New Delhi: The United States now sits at the head of the global table. It calls the shots, launches wars, controls currencies and decides who gets sanctioned. But rewind the clock by 250 years, and this self-declared leader of the free world was itself under foreign rule – a British colony like so many others.
Every year on July 4, America celebrates its Independence Day. But the road from colonised to coloniser was paved with rebellion, blood, betrayal, expansion and an unrelenting appetite for power. The story of America’s rise is about how quickly the freed can become the masters.
The Empire That Owned America
In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail looking for India. He landed in the Caribbean instead and told Europe about this “new world”. What followed was a flood of European colonists, traders and soldiers. Among them were the British, who built 13 colonies across the eastern coast of North America and ruled them under the British crown.
Native Americans, the original inhabitants, were pushed out, taxed and slaughtered.
By the 1700s, discontent had boiled over. Britain taxed the colonies for sugar, tea and alcohol. American anger rose with every shipment. In 1776, the 13 colonies declared independence. The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 4, signed by leaders like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Roger Sherman.
War, Resistance and a New Nation
The fight was not easy. The British Empire did not let go without a war. With determination, rebellion and local support, the Americans broke free. By the end of the 18th century, the United States was born – a union of former colonies, now calling itself the “land of the free”.
George Washington became its first President. Benjamin Franklin became a symbol of its intellectual rise. The United States now had its flag, borders and ambitions.
From Fields to Factories
In the 19th century, surrounded by colonial powers like Britain, France and Spain, the new republic knew it had to arm itself economically and militarily. Agriculture gave way to machines. Steamships, railroads and industrial factories became the engine of growth. America became a land of inventors, investors and immigrants.
By 1850, it had taken over several islands across the Caribbean and the Pacific. It was no longer hiding behind its Atlantic border.
The War That Changed the Game
In 1898, the United States clashed with Spain over control of Cuba. Spain sank an American battleship. America retaliated. Cuban revolutionaries joined in. Spain lost. America gained Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. It also annexed Hawaii. The American flag now flew over distant lands. The empire had quietly begun.
World War I: The Global Arrival
When World War I broke out in 1914, the United States stayed away at first. But in 1917, Germany sank American ships and plotted with Mexico. That was the trigger. The United States entered the war, fought on the side of the allies and helped them win. Washington now a global player.
The Sleeping Giant Wakes
The real shift came in 1941. Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, killing over 2,400 Americans. The United States went to war. It dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan, ending World War II. But this time, it did not retreat home. It stayed as a superpower.
By the war’s end, Europe was broken. America was not. In fact, its economy had doubled during the war. The dollar became the anchor for global currencies. The United States gave loans to Europe and Japan. It helped form the United Nations, the World Bank the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
It was no longer just one of the powerful. It was the power.
The Cold War and Control
Post-war, the Cold War started. The United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) divided the world into blocs. In South Korea, the United States backed democracy. In the North, the Soviets backed dictatorship. In Iran, Iraq, Kuwait and Syria, America backed or broke governments depending on oil, allegiance or arms deals.
In Vietnam, Afghanistan, Latin America, American hands pulled strings. Often, they built; often, they destroyed. Either way, they never let go of control.
The Moon, The Gulf, The Markets
In 1969, the United States put a man on the moon. In the 1990s, it dominated the Gulf after crushing Iraq. Wall Street controlled global finance. Silicon Valley controlled technology. Hollywood controlled culture.
The Business of War
Today, America runs the world’s biggest weapons industry. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the United States is the No. 1 arms exporter.
On some days, it makes over Rs 7,500 crore ($900 million) just selling weapons. Sometimes, it sells to both sides in a war. It helps allies with aid, then sends bombs too. Friends become buyers. Enemies become clients. The game continues.
Digging Into Nations, One Conflict at a Time
Look closely, and you will find American fingerprints everywhere. The United States backed the split of Korea. It interfered in Iran, invaded Iraq, bombed Libya and destabilised Afghanistan.
In Syria, it claimed to fight terror while funding groups. In Ukraine, it offered aid and weapons while turning the country into a geopolitical pawn.
In Israel, it funds Tel Aviv’s strikes while Palestine bleeds.
Somewhere, behind every collapsed state and every foreign-backed coup, is a strategy – sell weapons, win contracts, set rules and stay dominant.
Freedom, Power and the Price of Influence
America’s story began with colonial rule, with British taxes and rebellion. But in rising, it became the very force it once fought against. Its independence became influence. Its diplomacy became dominance.
Every July 4, fireworks light up the sky across the United States. But behind the glitter is a long and ruthless history – one where freedom was won with a fight and power was preserved through pressure.
From being a British colony to building military bases across the planet, the United States did not only grow. It took charge. And that charge continues.
