Empires ending: independence movements

Ages 13 to 17 Read alone · about 55 minutes

Read together

For centuries, European powers ruled colonies across the world. Starting in Latin America in the early 1800s, where Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, people in many places fought and organised to govern themselves.

After the Second World War, independence came to many Asian and African countries. India and Pakistan became independent in 1947. The Philippines became independent in 1946, after more than 300 years of Spanish rule and nearly 50 years of American rule. Ghana, led by Kwame Nkrumah, became the first sub-Saharan African colony to gain independence in 1957. In 1960, the United Nations adopted a declaration calling for an end to colonialism.

Independence did not end every problem. New countries faced borders drawn by outsiders, poverty, and conflicts. People look back with pride and also ask how colonial history still shapes the present.

Do it

1. On a world map, colour the countries that were once European colonies. Mark independence dates for five of them.
2. Read the preamble of a national declaration of independence, such as the Philippine Declaration of Independence of 12 June 1898 or the UN's 1960 declaration. What reasons do they give?
3. Interview an older family member or friend about stories of independence or of life under colonial rule.
4. Discuss: what does it mean for a nation to be free? What else does a country need besides independence?

Talk about it

• Why did independence movements grow after 1945?
• How does colonial history shape the present?

For the grown-up

Present this history from many viewpoints, including those of the people who lived under colonial rule. Missionaries and churches had mixed roles: some supported colonial powers, others defended local people or helped lead independence movements. Dates differ by country, and not all independence was peaceful.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• Frederick Cooper, Colonialism in Question: Theory, Knowledge, History (University of California Press, 2005)
• United Nations General Assembly, Resolution 1514 (XV), Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples (1960)
• Jürgen Osterhammel, Colonialism: A Theoretical Overview, 2nd ed. (Markus Wiener, 2005)

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.