ABSTRACT
Terminology, the manipulation of historical developments, and categorization through religious affiliation were central to strategies of colonization. The history of the Belarus resonates with a long list of labels that were established, then replaced according to peaceful unions and forcible colonization. The lack of a consistent label has generated many controversies in the historical placement of Belarus, as well as in contemporary perceptions of the nation. Belarusan historians refer to late Middle Ages period as "The Golden Era," suggesting a peak in development, growth, and quality of life. Territories in Western Belarus were added to the new Polish state which did not "recognize any autonomous status in its Belarusan territories". In 1861 the Tsar attempted to placate an increasingly frustrated population by abolishing slavery. However, the Tsar's edict served to generate rebellion because landowners still owned 60 percent of the land, thus frustrating the peasantry who expected to own their own farmland.
