. It may be useful to offer a definition that might be widely accepted: "the policy of extending a nation's authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations." That definition seems to apply equally well to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia and to the European performance in the late nineteenth century. But there were …

…security that would finance a great program of domestic reform and welfare. These arguments were not important as motives for British imperial expansion because they were made well after Britain had acquired most of its empire. Another common and apparently plausible justification for imperialism was the colonies would attract a European country's surplus population. In fact, most European emigrants went to areas not controlled by their countries, chiefly to North and South America and Australia.