The assumption of European superiority has played a powerful role in the history of the West, shaping both European's Europeans' views of other peoples and of themselves. In much the way that some people try to identify the unique characteristics that differentiate human beings from other animals, Europeans searched for the essential differences that, in their opinion, separated them from the lower "peoples" of the world. So powerful was this assumption that it was enshrined in the Covenant of the League of Nations, a document that, ironically enough, was supposed to mark the beginning of a bold new experiment in the way that nations interacted and resolved conflicts.

Keep this in mind as you review the boxed features on page 815 (Mary Kingsley Defends Imperialism) and page 872 (The League of Nations) of your textbook. When you're finished reviewing, take at look at a map of Africa (1914) that serves as an introduction to European imperialism in Africa. Then explore a photo archive of the League of Nations. When you're done, consider the questions below.

1. How would you explain Kingsley's confidence that "science" will solve the "race question"? What does her choice of the railway engine as the epitome of European superiority tell you about her assumptions about the nature of human development?

2. What might the authors of the Covenant have had in mind when they referred to the "strenuous conditions of the modern world" in Article 22? In your opinion, did the authors imagine that, at some point in the future (and under the "tutelage" of "advanced nations"), subject nations would develop into equal participants in the League? Why or why not?