Resistance to Imperialism Readings

HAITI

Independence in Latin America

Latin America includes Mexico, Central America,

the Caribbean islands, and the continent of

South America. Spain, France, and Portugal ruled most

of Latin America.

Hispaniola is an island in the Caribbean Sea.

The first successful Latin American revolt was in

Hispaniola.

The First Latin American Revolution

Hispaniola was divided into two parts.

France controlled the western part, and Spain

controlled the eastern part. Hispaniola had many sugar

plantations. African slaves worked on the sugar

plantations.

In 1794, a former slave

named Toussaint L’Ouverture organized a

revolt. He led a group of free blacks and slaves.

They forced the French to leave Hispaniola.

L’Ouverture became the first governor.  In

1804, the black rebels established an

independent country. They named the

country Haiti. 

CHINA

The Boxer Rebellion

By 1900, Chinese people felt angry.

The Chinese disliked Christian missionaries

and foreign armies in China. Anti-foreign

feelings caused the Boxer Uprising.

The Boxers were a secret Chinese society.

Foreigners called them Boxers because

they practiced martial arts. The Boxers

hoped to make foreigners leave China.

The Boxers thought foreigners polluted

China with different ideas. In 1900, the

Boxers attacked foreign communities in

China. The West and Japan defeated the

 Boxers.

Results

After the Boxers lost, China made

Western reforms. China’s economy grew.

China exported more silk, tobacco,

soybeans, and other products.

Chinese industry developed. A Chinese

middle class developed and demanded

more rights.

INDIA

Why Did Indians Want Self-Rule?

Many Indians did not want their country

to be a British colony.  They wanted

independence.  They believed the

British received all the benefits of industry

and transportation.  The Indians believed

the best jobs went to the British. 

Mohandas Gandhi

Mohandas Gandhi came from a

middle-class family.  In 1914, Gandhi

was a political leader.  He used passive resistance

 to protest against the British.  Gandhi 
believed that love and peace could 
convert people and help them do good.
For 30 years, Gandhi led boycotts, protests, 
and strikes against the British.  In 1947, 
Britain gave India its independence.

GHANA

Ghana is a country in West Africa. 

The Asante people lived in Ghana before

the British.  The Asante people had a strong

empire in West Africa before the British.

The Asante were strong and organized.

They resisted the British and fought many

wars against them. 

Yaa Asantewaa

In 1900, Yaa Asantewaa led the Asante

people in a rebellion.  The British defeated

the Asante.  This battle was part of the final war

between the Asante and Britain.

Yaa Asantewaa was an important leader

for the Asante people. Yaa Asantewaa

confronted the injustice of the British and was

one of few women to lead a rebellion.

Today, people in Ghana continue to admire

her for her courage.

Karl Marx and the Russian Revolution

What did Marx think about factory owners?

Karl Marx

Karl Marx said that all societies were made

up of the rich and the poor. He called them

the "haves" and the "have-nots".

Marx said that powerful leaders would never

give up their power. Marx thought workers

would always fight with factory and landowners.

He thought that factory owners paid workers

low wages and kept the profit from the

business for themselves.

Marx believed that workers could improve their              

lives and gain power only by violent revolution.                           

Bread Riots 1917

Why did the Russian Revolution happen?

On February 24, 1917, stores in St. Petersburg,

Russia had no bread. Women became angry.

"We want bread! We want bread!" they shouted.

Soon a crowd formed. The people carried banners,

shouted, and sang. Some of their signs

said "End the War" (World War I) and

"Down with the Czar."

The Czar told his army to attack the people.                      

The Army refused to obey him. The Czar had to

Russian Revolution Poster

give up his power. After the Czar, many

Russians thought socialism would solve the

country's problems.

What do Socialists Want?

Under socialism, the government controls the

 economy of a nation. Representing the people,

the government owns all the land, industries,

and transportation. The most influential of all

the early socialists was a German named Karl Marx.