MUN 1

Rhea Mundra

Mr Johnson

Socials Studies

1 April 2022

Consequences of Historical Globalization

“Historical globalisation has only created opportunities for humanity to thrive and succeed”

Throughout the past centuries, we have seen governments rise and fall by way of

warfare and conflict. They attempt to build an empire that stays on top of the world at

large. This is what contemporary society would call colonialism – the act of acquiring

and taking control over another country. In the 16th century, the Europeans took

advantage of their technological advancements and went after weaker areas such as Asia,

Africa, & America, and colonised them. Colonial battles have been recorded in history

books as an attempted advancement towards a homogenised world under one capital.

Historical globalisation may have its benefits but to what extent? The source presented

above agrees with the fundamental principle of colonialism and believes that nothing but

thriving opportunities have been created for humanity. The author behind this source

vaguely chooses to mention humanity. For what humanity is thriving when many of its

people have been displaced, raped, and murdered? The only nation that thrived and

succeeded was the Mother Country itself. The act of colonialism doesn’t give humanity
 MUN 2

any choice but to fall short of our mistakes, as historical globalisation has caused the loss

of identity, genocide and overall political and ethical division. Through the source’s

perspective and the reasons stated, one can see that this source is disagreeable due to the

unfavourable consequences that overshadow the benefits of historical globalisation.

An ideal society would be one where there was mutual influence and

understanding between all cultures, which would include the values and beliefs they

follow. However, society has never been ideal. Colonialism has climbed up and has been

enforced by birth in a man’s head. Leaders would rather take and control more land than

conserve the area they already own. This has created conflict and unjustified bloodshed,

leading to a division among others politically and ethnically. A case in point would be

colonialism in Sudan. Africa has experienced brutal and exploitative forms of

colonialism, and historical globalisation has negatively impacted them. Colonialism

greatly influenced the politics of Africa by replacing Indigenous institutions with their

westernised administration. Pre-colonial Africa used to run a stable democratic system,

however, the colonists were undeniably against it, therefore, when the Africans entered

their post-independence era, they were not prepared. The colonial experience of

post-independence African leaders had a significant effect on their authoritative structure.

The brutality of the colonialists' rule was imprinted in the minds of anti-colonial leaders

of the period, who went on to govern independent African republics. Furthermore, the

concept of ethnicity left behind by colonial forces has had a negative influence on
 MUN 3

African governments' overall political systems. Ethnic divisions, which were reinforced

by the colonial system, resulted in ongoing competition and violence on the continent, as

well as exclusion and marginalisation in African political societies. Not only can

colonialism create division within a country, but even humanity as a whole. Between

1689 and 1763, there was a series of wars that involved France, Britain, Spain, and their

respective colonial possessions. These conflicts lead to a war that erupted over the

balance of power, expansionism, and mercantilism. These wars, also known as the 7-year

war, proved to be among the most brutal causing 900,000 to 1,400,000 deaths. This

indicates that humanity is not thriving at all as the source stated. It has created

consequences more than opportunities, for if it wasn’t for the need to colonise others it

wouldn’t have led our world to be as divided as it is at the moment. Even in modern

times, all over the world, we see countries fighting with one another for the claim of land.

Another key reason why historical globalisation rather destructs than makes peace

is the mass genocide it inevitably produced. Globalisation is the act of interconnecting

and uniting the world, but the greed for power the Europeans had clouded their thoughts.

This is shown through and through with the act of colonialism. When desire takes over

one’s self, one sometimes forgets about their moral ethics. Colonising powers commonly

justified their mistreatment of indigenous peoples by asserting and claiming that they

were “naturally superior” to them. Therefore, during the slave trade, the Europeans

treated Africans as a source of labour, to be bought and sold. Slavery was the foundation
 MUN 4

of the British Empire in the 18th century, as every colony was out to enslave people. It

was more than a labour system for them as it also shaped colonial philosophy and society

in every way. When white people compared their situation to that of the enslaved African

people in British America, they felt like they gained greater meaning and significance.

According to the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Database, between 1525 to 1886, 12.5

million Africans were shipped to the new world. The slave trade might have been

advantageous for the Europeans but it had a devastating impact on Africa. By the 19th

century, Africa was very different from the continent the Europeans had colonised 400

years ago. Africa had fallen through a dangerous war due to the slave trade leaving them

undeveloped. Throughout much of Western Africa, depopulation and persistent dread of

being enslaved made economic and agricultural development incredibly difficult. The

rising of colonisation made the Europeans cloak themselves up as humanitarians,

asserting "racial superiority" and the "White Man's burden." Adding to that, the single

greatest impact of European colonisation on the North American environment was the

introduction and spread of disease. Many infectious diseases such as the bubonic plague,

smallpox, and malaria were spread from the Old World to the New. As the native

population had no previous contact with such diseases, they were immunologically

defenceless. They used to live in a disease-free environment, but as the Europeans came

to take over, they initiated the exchange of germs and viruses. It is estimated that at least

80-95 per cent of the Native American population was decimated within the first 100-150
 MUN 5

years following 1492. The very young and the very old were the most vulnerable and

they had the highest mortality rates. The loss of the older generation also meant the loss

of their knowledge and heritage. Through these events presented, we can see that

historical globalisation, in the form of colonialism, didn't create opportunities. As seen

through the actions of the Europeans, one can recognize that the colonial mindset was

selfish- as their actions only benefited themselves and only led to humanity’s downfall.

