The Simulation - Colonialism and Resistance to Unity

The Simulation - Colonialism and Resistance to Unity

How the Colonial Powers used faction and fear to control

Multiple Choice

What is Colonialism?

• Economic system of Control used to Dominate a territory and access resources.

• Economic partnership between an empire and the local population

• A military system bent on converting all the world into their people and territory

Colonialism

• Economic system of Domination over land and people in order to control resources Intent

• Control - Growth - Self-Sustaining Economy - Prosperity for the Dominant Culture

• Decisions made Unilaterally - Local populations not involved.

Clientelism

• Unfair, unequal, and transactional relationship between the colonial power and the local population

• I will give you basic needs/power/special treatment, in exchange for your labor/political support.

• More resources go to the group that has most closely connected themselves to the colonial power.

Cultural Identity

• Tribalism

• Incentives (Resources for self)

• Clientelism plays on the identity (Divide and Conquer)

• Some see opportunity for advancing their group's cause at the expense of others

• Colonial power counts division to maintain dominance.

Multiple Select

Clientelism is effective because...

• It forces groups of people to compete with each other for resources

• It divides the population based on existing divisions within a territory

• It reinforces tribalism by making groups distrust each other

• It ties the fate of some groups (their survival) to the Colonial Power

A North American Colonial Comparison

• 13 Colonies - all with varying incentives until the one thing they all cared about was threatened: Self-Governance

• Unless they all wanted to be unified under the identity chosen by the Crown, they needed to unite to ensure their "tribe" could assert their own control.

Incentives

• Keep and assert your cultural dominance by being part of the new government

• Don't join the Revolution? Lose all say in how the new government is created. Lose influence, lose resources, lose self-governance, lose the ability to establish the "norm" of your new society