Perspectives

Racism and colonialism

“Rule, Britannia!” by James Thomson is a patriotic song that praises British colonialism and the expansion of the British empire. The British empire began as the British established trading posts in other nations from the 16th century onwards. Over the next few centuries, British monarchs and governments became increasingly aggressive in their colonizing of other countries. The poem is biased in favor of Britain and doesn’t consider the other nations who have wars with Britain or who are forcefully taken over and oppressed by British colonists. It incorrectly suggests that Britain has a God-given right to rule over other nations. This is ironic, because the poem twice argues that Britain stands against “tyrants” (l. 8 and l. 19) – but the Briti...