The Ultimate Pie-Eating Contest

   Pie eating contests are an American-classic. The idea is simply whoever eats the most pie will achieve the pride to rule as a supreme pie eating king and receive the monetary prize. Likewise, these contests can also relate to the colonization periods of both colonialism and imperialism. A small, unknown country is “eaten” by a country looking to prove its “championship” nationalism compared to other countries as well as improve its economic profit. Similar trends in motives lead to analogues treatment of the seized country, and that eventually leads to comparable fights for independence that can be seen from all colonizing and colonized countries.

    Many of the colonizing countries circled around the same general motives to colonize countries, mostly focusing on trade profit and nationalism. During a time where nationalism reigned supreme, everyone wanted to grab the greatest and best countries to colonize not only for its economic profit, but also to stay in the race for global power. Nearly all of the colonizing countries conquered for the main purpose to fulfill a national pride; nobody wanted to be left behind in the race to global power. Therefore, they had spread out and conquered just as many other colonies as other countries to stay in power. In the Philippines, the Spanish conquered the area for its spice trade, just as the British conquered Jamaica for its abundance in cash crops. Nearly all of the African colonies, from Rwanda to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, were colonized during Europe’s “Scramble for Africa,” where everyone wanted a piece of African “pie,” both for its raw materials and prime trading resources. The motives of economic profit and national pride spurred countries to colonize in different areas.

   Due to the motives of the colonizing countries, all conquering countries would take advantage of their colonies as best as possible, meaning that many of the colonized countries were not treated well by their conquistadors. Jamaicans was mainly used for a labor force to harvest cash crops such as sugar, indigo, and cacao to the Spanish economy; similarly, under French rule, Haitians were exploited to clear forests for more plantations and had to endure long workdays, with many dying from starvation, poor nutrition, and overwork. Halfway across the world, Indians were not only traded for slaves, but they also had to suffer through a poor economy and severe unemployment created by the British textile mills. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, King Leopold II cut off the hands of men who refused to work for his rubber harvest under hard hours and poor conditions. With powerful motives fueling all possible exploitations, the colonized countries were put under harsh conditions and unfair laws.

   Since many of the colonized countries were ruled with an iron fist, the conquered peoples would fight for the independence. Under harsh labor laws, such as those in Jamaica and Haiti, and unfair exploitation of trade, such as India, people would stand up against authority to attain what was rightfully theirs: freedom. All around the world, the colonized people would stage rebellions, revolts, protests, and demonstrations, such as the Second Afghan War that would help Afghanistan achieve its independence from Britain or the bloodshed during the Vietnam War that eventually gained Vietnam its independence from France.  Sometimes, independence was achieved in peaceful ways, such as Ghandi’s peace movements helped influence Britain to grant India its independence. More often than not, however, many of the suppressed countries had accomplished in complete independence through more violent movements.

   All across the world, strong conquering countries, whether it was England, France, or Spain, had comparable motives for expansion, treatment of the subjugated countries, and the fight to control the oppressed countries. It is no coincidence either; the reason that all conquering countries behaved similarly was because that was a massive flow chart. Similar motives flowed into parallel treatments of defeated countries which sparked many of identical fights for independence. From Latin America to Europe to Asia, the parallels in motivations, treatment, and fights can be found due to the fact that it all stemmed from the same main motivation: to eat the most pie.