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A Brief History of Tahiti Essay

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Like much of the colonial world, Tahiti and its surrounding islands were subject to the intense brutality and domination of European imperialism. The native people were manipulated, their culture was eradicated, and their freedom was greatly limited as both the French and the British struggled for control over the Polynesian’s 65 inhabitable islands. What makes Tahiti distinctive from the colonial world, though, is the lack of violence commonly associated with independence movements. Instead, Tahiti’s progression from a colony to a territory of limited independence has been, for the most part, rather peaceful due to the area’s unique history and geography.

The area known as French Polynesia is spread out across 2,000,000 …show more content…

Over a 30 year period, they slowly expelled the British and in 1880 forced King Pomare V to abdicate which officially ended British control over the region. By 1901, the French had colonized most of the habitable islands in the region and had established many local governments.

Many Tahitians served in the French military during the first half of the twentieth century, and most notably in World War II. After the War, many of these Tahitians returned home yearning for greater political autonomy and hence, in 1946, the first territorial assembly was established. By 1949, a functional island government existed and the people of Tahiti, and its surrounding islands, gained representation in the French assembly.

Over the next fifty years, Tahiti gained more and more autonomy from France. Today, it is completely independent, except in matters of defense and foreign policy. There has also been a powerful rebirth of native culture. The music and art destroyed by the British missionaries in the early nineteenth century has stunningly resurfaced; and the Tahitian language, although it is not the official language of the land, is widely spoken and taught in schools. There have been many calls for independence made by Tahitian citizens though the local government is opposed to such a move due the region’s economic dependence on France. Today, Tahiti exists primarily as a tourist attraction, as well as a tropical

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