In 1895, Qing China and Japan went to war over control of Joseon. The war ended in Japan's victory, marking the beginning of a sorrowful chapter in Korean history. Watching this war unfold, a young boy felt deep grief over the sorrow of a powerless nation — this boy would grow up to become the independence activist Dosan Ahn Chang-ho. After Korea was forcibly annexed and reduced to a Japanese colony, countless people devoted their entire lives to the independence movement to reclaim their homeland. Among them, Ahn Chang-ho pursued a comprehensive approach to independence that went beyond armed struggle or diplomacy alone. He placed special emphasis on national enlightenment. Having studied advanced Western knowledge early on, he recognized — amid a government plagued by incompetence and an international climate increasingly dominated by imperialism — that building a modern nation through enlightenment was of the utmost importance. He awakened people through stirring speeches, founded schools to promote the gradual awakening of the people, and even pursued the creation of an ideal village to serve as a base for the independence movement. The path to independence that he envisioned was one of taking a long-term view and resolving the root causes of the nation's problems first. Through the story of Ahn Chang-ho's life, we hope readers will broaden their perspective on facing real-world challenges, and once again remember the great historical figures who sacrificed themselves without ever witnessing the independence they dreamed of. Contents: Times and People: To Learn Is to Live — 12 A Hard Life Abroad — 34 Founding the Sinminhoe — 56 The Road to Exile — 78 The Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea — 96 For National Liberation — 116 Building the Ideal Village — 134 Dreaming of Independence — 152 Seeing Through Another's Eyes | Rivals & Supporters | Character Sketch | Glossary of Terms | Curriculum Connections Table