Tag: imperialism and global transformation

Haciendas were large landed estates in Spanish colonial America that functioned as self-sufficient economic units, often including agriculture, mining, and manufacturing.

The Spanish conquistadors and colonial administrators were the primary force responsible for the widespread enslavement and plunder of native populations in the Americas during the colonial period.

Simon Bolivar led the revolutionary movements across much of northern South America, often mobilizing diverse social groups, including slaves and farmers, to fight against Spanish rule.

Brazil declared its independence from Portugal on September 7, 1822, led by Dom Pedro I.

Christopher Columbus, sailing for Spain, arrived in the Caribbean islands in 1492, which he famously referred to as the West Indies.

The Latin American wars of independence generally began in 1810, triggered by the Napoleonic invasion of Spain which weakened the Spanish monarchy's control over its colonies.

Portugal established and maintained colonial control over Mozambique and Angola in Africa for centuries.

The English East India Company was granted a Royal Charter by Queen Elizabeth I on December 31, 1600.

The Congo Free State was a large state in Central Africa from 1885 to 1908, which was in personal union with the Kingdom of Belgium under Leopold II. Leopold II was able to procure the region by convincing the international community that he was involved in humanitarian and philanthropic work and would not tax trade.Via the Association Internationale Africaine he was able to lay claim to most of the Congo basin. 

King Leopold II of Belgium is historically cited for his personal colonization of the Congo Free State, which initiated the 'Scramble for Africa' and set off a wave of European colonial expansion.