Settling for Less: Why States Colonize and Why They Stop

Settling for Less explores why countries colonize the lands of indigenous people, challenging the notion that it can be explained by economics or racial ideologies. It reveals that states generally colonize frontier areas in response to security concerns but often fail due to economic development and the diminishing power of colonizers.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 17 January 2023
Publisher: Princeton University Press

Over the past few centuries, vast regions of the world have been violently colonized by settlers. However, why did states like Australia and the United States stop settling frontier lands during the twentieth century? At the same time, why did states loudly committed to decolonization like Indonesia and China start settling the lands of such minorities as the West Papuans and Uyghurs? Settling for Less explores this perplexing historical reversal, shedding light on when and why indigenous peoples face displacement at the hands of settlers. Challenging the notion that settler colonialism can be solely explained by economics or racial ideologies, Lachlan McNamee presents a more intricate narrative about state building and the conflicts of interest between indigenous peoples, states, and settlers. Drawing from a wealth of historical evidence, McNamee demonstrates that states typically colonize frontier areas in response to security concerns. Elite schemes to populate contested frontiers with loyal settlers often fail. As societies become wealthier and cities increasingly attract migration, states lose their power to settle frontier lands. Settling for Less unravels the internal dynamics of settler colonialism and the diminishing influence of colonizers in a rapidly urbanizing world. By contrasting successful and failed colonization projects in Australia, Indonesia, China, and beyond, this book underscores the profound impact of economic development in thwarting colonization and empowering indigenous self-determination.

Weight: 418g
Dimension: 155 x 235 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691237817