The White Man's Burden

In 1899, Kipling encouraged the United States to accept the responsibilities of imperial expansion, particularly in the Philippines. His poem presented imperialism as a difficult responsibility undertaken to supposedly improve other peoples' lives. It also reveals assumptions of racial superiority that helped justify colonial domination.

After reading Rudyard Kipling's poem The White Man's Burden (1899), write a response explaining whether you agree or disagree with his argument about imperialism.

White Man's Burden Explained