Once, the British Empire ruled over almost a quarter of the world’s population. But how was it created, and what happened to the people whose lands were colonised? In first-person narratives, this book introduces 20 people who lived under, challenged, and influenced the course of the British Empire. Meet Queen Nanny, the escaped slave who led a fight for freedom in Jamaica; the Rani of Jhansi, a key figure in the Indian Rebellion; Tejonihokarawa, the Mohawk leader who travelled to London on a diplomatic mission - and more.