Colonization is not a thing of the past. In fact, there are more colonies today than we would like to admit. From the 1600s all the way to the mid-1900s, a wide range of European powers colonized parts of Africa and Asia. It is well known that the East Indian Company controlled India for many years starting in the 1600s and that the Portuguese colonized Macau back in the 1800s. There was also colonization in North America, with the Spaniards taking over the western and southern parts, the English in the east, and the French in the north. The languages spoken in these regions are the primary indicator of the history. The colonization of the Americas is relatively well known in the U.S. because of its inclusion in our U.S. history textbooks. This is evidenced by various wars such as the Spanish-American War in 1898 and the various French & Indian wars during the 18^th century.
 
While much of the colonization of this time period has been disestablished and abolished, colonies still exist today. They merely go by different names, sometimes considered dependencies, other times territories, all meaning the same thing. A foreign power has authority over a place where they are not from. For example, American Samoa and Guam are territories of the U.S. and Bermuda is a colony of Britain. In total, there are over 50 colonies still in existence. Most are held by France, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. Although colonization was popular throughout many centuries, during which time it was perfected to some extent, it does not mean that it is without major faults.
 
For example, there was conflict in Rwanda after Belgian colonizers relinquished power, leading to a genocide in 1994 where hundreds of thousands of Rwandan Tutsis were killed. In the old colonial system, Tutsis had received significant benefits, while the Hutus, who vastly outnumbered them, were treated with distain from the Belgians. After the colonial period, Tutsi leaders were killed in a plane crash and Hutu militia groups took power and went on a rampage, killing both Tutsis and any individuals (Hutu or international) who were unsupportive of their cause. But it is not only the end of colonization that causes problems, it is its utter existence.
 
In North America, American colonizers forced Native Americans on the Trail of Tears, a forced march of over 5,000 miles, costing them their land in the south. They distributed blankets infected with smallpox to tribes to decrease their populations and took Native children and placed them in boarding schools to unlearn their culture and language. Colonization has not gone well in any country or in any prior period in history. The people living in every location are negatively affected during it, and significant discord remains in its wake. Despite repeated downfalls, many have not given up the concept of colonization for future use.
 
In 2018 at the 29th Annual Great Debate, an Australian comedy special, the goal was to have comedians debate whether humans should colonize Mars. Four comedians were on each side. The only American was Dulcé Sloan, a frequent correspondent for The Daily Show from Florida. She was tasked with defending why humans should not colonize Mars. In addition to a number of problems such as being stuck on a 300-day flight to get there and the potential for economic disparities to persist in space, she also stated another relevant reason. She said history has always shown that someone lives wherever people have colonized. And who says that it will be different in the case of Mars? While we may think that no one is there because we do not see anyone from above, there may be life forms living under the surface. Because the chance of encountering alien life forms likely won’t go well, humans should not colonize the big, Red Planet.
 
While I am hopeful that there are not alien life forms on Mars, it does make one think: is it possible for colonization to go too far? And, has it already reached that point?


– Vanessa Davis

Vanessa is a master’s student at the Bush School of Government and Public Service.