The root of many issues that lingers in our society today is embedded in the act of

colonialism. A major point in the issue that I believe has damaged our society is the act of

cultural homogenization. In 1883, the colonisers officially authorised the enactment of

the residential schools' system, and as a result, the Indigenous peoples’ traditions and

culture were destroyed and disrespected by the Europeans; they ridiculed and insulted the

Indigenous for their attire. Europeans presented restrictions on the native children such as

not allowing them to speak their native tongue, not allowing them to leave the school

premise, and not allowing them to celebrate any traditions except for the ones they

followed. European colonists had this narrative cast upon the Indigenous-believing that

they were savages and barbaric. This just further encouraged them to assimilate the

Indigenous by replacing their current pre-contact Indigenous identity with a

“pseudo-settler identity”. They approached it by using the residential school system.

Residential schools were intended to eliminate the language, traditions, and spiritual

beliefs of Indigenous children so that they could assimilate into society. Furthermore, the
 MUN 6

obligation of the Residential Schoolings led to the separation of thousands of Indigenous

families. According to statistics, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métism and Inuit

children attended the church-run schools. These schools were used for explicit purposes

and to force children to forget about their culture. Adding on, many children suffered

physical and sexual abuse within the school and that had led to long term effects

including, health problems and substance abuse. Residential schools raised mortality rates

to a whole higher level. Adding on, many residential schools were severely underfunded

and the living conditions they were put in led to illness and death. To date, TRC’s final

report documented that at least 4,118 children died in residential schools, moreover not

all the deaths listed on the registry included burial records. Throughout history, one can

see how contemporary society failed to acknowledge the importance of the Indigenous

culture. Colonizers acted like they were superior to them and couldn’t care less whether

the Indigenous died or were put in a world of slavery. In what world, can historical

globalisation only lead to opportunities when groups of people were going extinct and

erased from history? This further proves that historical globalisation was just another

form of destruction in history.

As the evidence denoted throughout the essay, the source’s perspective should not

be upheld. One can see that historical globalisation has not only created opportunities but

also moments of mass destruction within society, including division against one another,

racial slaughter, and the act of cultural homogenization. As shown through the colonial
 MUN 7

wars, we can see that if it wasn’t for the desire to go out and colonise this world wouldn’t

be this conflicted. In addition, racial intolerance, including the act of Europeans treating

Indigenous people as a source of labour. Moreover, they brought over diseases that the

New World and its people had never interacted with, leading to a massacre. Finally, we

can see that the Europeans used colonialism as a way to change and remove the culture of

the Indigenous. Early world leaders knew that a great mass of casualties would be

inevitable if they were to pursue and exploit other lands. The question is why? Why

would leaders of such prestige and honour put their selfish longing for expansion and

power over their own citizens’ wellbeing? Well, the response is easy to decipher.

Humanity is anything but just and moral. We have made mistakes through and through.

Our greed overtakes us and it leads us to make inhumane choices. Like Hassan Nasrallah

once said, “So long as there is colonialism in the world, a permanent peace is

impossible.”
 MUN 8

Works Cited

Mufwene, S. S., & Borges, D. (n.d.). Cultural consequences of colonization - salikoko mufwene.

Cultural Consequences of Colonization. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from

https://mufwene.uchicago.edu/classes/Cultural%20Consequences%20of%20Colonization.

pdf

Bayeh, E. (2015, March). (PDF) the political and economic legacy of colonialism in ... THE

POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC LEGACY OF COLONIALISM IN THE

POST-INDEPENDENCE AFRICAN STATES. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273577309_THE_POLITICAL_AND_ECONOM

IC_LEGACY_OF_COLONIALISM_IN_THE_POST-INDEPENDENCE_AFRICAN_STATE

Encyclopedia Britannica, T. E. of. (2022). Seven Years' War. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved

March 31, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/event/Seven-Years-War

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Slave trade. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March

31, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Western-colonialism/Slave-trade

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Slave trade. Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March

31, 2022, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Western-colonialism/Slave-trade

French and Indian War. Visit the main page. (2013). Retrieved March 31, 2022, from
 MUN 9

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/French_and_Indian_War

Garcia-Olp, M. (2018). How Colonization Impacts Identity Through the Generations: A Closer

Look at Historical Trauma and Education . University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU.

Retrieved March 31, 2022, from

https://digitalcommons.du.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2487&context=etd

Khan Academy. (n.d.). Environmental and health effects of European contact with the New World

(article). Khan Academy. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/precontact-and-early-colonial-era/old

-and-new-worlds-collide/a/environmental-and-health-effects-of-contact

Logan, T. (2016). Indian Residential Schools, Settler Colonialism and Their Narratives in

Canadian History. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from

https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/files/28299632/2017_Logan_TE_PhD.pdf

n/a, n/a. (2022). Era introduction - The colonial wars (1689-1763). The Colonial Wars

(1689-1763) - Lewis & Clark Online Exhibit - State Historical Society of North Dakota.

Retrieved March 31, 2022, from

https://www.history.nd.gov/exhibits/lewisclark/colonialwars.html

Nunn, N., & Qian, N. (2010). The Columbian Exchange: A history of disease, food, and ideas.

Journal of Economic Perspectives. Retrieved March 31, 2022, from

https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/qian/resources/NunnQianJEP.pdf