We began to look at the impact of imperialism in late 19th century Africa today using the example of British industrialist Cecile Rhodes. He became incredibly wealthy controlling the diamond mining industry in southern Africa. His company, De Beers Diamonds, still exists today. In 1890, he became prime minister of a country in southern Africa he named "Rhodesia." Today that nation is the independent Zimbabwe. To gain a sense of Rhodes' power, we analyzed the famed "Rhodes Colossus" political cartoon from 1892. It shows Rhodes as the main agent of expansion in Africa and highlights his dream of a connected British Empire. In his hands, he holds a telegraph wire. His feet are located at two of the most important places in Africa: Egypt and South Africa. These two British possessions were some of the most important, not only for their resources, but also for their location on the global trade network.