ABSTRACT
Part IV takes up the theme of tools of empire explored in Part III and examines ways in which these tools reshaped people and landscapes. With the new imperialism, not only did the map of the world change, but cultural, political, economic, and social practices of people in the new colonies were transformed. To a lesser extent, this transformation was also taking place in the lives of the citizens of the imperial powers themselves and of everyone around the globe. The readings in this part consider ways in which the social, political, economic, cultural, and environmental landscapes of the colonies were reconfigured. Perhaps the best known and most intentional exploration of this topic of reconfiguration is Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart, which carefully and deliberately introduces the reader to Igbo society as it existed prior to the British colonization of Nigeria and then explores the impact of British colonization on this society. The intent of this part of the reader is to follow Achebe’s lead by selecting texts from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Pacific that explore some of the many ways in which societies were reconfigured by imperialist practices.
