Historical Dynamics of Imperialism: Spatial & Temporal Patterns of Colonization

• In Event: Historical Political Economy

Abstract

For several centuries, major European powers ruled vast overseas empires in Africa, the Americas, and the Asia-Pacific region. As numerous studies have demonstrated, their manifold legacies are still visible in the present day. However, there are few systematic, quantitative analyses of the spatial and temporal patterns of historical colonization itself. Therefore, in this study we ask: Which factors determined when and how territories were claimed and colonized by European imperial powers? To answer this question, we proceed in two steps. First, we assemble a novel geocoded dataset that combines information on historical patterns of colonization with information on the geographic characteristics of colonized territories. Second, we test a range of theories about the factors that shaped historical imperial expansion, examining the relative influence of (1) political-economic characteristics of imperial centers, (2) the impact of great power conflict, and (3) the geographic features of targeted regions in shaping patterns of colonization. The results of our study have wide-ranging implications for the study of imperialism and its long-term legacies: a topic of central prominence in the discipline.

Authors

• Jan Henryk Pierskalla, Ohio State University

• Daniel Smith, Ohio State University

• Jan P. Vogler, Aarhus University