ABSTRACT
During the second half of the nineteenth century, powerful Western nation states embarked on an energetic program of seizing and formalizing possession over much of the world, in what has often been called the "Age of Empire". "The White Man's Burden" was written on the occasion of the Philippine-American War, and Kipling appears to be urging the United States to take its place among the world's imperial powers. Western imperialism also touched other less-developed parts of the world, including Latin America and the Middle East, though often in a less formal manner. The creation of empire was based on the ability to impose authority, and empire-builders devised new institutions to carry out the tasks of governance and administration. The intense and prolonged cultural contacts of imperialism resulted in a degree of social change. The age of imperialism grew out of great-power rivalries and competition, economic motives, and a Western desire to carry out what they saw as a civilizing mission.
