Imperial Society and Culture

The spread of empire not only made the world an interconnected marketplace but also transformed everyday culture and society. Success in manufacturing and foreign ventures both created millionaires and expanded the professional middle class and the service sector. Many Europeans grew healthier, partly because of improved diet and partly because of government-sponsored programs aimed at promoting the fitness necessary for citizens of imperial powers. At the same time, millions of poor Europeans migrated in search of opportunities around the world—even in the colonies—while artists found new subject matter in the industrial and imperial changes around them.