Colonization

Quick Facts: Who was Colonization?

Subject:

Colonization

Known for:

The process of establishing and governing settlements in foreign lands.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Colonization or colonisation is defined as "the act or process of sending people to live in and govern another country". The term "colonization" is sometimes used synonymously with the word "settlement". Settler colonialism is a type of colonization structured and enforced by the settlers directly, while their or their ancestors' metropolitan country (metropole) maintains a connection or control through the settler's activities. In settler colonization, a minority group rules either through the assimilation or oppression of the existing inhabitants, or by establishing itself as the demographic majority through driving away, displacing or outright killing the existing people, as well as through immigration and births of metropolitan as well as other settlers. Karl T. Muth notes in The Oxford Handbook of Global Policy and Transnational Administration that "Under the colonial framework, the administrative functions of government are partitioned according to the political convenience (and, often, economic interest) of the parent state rather than at the behest of the colony's residents." The European colonization of Australia, New Zealand, and other places in Oceania was fueled by explorers, and colonists often regarding the encountered landmasses as terra nullius ("empty land", or literally "nobody's land" in Latin).

Pivotal Works & Achievements

This resulted in laws and ideas such as Mexico's 1824 General Colonization Law and the United States' manifest destiny doctrine which furthered colonization. The term colonization is derived from the Latin words colere ("to cultivate, to till"), colonia ("a landed estate", "a farm") and colonus ("a tiller of the soil", "a farmer"), then by extension "to inhabit". Someone who engages in colonization, i.e. the agent noun, is referred to as a colonizer, while the person who gets colonized, i.e. the object of the agent noun or absolutive, is referred to as a colonizee, colonisee or the colonised. Colonization is a process of establishing, maintaining and immigrating to settlements. In ancient times, maritime nations such as the city-states of Greece and Phoenicia established colonies in other parts of the Mediterranean.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Another period of colonization in ancient times was during the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire conquered large parts of Western Europe, North Africa, and West Asia. In North Africa and West Asia, the Romans often conquered what they regarded as 'civilized' peoples. As they moved north into Europe, they mostly encountered rural peoples/tribes with very little in the way of cities. In these areas, waves of Roman colonization often followed the conquest of the areas.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1824: 1824 Milestone — This resulted in laws and ideas such as Mexico's 1824 General Colonization Law and the United States' manifest destiny doctrine which furthered colonization.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Colonization

True or False: “The concept of terra nullius implies that a land was legally considered empty and available for immediate settlement by any European power.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): While often used to justify colonization, 'terra nullius' literally means 'nobody's land,' but it ignores the established presence and sovereignty of indigenous populations.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Agustín de Iturbide — Historical peer (Died in 1824) (1824): Mexican military officer and politician who became the first Emperor of Mexico.
• Alexandre Dumas fils — Historical peer (Born in 1824) (1824): Master French playwright and novelist, celebrated for 'The Lady of the Camellias'.
• Colony of Natal — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A British colony in South-eastern Africa, forming part of modern KwaZulu-Natal.
• Colony of New Zealand — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A British Crown Colony that achieved self-governance before becoming a Dominion.
• Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: English colony known for religious freedom, established by Roger Williams in 1636.
• Colony of Virginia — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: The first enduring English colony in North America, established from 1607 to 1776.

Frequently Asked Questions about Colonization