New Global Imperialism

This chapter presents long reference to James Mill, which provides an entry point to the history of imperialism and its connections with gender. It looks at imperialism itself, which developed in specific stages from the middle of the eighteen century to the beginning of the First World War. When discussing modern imperialism, most attention goes to the empires of Western European nations, but the Ottomans also governed a large empire. The issue of what was termed the “woman question” –discussion and debate about the nature and role of women – which began to gain currency from late eighteenth century, cannot be separated from the larger politics of Europe's overseas expansion and imperial overtures. The idea of difference in terms of race and gender was deeply embedded in the policies implemented by the imperialists. From the nineteenth century onward, race intertwined with gender to inform imperial policies about the citizenship of the offspring of mixed‐race marriages.