Imperialism: The White Man's BurdenIn one of his most famous poems, Rudyard Kipling said: "Take up the white man's burden!" (146). He was just one of many who believed in the virtues of imperialism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During that time, imperialism was on the rise and Africa was being swallowed up by competing European nations. The imperialists had many arguments in support of imperialism. They said it was helpful and, in some cases, essential. Their arguments didn't satisfy everyone, but that didn't bother them. Justifications ranged from economics to social services, touching everything in between (Hayes 222-3). Kipling was one of the most discussed authors of his time. Born in India and the son of a military man, he learned the ways of British imperialism (Orel 333). He enjoyed the company of British soldiers and spent a lot of time talking to them (Hayes 228). Being friends with the soldiers, he probably sympathized with them when he heard their stories about the uncivilized people of Africa (Rhodes 178). Having said this, it is easier to understand why he saw imperialism as the duty of Europeans. Kipling argued that it was the Europeans' responsibility to civilize the native Africans. He also highlighted how they could stop the spread of disease and bring food to those who would starve. Kipling talked about the fact that there had been many wars in Africa and that he believed that the whites could finally put an end to them (Kipling 146-7). Many Europeans agreed with Kipling on these points; however, they did not limit their reasons for imperialism to just these. A major driving force of imperial...... middle of paper......n." The Global Experience: Readings in World History since 1500. Ed. Philip F.Riley, et al. 2nd ed. Vol. 2. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1992. Lugard, F.D. The Rise of Our East African Empire. London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1893. 379-82. World Book Encyclopedia. 1991 ed.Pearson, Karl. “Social Darwinism: Imperialism Justified by Nature.” Sources of the Western tradition. Ed. Marvin Perry, Joseph R. Peden and Theodore H. Von Laue. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1987. 182-3. Rhodes, Cecil. "Sources of the Western Tradition", Ed. Marvin Perry, Joseph R. Peden and Theodore H. Von Laue Boston, 1987 178-9. Smith, Woodruff D. European Imperialism in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries Chicago: Nelson-Hall Inc., 1982. 1-10.