ABSTRACT
The beginnings of colonization in the modern era were mostly far different from the conquest of Mexico. By the time central Africa was being colonized the myth of the lazy native had become part of the ideology of colonial capitalism. The myth of the lazy native therefore provided a kind of moral justification for the system of, for example, forced cultivation introduced by Europeans. Europeans were able in place after place to get established without having to resort to the use of arms. Relations between whites and Africans were actually formalized by agreements. While propaganda was being waged in Europe it was being waged in Africa as well. Whites wanted an individualized work force. The movement of individuals and groups of people from one place to another must have had its effect on social identity. The spread of civilization was enough of a justification for colonization. The languages were therefore associated with power—the power of whites manifested in their soldiers.
