Resisting Colonialism
Few topics have proven more divisive over the past two decades than colonialism—and few are more critical for students to understand. Explore the roots of colonialism and the meet the powerful forces of resistance that have risen to oppose it, providing all-important historical context for today’s headline-grabbing struggles.
Featured Materials
Yaa Asantewaa, Queen Mother of Ejisu
Graphic Biographies
Yaa Asantewaa, Queen Mother of Ejisu
Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother of Ejisu in Asante, was a leader of resistance to British conquest. Her actions demonstrate one strategy of resistance to colonialism.
Experiencing Colonialism: Through a Ghanaian Lens
Video
Experiencing Colonialism: Through a Ghanaian Lens
What was it like to live as a colonial subject? Of course, there many differing experiences, but we can get some answers by looking closely at Ghana as a case study.
Azizun of Lucknow
Article
Azizun of Lucknow
Azizun was a nineteenth-century courtesan who became a resistance leader in India’s 1857 uprising. Her story shows how women defied colonial rule.
Lessons
Lesson 6.4
Resisting Colonialism
Industrial empires deployed devastating new technologies in the nineteenth century. Yet, in every colony, people resisted. Review some of the ways colonized people pushed back, from armed uprisings to more subtle forms of noncompliance.
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Lesson 5.5
Resisting Colonialism in Ghana and India
In Ghana and India, resistance emerged even when it seemed impossible to challenge colonial power. Rebellion, leadership, and courage shaped these struggles—and continue to shape how they are remembered today.
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Lesson 6.3
Indigenous Responses to State Expansion from 1750 to 1900 CE
Throughout the long nineteenth century, colonized peoples responded to imperialism with diverse strategies—cooperation, resistance, intellectual critique—in both subtle and overt ways.
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Materials
1857 Indian Uprising
Article
1857 Indian Uprising
In 1857, uprisings and rebellions ended the East India Company’s (EIC) rule in India. Only British military force could put them down. Why did they happen?
The Pueblo Revolt
Video
The Pueblo Revolt
In this video, Jerad Koepp interviews Porter Swentzell about the causes, experiences, and long-term effects of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.
African Resistance to Colonialism
Article
African Resistance to Colonialism
The initial resistance to colonialism in Africa often took the form of military confrontation. This article discusses three of these campaigns, which each had different results.
Causation: Indian Uprising
Activity
Causation: Indian Uprising
In this activity, students will analyze the causes of the 1857 Indian uprising to investigate how and why this rebellion took place when and where it did.
Source Collection: Indigenous Responses to State Expansion
Article
Source Collection: Indigenous Responses to State Expansion
How did Indigenous people respond to increased imperial expansion? Read about these responses and compare how different societies tried to counteract this expansion.
Responses to Industrial Imperialism
Article
Responses to Industrial Imperialism
When confronting imperial power, colonial subjects found creative ways to resist and survive. Read how local knowledge and customs empowered communities in the face of expanding empires.