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American Revolution
The American Revolution began after the British government passed the Stamp Act, which forced the American colonies to pay taxes so that Britain could pay off their debts caused by the Seven Years War. The American colonists felt that this violated their liberty and freedom, so they petitioned the British Parliament. The British government ignored the colonists' concerns and continued to tax them, so the colonists revolted. The Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776. -
French Revolution
The French also imposed taxes to pay for the war. In French society, the nobles in the First and Second Estates did not have to pay taxes, so the poorer 3rd Estate citizens were forced to pay for the war. These citizens believed this violated their rights of life, liberty, and property, so they brought their concerns to the king. After the king was unable to get the nobles to pay taxes, the people overthrew the king and established their own government, but this was unsuccessful in the long run. -
Venezuelan Revolution
Several groups in Venezuela wanted liberty from the Spanish rule that governed them. Landowners wanted freedom to trade their goods with the rest of the world, while peasants just wanted the same opportunities as landowners. For all of these groups, revolution came with Simon Bolivar, who lifted trade restrictions for landowners and abolished taxes on food to help the peasants. This revolution was short-lived and Spain regained control in 1814, but in 1819, Venezuela won its independence. -
Meiji Restoration
The Meiji Restoration was an example of co-option in Japan. After encountering imperial powers, the Japanese government became fearful of the industrialized nations' military power. To protect the nation, samurai leadership mimicked the techniques of the more industrialized nations and combined this with Japanese culture to create a strong army that would be able to fend off invaders if the industrialized nation chose to strike. This army was Japan's first step to becoming a major world power. -
Maji Maji Rebellion
The Maji Maji Rebellion occurred in East Africa after a group of German colonists took over the area. They forced the native people to farm cotton, which provided no benefit to the indigenous people and was only used as a cash crop. The native people were tortured if they did not produce enough cotton. This caused the indigenous people to fight back, destroying a cotton plantation and a trading center. The rebellion was ultimately unsuccessful, but it caused reforms to be made in the colonies. -
Indian Independence Movement
The Indian Independence Movement was one of the largest political resistances during the Raj, or the period of British colonial rule. In this, the Indian National Congress called for the British to leave India so they could govern their own country. To do this, protesters Tilak and Gandhi called for people to boycott British goods rather than use military force. They reasoned that the economic effects would drive out Britain. On August 15, 1947, India gained independence from the British Raj.
