Definition
European imperialism got its start in the 15th century with the development of oceangoing sailing ships in which a small crew could transport a sizable cargo over a long distance. With superior military technology, Europeans gained control of coastal cities and of resupply outposts along major trade routes. Gradually this control extended further inland, first in Latin America, then in North America, and later throughout Asia and Africa. These empires decimated native populations and cultures, causing immense suffering. Over time, the economies of colonies developed with the creatioin of basic transportation and communciation infrastructure, factories, and so forth. But these economies were often molded to the needs of the colonizers, not the local populations. Decolonization began with the British colonists in the United States who declared independence in 1776. Most of Latin America gained independence a few decades later. The new states in North and Latin America were, of course, still run by the descendants of Europeans, to the disadvantage of Native Americans and African slaves. In the wave of decolonization after WWII, it was not local colonists (as in the Americas) but native populations in Asia and Africa who won independence. Decolonization continued through the mid-1970s until almost no European colonies remained. Most of the newly independent states have faced tremendous challenges and difficulties in the post-colonial era.
Special Political and Decolonization
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