Ben Allerston, School of History

The Origins of European Colonialism: An Imperial Plan or Economic Opportunism?

The history of European colonialism was shaped by the actions of individuals on the early fabric of empire, whether that was to build a trade enterprise or the conquest of the known world. It is important for our understanding and further researching of European colonialism to understand its origins and the motivations of the people that shaped their formations.

My project seeks to understand the motivations and interests of the Early Modern and Victorian peoples who participated in colonialism and shaped its nature. This therefore resulted in me researching a breadth of European empires and the key figures in their inception and what these people sought to achieve. My research will be divided into four sections: chartered companies and economics, settler colonialism, individual opportunism, and Victorian political and cultural ideas of empire. This approach will allow me to more effectively cover the various ways that Europeans practiced empire and how this changed throughout the centuries.

My idea for my presentation is to summarise my research and provide conclusions for the work that I have been researching, being able to provide a clear outline of the origins of European empires.

BA History,  First Year
I am a history student with an interest in Eastern Mediterranean and Middle Eastern history, but also of colonial history. I am fascinated by historical research and am looking at working as a professional academic being able to conduct my own research, being able to make my own contributions into the field.