[mekrob]

Back in the era of colonization and imperialism, did the people of those nations that colonized (UK, US, Germany, France, etc) know and understand that they were colonizing and forming empires or did they believe 100% that they were just making those "barbarians" "civilized"?

I ask this to see how much times have changed. By all measurable accounts, we are colonizing Iraq right now, yet if you were to ask the people on the street in the US, I'm fairly sure that they would say that we are not colonizing, but in fact continue with this blabber about "democracy".

Were the people of the past as ignorant and stupid as us today, or simply more evil?

[rwwff]

Wasn't the phrase often like "bring civilization to the savages" or "convert the heathen".

[mekrob]

I'm aware of the phrases and such, but were those the only slogans being passed around? Were there others that really saw it as what it was? Or was it near consensus on the "truth" they were told?

[rwwff]

Are there digital copies of pre-1800 England based newspapers? The tone of the reporting would tell a lot.

[Free]

Yes they knew.

And the continuing efforts with which they tried to explain the conundrum away with such hypocritical concepts like the "white man's burden" is very telling. It was the very same concept that "we" had to kill "them" to civilize them, and to enslave them to liberate them, like today with all the silly talk about "bringing democracy".

Since the very first day of Christian Europeans conquering and enslaving, there were voices, most of the time by "professional Christians" like monks who pointed out the wrongdoings, but of course they were in the minority.
Morality is a luxury and is always beaten by economical forces...

[Gridlock]

http://www.harryflashman.org/flashypapers.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flashman