
Nation’s outstretched hand
Shaping distant land
Trade benefits both
Bringing steady growth
Prosperity’s health
Welcoming new wealth
Benevolence molds
Filling now with cold
This mighty power
Seeing its plans sour
Citizens lack voice
Having little choice
Uproar fuels action
Bringing reaction
Hostile clouds amass
Reaching dark impasse
Big brother nation
Facing frustration
Rebels gather ‘round
Fading common ground
More Redcoats arrive
Gathering beehive
Independence shouts
Calling freedom out
Colonists stand firm
Battling to affirm
Mother country’s heart
Tearing self apart
British might stands down
Watching its meltdown
America stands
Molding freedom’s hands

Throughout history, many nations have attempted to mold and shape other lands into their own image. Terms such as imperialism, colonization, and nation building sometimes come to mind. It is worth noting that the British attempted to establish a foothold on the American continent starting in 1607. By the mid-1770s, their plans for a continuing American empire were crumbling. Few, if any other nations, have learned from this lesson in history . . . America included.