I scanned through the New York Times on microfilm for the year 1884 to find an article that might represent a theme of the era. I found an interesting article about the Siege of Khartoum in Egypt. Native rebels were battling to expel British imperialistic forces in their homeland. The article provided insight into the extent and nature of imperialism at the time. Even though the source is American, there was an obvious bias in the reporting. It detailed losses of the native forces, yet barely mentioned any damages sustained by the British. Directly below this article was another that described the insurrection in Cuba against Spanish control. American diplomats, the article suggested, actually entertained the idea of "purchasing" Cuba from Spain. The two articles demonstrate how deeply ingrained imperialism was in both Europe and the U.S.
I will bring a xeroxed copy of the article to class on Friday.
-Andy