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Ernest H. Crosby, “The Real ‘White Man’s Burden’”
The New York Times published this response to Rudyard Kipling’s “The White Man’s Burden” in 1899. In “The Real ‘White Man’s Burden,’” Crosby offers an alternate vision of American imperialism. Where Kipling trumpeted the benefits of American civilization, Crosby emphasizes the corrupting effects of modernization. -M. B. Masur, St. Anselm College
Ernest H. Crosby, “The Real ‘White Man’s Burden,’” New York Times February 15, 1899, p. 6.
Bibliography
Robert L. Beisner, Twelve against Empire: The Anti-Imperialists, 1898-1900 (New York: 1968)
Frank A. Ninkovich, The United States and Imperialism (Malden, Massachusetts, 2001).\
Anders Stephanson, Manifest Destiny American Expansionism and the Empire of Right (New York, 1995).
Discussion Questions
What is Crosby’s view of colonialism? How does Crosby characterize Western “civilization”?
Compare Crosby’s letter to the New York Times with Kipling’s poem. Which poem more effectively anticipated America’s experiences as an imperial power?
How do the two poems correspond to debates about the costs and benefits of American expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
rnest H. Crosby, “The Real ‘White Man’s Burden’”
New York Times February 15, 1899, p. 6
Introduction
The New York Times published this response to Rudyard Kipling’s “The White Man’s Burden” in 1899. In “The Real ‘White Man’s Burden,’” Crosby offers an alternate vision of American imperialism. Where Kipling trumpeted the benefits of American civilization, Crosby emphasizes the corrupting effects of modernization.
Bibliography
Robert L. Beisner, Twelve against Empire: The Anti-Imperialists, 1898-1900 (New York: 1968)
Frank A. Ninkovich, The United States and Imperialism (Malden, Massachusetts, 2001).
Anders Stephanson, Manifest Destiny American Expansionism and the Empire of Right (New York, 1995).
Discussion Questions
What is Crosby’s view of colonialism? How does Crosby characterize Western “civilization”?
Compare Crosby’s letter to the New York Times with Kipling’s poem. Which poem more effectively anticipated America’s experiences as an imperial power?
How do the two poems correspond to debates about the costs and benefits of American expansion in the late 19th and early 20th centuries?