Already in the 18th century it became clear that no metropolis was able to provide its colonies with the products necessary for their subsistence, nor was it able to import products from the colonies. Thus, in the second half of the 18th century, the control of the colonies by the metropolises was gradually reduced. At the beginning of the 19th century, the large mercantile companies gradually disappeared.
On the other hand, the colonial societies evolved, adopting different characteristics from those of their metropolises; part of the English colonies in North America became aware of their great autonomy and the Spanish colonies in continental America of their American condition, in this case also aspiring to occupy the positions that the Spanish elites reserved for themselves.
The 18th century also saw the development of liberal ideology, which, calling for concepts such as equality, the separation of powers and political freedom, led to the emergence of approaches critical of colonisation.
It is in this context that the independence of the 13 English colonies (1774-1783), as well as that of the Spanish mainland colonies (1810-1824), took place. The process culminated in the 1823 declaration by James Monroe, President of the United States, condemning any further attempt to colonise America.
However, the demands for freedom were made by the colonists and their descendants vis-à-vis the metropolis; in general, there was no criticism of colonialism per se, nor was there any defence of indigenous rights.
Although phenomena such as the abolition of slavery in England (1833) and the spread of ideas of emancipation in the colonies (Canada became a dominion in 1867) took place in the course of the 19th century, the process of colonial expansion did not stop. The great explorations of the 18th and 19th centuries had made it possible to locate and study large areas that were little known until then, European demographic growth and economic activities, as well as the development of nationalism eager for territorial expansion, which gave new impetus to colonial expansion.
The 19th century saw the British colonisation of Australia, New Zealand and western and southern Africa and the French conquest of Algeria and Senegal in Africa and the occupation of the Conchinchina (Indochina) in 1867.