In 1898, a pivotal year marked by the Spanish-American War, the renowned British author Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), a vocal proponent of imperialism, penned a controversial poem titled “The White Man’s Burden.” In this work, he issued a direct appeal to the United States, urging the burgeoning nation to partake in the perceived global duty of extending European-style law and culture to regions considered less developed. The poem’s opening lines, famously controversial, laid out this stark imperative: “Take up the White Man’s burden—/Send forth the best ye breed—/Go bind your sons to exile/ To serve your captives’ need.” This poem and the phrase “What Is White Mans Burden” has since become synonymous with the complexities and criticisms surrounding the era of colonialism.
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Kipling’s poem landed amidst a heated debate in the United States regarding its newfound global position. As a result of the swift victory in the Spanish-American War, the U.S. unexpectedly found itself in possession of former Spanish territories: Cuba, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. The question of what to do with these newly acquired lands was fiercely debated. Were they to be granted independence, annexed, or governed as colonies?
Influenced partly by the sentiments articulated in Kipling’s poem, President William McKinley ultimately decided that the United States would maintain control over the territories ceded by Spain, at least initially. This decision aligned with the expansionist views prevalent at the time, reflecting a belief in America’s destiny and capability to govern and uplift other nations. The notion, implied by Kipling, was that this was a burdensome, thankless task, but a moral obligation nonetheless.
Drawing depicting a white man carrying an indigenous person labeled 'The White Man's Burden' up a rocky path.
While Cuba gained formal independence in 1902 (though under significant U.S. influence), the Philippines remained under U.S. control until 1946, achieving independence after World War II. Guam and Puerto Rico continue to be U.S. territories in the twenty-first century, reflecting the lasting impact of the decisions made during this period of expansion. The historical context of this era is crucial for understanding the emergence of diverse literary responses, from works echoing national pride to those critical of intervention, much like how literature responded to events such as the Holocaust or the rule of figures like Stalin, prompting poets and writers to grapple with complex themes in works including even those in blank verse poem.
Kipling’s poem, often interpreted as highlighting the moral duty of the colonizing power, has, over time, been widely re-evaluated and critiqued. The iconic phrase “white man’s burden” is now predominantly understood as a potent symbol of the hypocrisy, ethnocentrism, and inherent racism that underpinned much of the colonial enterprise.
Cartoon showing Uncle Sam carrying four figures representing territories (Philippines, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Hawaii) up a hill towards civilization, with figures labeled 'ignorance', 'superstition', etc., obstacles.
The perceived “burden” was not the difficulty of benevolent governance, critics argue, but the imposition of Western values, systems, and control under the guise of civilizing or helping indigenous populations. The phrase serves as a reminder of how racial and cultural superiority were invoked to justify expansion and subjugation, and it remains a critical term in post-colonial studies and discussions about the legacy of imperialism, a topic explored in historical and literary analysis much like one might analyze the greatest fiction books of all time for their cultural and historical insights.
In contemporary discourse, asking “what is white mans burden” is less about understanding Kipling’s original intent and more about recognizing the phrase’s evolution into a critique of historical injustices and ongoing power imbalances stemming from the colonial past. It encapsulates the Eurocentric viewpoint that assumed a right and responsibility to dominate and “civilize” non-Western peoples, often with devastating consequences for the colonized.
References
“American President: William McKinley (1843–1901).” Miller Center, U of Virginia, millercenter.org/president/mckinley. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
Brantlinger, P. “Kipling’s “The White Man’s Burden” and Its Afterlives.” English Literature in Transition, vol. 50, 2007, pp. 172–91, dx.doi.org/10.1353/elt.2007.0017. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
James, Lawrence. “‘The White Man’s Burden’? Imperial Wars in the 1890s.” History Today, www.historytoday.com/archive/white-mans-burden-imperial-wars-1890s. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
“Rudyard Kipling, The White Man’s Burden, 1899.” Internet Modern History Sourcebook, compiled by Paul Halsall, Fordham U, Aug. 1997.
Sebring, Ellen. “Cartoon Commentary and ‘The White Man’s Burden’ (1898-1902).” Civilization & Barbarism. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2014.
Wells, Jeremy. Romances of the White Man’s Burden: Race, Empire, and the Plantation in American Literature 1880-1936. Vanderbilt UP, 2011.
Wintle, Michael J. Eurocentrism: History, Identity, White Man’s Burden. Routledge, 2021.