Although 1700-1914 saw both the Americas and Africa face extreme pressure from European powers, which outgunned and outnumbered them in every battle, the American Revolution ideologically paved the way for various Latin American peoples to pursue the freedoms that were starting to develop around the world. On the other hand, Africa saw most of its imperial resistance as futile in the face of these more developed and powerful nations, who completely disregarded existing social, political, and economic structures in order to brutally claim the land. The Americas and Africa had each been placed under the oppression of various classic European powers. The British, French, and Spanish were the dominant nations that took control of distinct regions
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When the United States declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, they did so out of a desire to rid themselves of the tyranny that had controlled them for hundreds of years. Fueled by the philosophy and ideology of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, great American leaders like Thomas Jefferson began to form the foundations of what would soon become a powerfully independent nation. Soon, Latin American peoples found themselves ready to take on the same challenges. Simón Bolívar led a revolution in Venezuela in 1813 that sought to unify Latin Americans through their common experiences, and dissolve any barriers that prevented people from acting as one. Shortly after, in 1847, the Mayan people of the Yucatan peninsula found themselves fed up with rising taxes and decreasing autonomy, and began to revolt against their white masters. Afraid of the possibilities of this conflict, white elites quickly dubbed the struggle as a Caste War, drawing attention to the fact that an inferior race believed that they had the political standing to start a fight. Encouraged by Jacinto Pat and Cecilio Chi, the Mayan people quickly became a formidable opponent. A deep respect for their traditions however, found them pausing any warfare at the time of the harvest and returning to their communities to do what they had done for their entire lives. Because of this decision, the Mayan people found
When the United States declared independence from Great Britain in 1776, they did so out of a desire to rid themselves of the tyranny that had controlled them for hundreds of years. Fueled by the philosophy and ideology of John Locke and Thomas Hobbes, great American leaders like Thomas Jefferson began to form the foundations of what would soon become a powerfully independent nation. Soon, Latin American peoples found themselves ready to take on the same challenges. Simón Bolívar led a revolution in Venezuela in 1813 that sought to unify Latin Americans through their common experiences, and dissolve any barriers that prevented people from acting as one. Shortly after, in 1847, the Mayan people of the Yucatan peninsula found themselves fed up with rising taxes and decreasing autonomy, and began to revolt against their white masters. Afraid of the possibilities of this conflict, white elites quickly dubbed the struggle as a Caste War, drawing attention to the fact that an inferior race believed that they had the political standing to start a fight. Encouraged by Jacinto Pat and Cecilio Chi, the Mayan people quickly became a formidable opponent. A deep respect for their traditions however, found them pausing any warfare at the time of the harvest and returning to their communities to do what they had done for their entire lives. Because of this decision, the Mayan people found