Decolonization
After the Second World War, colonized peoples rose up and demanded independence? In a wave that swept across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, new nations rose as old empires crumbled. These decolonization lesson plans explore efforts of oppressed peoples to reclaim self-determination.
Featured Materials
Making the Global Local: Comparing Decolonization in India, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Algeria
Article
Making the Global Local: Comparing Decolonization in India, Vietnam, Nigeria, and Algeria
The Cold War started as European colonialism was collapsing around the world. This article examines how the Cold War and decolonization collided in four countries.
Kwame Nkrumah
Closer
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the first president of Ghana, which achieved independence in 1957. He used his position to advocate for decolonization more widely during the Cold War.
Decolonization and the Cold War Thematic Map
Visual Aid
Decolonization and the Cold War Thematic Map
A full-color thematic map of Decolonization and the Cold War in 1975 CE, meant to help you support, extend, and challenge the frame narratives.
Lessons
Lesson 8.4
The End of Empire
The end of empire was shaped by global forces as much as local resistance. See how Cold War rivalries, economic shifts, and growing unrest challenged imperial power after World War II.
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Lesson 8.5
Decolonization Around the World
Revolution and global pressure pushed massive changes forward after World War II. Hear powerful voices of decolonization often left out of the story, and develop a fuller view of the end of empire.
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Lesson 8.7
Connecting Struggles for Liberation
The fight for justice didn’t stop with independence. See how civil rights and antiapartheid movements challenged racism, inequality, and oppression while drawing strength from global connections.
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Materials
Apartheid
Article
Apartheid
South Africans faced a system of institutionalized racism called apartheid. For years, they struggled to overthrow it despite brutal repression.
The Middle East and the End of Empire
Article
The Middle East and the End of Empire
The Cold War fueled new foreign interference in the Middle East as leaders like Nasser and Mossadegh fought to free their nations from outside control.
And Then Gandhi Came: Nationalism, Revolution, and Sovereignty
Article
And Then Gandhi Came: Nationalism, Revolution, and Sovereignty
In the twentieth century, millions rose up against their colonial rulers. Historical sources clarify how nationalism, sovereignty, and the idea of community contributed to these uprisings.
Decolonizing Women
Article
Decolonizing Women
African women were crucial to the anticolonial struggle. They participated in boycotts and armed struggles, playing key roles that have often been overlooked.
Civil Rights and Global Liberation
Article
Civil Rights and Global Liberation
As the Cold War heated up, the American government began to see racism in America as a liability for their foreign relations.