Correct answer seems like it has multiple disqualifications

Two things confuse me about the correct answer: First, it mentions ‘colonies’ and by the 19th century in the US they were no longer colonies but were officially states. Additionally, referring to the entire Western Hemisphere could mean that this pattern is happening everywhere except the small part of it that is the US. For these reasons I immediately rejected this choice... how would I change my approach to instead assume that these two items that I see as disqualifications are valid? I am concerned because I can’t see a way that I would ever not reject this answer even though it is the correct one.