Imperialism has developed two very different meanings in history and in time. The imperialism of the 16th century was much less rapid and dominating than that of the "new imperialism" of the 19th century. Imperialism in a sense means the extension of one nation's power over other lands. Imperialism in the 16th century was just the colonization of North and South America and the set up of a few trading posts in Africa. In the 19th century however, imperialism grew to mean the total domination of one area in direct rule of the mother country.
In Rudyard Kipling's poem, "The White Man's Burden", he demonstrates the motives and goals that the new imperialists had to govern and impart their culture to the nonwhite people of Africa. With the "White Man's Burden", Kipling draws out the need for the white people of western society to help the heathens of Africa and Asia. In this many argued that Europeans had a moral duty to enlighten the ignorant peoples of the East. Most imperialists believed that the advanced west civilizations should help lessen the burden to the indigenous people. They did this by introducing Christianity to them and spreading democracy and capitalism to the societies of these "heathen masses." Although the new imperialists thought that their motives were to help the people of Africa and Asia, they did do this also for other reasons. One was to gain a larger reputation against the other countries in which they were in tense relationships with. This would be the most important reason to put forth their culture and societal views onto the uneducated peoples of so called "inferior" races. .