ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Chronology of colonialism

Long time ago, there were many people living in different parts of the world, each having their own culture and way of life. A few important countries like Spain, Portugal, France, and England decided they wanted to explore and discover new lands, resources, and people.

They traveled far away from their homelands and found many new places, including America, Africa, and Asia. When they arrived, they saw that the people had different ways of living and believed in different things.

The explorers and their countries believed that they were superior to the other people and started to take control. They forced the people to follow their laws, beliefs, and customs. They also took the resources like gold, silver, and spices from the country they were in and sent them back to their homelands.

This control and ownership of other lands is called colonialism. The timeline of colonialism began in the 15th century and lasted until the mid-20th century. Some countries were colonized for longer and some were colonized for a shorter period of time.

During this period, many things happened such as the slave trade, wars, and the exploitation of workers. It also led to the spread of religions like Christianity and Islam, the introduction of new crops and animals to different parts of the world, and the creation of new cultures.

Today, many countries that were once colonized have gained their independence and are now on their path to growth and development.