Linking Colonization and Decolonization: the Case of Micronesia

Gaffaney, Timothy J. (July 1995). "Linking Colonization and Decolonization: the Case of Micronesia". Pacific Studies. 18 (2): 23–59. ISSN 0275-3596.

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Abstract: Although a significant literature exists on the processes leading to colonization, little has been written on the factors relevant to decolonization. Focusing on the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, I outline an argument that rests on a unilateral decision by the United States to establish an empire in the Pacific. I then entertain the hypothesis that decolonization represents a direct reversal of the factors leading to colonization, that is, another unilateral decision by the United States. I argue that such a model is empirically simplistic and incorrect. I offer evidence to suggest that local elites in the various island “states” as well as an international norm against colonization led the United States to begin to alter its relationship with the Trust Territory in the mid-1960s. This example of decolonization partially represents the effort of the United States to gain legitimacy for its presence in the Pacific and partially represents an effective constraint on its autonomy.

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MAG: 2338613990
OpenAlex: W2338613990
CorpusID: 156767339