Introduction
Imperialism played a great role in the inception of traveling by European women to various places around the globe. In the early 1800s the number of women travelers increased greatly with many desiring to travel out of their countries of origin. As much as these travels had their own risks these women became more courageous in their pursuit for a new experience.
Most of these women were writers and traveled extensively for research and study purposes. However the concept of experience was also great in motivating them to go miles away.These women more often interacted with native women and were moved by the plight of women in the remote regions they voyaged. The number of the men who traveled was equally high though the manner in which they traveled and documented their experiences was different. Women tended to be less domineering and never conquered the places they traveled. At the same time women focused on the social plight of native women and family life. These travel epics gave women many experiences and elevated their thinking patterns to a great extend.
Travel experiences
As a result of imperialism European elite women increasingly became interested in the activity of traveling around the globe which offered many opportunities. Right from the eighteenth century elite women engaged in epics as a way of advancing their education. This was the case since in the course of the journey they could sharpen their language skills and come in contact with various works especially art and construction (French and Poska, 253). It was also a common belief that going on a journey could help a woman refresh her mind and restore herself. Lots of money was therefore spent on the journeys for these and many other benefits. Women therefore would take travels around the European continent as some traveled to the United States. For instance Gertrude Bells epic to the Middle East is well documented in her works. Her sojourn to the Middle East and other places gave her unique experiences which she could not have had in Britain (French & Poska, 401). This is true since she based one of her works on the journey to the Middles East. This became a bestseller giving a clue at hoe the epic was adventurous. Being a writer her account of the experiences the Middle East were s o captivating that it was well received by the audience. She not only traveled to the Middle East but also went to the Scandinavian and Iceland. Her travel career however ended in the 1857 where she carefully chronicled all her travel experiences which were well received by the European audiences.
Expanded Opportunities
The advent of traveling by the elite European women during the period when imperialism was at its peak offered various opportunities. Most of this epics were conducted either for adventure, study of therapeutic reasons. However the results were outstanding because the interaction between these women and the native societies gave them new perspectives about reality and life in general. For instance the oppression of the native women in Africa and the family problems of the local people provided avenues where these elite travelers obtained useful understanding of life in general. It is no wonder that most of these travelers became writers and chronicled their experiences thus sharing them with the European audiences (French & Poska, 402).
Conclusion
Due to the prevailing era of imperialism, elite European women increasingly found solace, empowerment and opportunity in traveling. This trend increased rapidly with many women most of them writers opting to travel around the globe in spite of the risks involved. However the opportunities inherent in the epics were outstanding. These brave women in there journeys around the world got opportunities to improve their languages, appreciate different cultures. They had many opportunities to learn and improve their educational quotient.
Works cited
French Katherine & Poska Allyson, Women and gender in the western past: Since 1500, Houghton Mifflin, 2007.