A country that was a colony of England, fought for and eventually won its independence. The country's indigenous population felt underrepresented within the government and felt oppressed. As a result they finally decided that the time had come for the British imperialists to leave their land. Does this situation sound familiar to you? Should; is a basic description of the American Revolution. It is less well known that these statements also fit the description of Kenya's independence movement. Even though these events occurred many years and many kilometers apart, they initially appear surprisingly similar. The independence movements of the Kenyan colony and the American colonies initially seemed parallel in many respects. However, the similarities are only superficial. There are several important differences that separate them. At first glance the movements seem surprisingly parallel. One of the most obvious similarities is the fact that both areas were colonies of England. The first settlers of the Americas had various reasons for migrating to the future United States. Examples included escaping religious oppression or seeking economic prosperity. Whatever the reason, however, they arrived. Eventually, the future United States became formal British colonies ruled by the King of England. Similarly, Kenya's borders were decided in the 1800s without input from the indigenous population. In 1894, England declared Kenya a British protectorate and later, in 1920, it became a formal colony (History). In both colonies the indigenous population felt underrepresented in government. In the American colonies in 1763 the issue of representation was becoming increasingly important. The British decided that the American colonies were leaving… middle of paper… were a mockery of due process. Then the Mau Mau were completely defeated. However, they accelerated the process of independence in more ways than one. For example, because of the rebellion, reform became imperative. One effect was that the British pursued Kenyan support to weaken the Mau Mau. One way to do this was to increasingly allow Kenyans to participate in government. Through this participation, a Kenyan elite class was emerging that skillfully exploited its position in society to achieve independence. Works Cited Daniels, Anthony. "Mau Mau revisited." New Criterion 23.10 (2005): 21. MasterFILE Premier. Network. 10 November 2013. Ogot, Bethwell A. Decolonization and Independence in Kenya: 1940-93. London: Currey [ua, 1995. Print.Tokar, John A. Logistics and British Defeat in the Revolutionary War. Np: np, nd Army Logistics University. American Army. Net.