The Greatest Rebels in Human History

We all want and hope for a better world. But how far are we willing to go to get it? How many people are willing to refuse to submit to governments or rulers and be classified as rebels?  History is replete with bold individuals who attempted to escape the problems of their day by rebelling against political leadership and societal norms. These activists, freethinkers and revolutionists didn’t accept the status quo and were some of the greatest rebels in history.\r \r 1. Zhu Yuanzhang\r \r Zhu Yuanzhang is one of the greatest rebels in history. Born in China during the Yuan Dynasty, he faced similar hardship as most of the citizens. He later lived in a monastery for four years where he became literate. In 1352, the monastery was destroyed when the local troops rebelled against the dynasty. Yuanzhang joined the rebel army and became the commander. When Nanjing, the capital, was conquered in 1357, Yuanzhang became the emperor and was given the name Hongwu. He established the Ming Dynasty, which was one of the pivotal moments in China's development as a kingdom.\r \r 2. Sitting Bull\r \r Tatanka Iyotake also known as Sitting Bull, was a warrior and leader during challenging times. He was a native American Leader from the Lakota tribe. He stood against the colonizers at the time, the U.S. forces and other native American tribes. He was a fearless warrior and in 1867, he was named the chief of the Sioux people. He was victorious over U.S. military leader George Armstrong Custer in the American Indian Wars. The government saw him as a threat and went after Sitting Bull with all they had.  In 1881, Sitting Bull was ultimately vanquished and forced to surrender.\r \r 3. William Wallace\r \r Thanks to the 1995 film Braveheart which tells the story of the lionized Scottish rebel, we have become quite familiar with William Wallace. Wallace stood against the might of a kingdom and the brutality of rulers. He resisted Edward I's plans to rule over Scotland by defeating the English army in 1297 at the Battle of Stirling Bridge and defending the Scottish monarchy. Wallace became the Guardian of Scotland, a title held until the defeat at Falkirk. In 1298, royal forces destroyed Wallace's forces, but he was able to flee. Wallace was captured in 1305 and his life was not spared.\r \r 4. Mahatma Gandhi\r \r Mahatma Gandhi became an important architect of Indian independence and fought for the civic rights of common Indians. Gandhi's nonviolent noncooperation stance to political change assisted India in gaining freedom after almost 100 years of British colonial rule. The colony fostered discrimination against people of Indian descent. Natal deprived all Indians of the right to vote in 1894. Gandhi led demonstrations against the colonial authority, organized Indian resistance, and fought anti-Indian legislation in courts. After being elected to the Indian National Congress political party, Gandhi led opposition to unfair British laws. He continued to protest regardless of being imprisoned several times.\r \r 5. Nelson Mandela\r \r Nelson Mandela was known for his rebellion against apartheid, his leadership and for being a man who inspired not only the nation of Africa but the world. He was a political activist who joined the African National Congress in 1943. He led the civil disobedient campaign against the unfair laws which brought about division in South Africa. This led to his eventual arrest and imprisonment in 1962. Mandela remained behind bars for twenty-seven years until his release in 1990. His work was not over as in 1994, he became the president of South Africa.