I'd like to begin by stating that this article has a lot of assumptions within it, I'm not a scientist after all. Those assumptions, however, are rational ones and are backed by real science. The main assumptions will be that the technology necessary to support generations of human life on Mars (producing enough food, water, and oxygen) has been achieved as well as the technology to allow successful births on Mars. We'll also be assuming that there will be some kind of terraforming effort, large or small. Like I said before, these are largely rational assumptions, any attempt to colonize Mars would need these technologies to sustain the effort, so researching them would be a priority for the world's leading scientists. This article is less focused on the science of space colonization, however, and more focused on social science. Largely, it will be based on historical precedents on colonization efforts on our own world and how those settlers were changed over generations of colonization. That being said, let's begin.

NASA's first manned mission to Mars is planned for within the next decade. It will be a one-way trip. This is the first step by man to colonize a celestial body other than our own. The expedition will likely be focused on gaining a greater understanding of the planet's history, its geology, its (limited) ecology, and on how the astronauts respond physically, mentally, and emotionally to long-term space travel and life outside home sweet gravity.

Flash forward a couple of centuries (hopefully not that many) and hopefully Mars is no longer an empty wasteland, but rather, its surface is dotted with domed settlements, full of hardworking people striving to slowly terraform the red planet into a green and blue marble much like Earth (hopefully still) is. It has been generations since that first manned mission, and more and more children are being born on Mars. While Mars is still reliant on Earth for certain materials, especially those used in the terraforming process, the Martians are increasingly self-reliant, tapping the planet's polar ice caps and other reserves of water to grow crops as well as splitting their atoms to create oxygen. It is their self-reliance that allows them to focus more time, energy, and devotion to the terraforming project, and building more domed cities to make room for the new Mars-born humans over strategic resources like deposits of metals, minerals, and water or ice.

The terraforming project, the creation of new domes built by Martians (rather than colonies set up by Earth), and the increasing numbers of Martian births are critical. These are what will begin to form a Martian identity. To encourage more babies being born on Mars would be a logical decision for those in charge of the colonization process back on Earth. Those growing up on Mars would be better adapted to the environment than Earth immigrants, and would likely be more effective at increasing the population than sending more and more colony ships to Mars. Without procreation, no colony can be truly successful. The fact that there are babies being born on Mars means that they and their families will begin to see themselves more as Martians and less as Earthlings. The terraforming project and creation of new settlements built by Martians for Martians will also give these Martians, whether they be Martian-born or immigrants from Earth, a sense of purpose beyond just expanding Humanity beyond Earth and learning more about Mars.

Let's leave the red planet behind for a moment and focus on our own planet. Human civilization has a long history of imperialism, exploration, and colonization. In fact, almost every single colony, whether they are made up of willing settlers or an oppressed native group, has had some form of movement for independence. When it comes to willing settlers, we can see that scattered colonies in North and South America, and other colonies in places like New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and more began to group together. English settlement in North America began with one small town, Jamestown, and spread rapidly across the east coast. The spread was so far and wide it even lead to wars against other colonial powers and native groups. Settling Mars will certainly be more difficult than the old American frontier, but the precedent is clear and consistent, if Humans are determined enough to spread, they cannot be restricted. For unwilling subjects, independence movements (peaceful or otherwise), are almost always present. From the Zulu and Boer resistance to British rule in South Africa to the guerilla wars fought by the Vietnamese against the French, to Gandhi's peaceful protests for Indian independence, to Native American wars and diplomacy as an attempt and stem the American and European tide.

These two consistent historical precedents present the future settlers of Mars and leaders of Earth with two options: the easy way, and the hard way. The easy way would be peaceful. The settlers of Mars have come to see themselves as Martians in the same way that the settlers of North America came to see themselves less as colonists from their European nation and more as Americans or Canadians. Recognizing this, Earth could choose to give them the freedom to govern themselves, either as one unified planetary government or in groups similar to our countries here on Earth, as long as, for example, they continued to cooperate on further colonization, space exploration, and terraforming. The hard way would be if Earth was unwilling or unready to deal with the issue of a separate society outside of Earth. This could lead to disaster for further colonization efforts, putting a halt to space exploration, or even a conflict between Earth and Mars.

Space exploration and colonization is not something that can be achieved overnight. Its inherent nature means it will be generational, and people change over generations. Here on Earth, those who are advocates of or even planning space colonization should keep this fact and the precedent set by our history of colonization here on Earth in mind. Though I will not live to see it, I would prefer my progeny to see an independent Mars come about an easy, peaceful way.