African Studies Lessons

Legacies of Colonialism
By Cori Culp Introduction: This lesson introduces students to the effects of colonialism in Africa. With a short reading and a writing activity students are able to see the different perspectives of Colonialism in Africa. Time: 1 class period Materials: Legacy of Colonialism Reading (see below), notebook paper. Procedure: 1. Place students in same-ability pairs and have them read the Legacy of Colonialism reading out loud. Have them underline or highlight key information. 2. When they are done with the reading have each partner write a letter to the editor taking two different perspectives of colonialism in Africa. Here is the background of each writer: a. Writer #1 is an English textile mill owner who is excited about British holdings in East Africa. The owner would like to profit from the colonization and goes on to explain all of the positive aspects of colonization in Africa. This writer is writing the London Post. b. Writer #2 is writing to the editor of the Nairobi News with complaints on how the British Army took his land and how he was taxed anyway. He is very resentful toward the British occupation and wants to return to the old way of life. He is an educated man and want his fellow Kikuyu people to stand up and fight. 3. When the students are done writing their letters have them share with each other. Then have then predict the future of each of the characters and discuss the advantages and disadvantages that colonialism brought to Africa. 4. Wrap-up by comparing a map of the colonial holdings in 1914 to a present day map of Africa. Look at the borders and language of the continent. How did colonialism leave its mark?

Legacy of Colonialism
More than a century of European colonial rule has left modern African nations with many problems that have lead to the instability of the continent. What are the legacies of colonialism in Africa? Europeans Divide and Conquer Long before the Berlin Conference in 1884 European nations were carving up the African continent. When the western power finally got in each others way they held a conference in Berlin, Germany to set the ground rules for taking over the continent. The United States was involved in this meeting but no representatives from Africa were though. The Berlin Conference was called during the Age of Imperialism or empire building in the second half of the 19th century. Africa offered valuable resources that were needed with the growth of industries in Europe and the United States and new buyers for the new products of the day. European nations carved up the African continent to suit themselves with little thought of the people who had lived for thousands of years or their way of life. The slave trade had ended decades before but it left societies and the economy in many parts of Africa weak, but that did not mean they were willing to give up. The Ashanti kingdom battled the British for over seventy-five years. Mandinka warriors led by Samori Toure battled the French along the Niger River but nonetheless by 1914 only Liberia and Ethiopia remained free of European rule. Two types of Rule in Africa Direct Rule In most colonies, the governments and laws were set up just as they had been like at home. A European ruler either replaced local rulers or the rulers were subjugated to the European rule while they tried to keep their traditional ways. Many times leaders and people were punished if they did not bow down to the invaders. For the most part in direct rule Africans were kept out of government and had few chances for to better them selves through education or training. In French colonies officials took direct control but also tried to make the Africans into French citizens by replacing their culture with a new French culture. They did this through institutions like schools and the government.

Indirect Rule This type of rule was more common if the imperial power only had ideas to use the resources but really did not care about changing the people. In British colonies, African officials kept their place of power in their communities but final authority rested with the British. Lives of Women Under colonialism women were subjugated to a double patriarchal society (male authority.) Many African societies followed matriarchal (mother) lines but still were male dominated with a few checks and balances. When European rulers came the patriarchy increased and women lost their status and voice in their communities. When they tried to resist by sitting on the men (dancing, going naked, ect.) the men of the community were blamed and the women were not even given credit for their own revolt. Violence against women increased with colonialism along with the hardship that the women bore as the money maker of the family with increased taxes. New Nations with Problems of the Past During the 1950s and 1960s most African nations gained their independence, mostly through resistance. The borders that were drawn in 1914 were meaningless without the European there but the borders remained and often rival ethnic groups were put together. Many colonies split to form smaller nations independent from one another but this led to bloody violence and political unrest in a number of nations such as Nigeria, Rwanda, and the Sudan. Because the European interests in African were short-term, when they left they left the continent drained of resources, educations and training. The economies were lifeless and corruption spread like wildfire through Africa. Today many African nations work to reverse this pattern but the struggle for true independence, economic independence, continues.

Baerwald, Thomas J. and Celeste Fraser. World Geography: A Global Perspective. Prentice Hall: Needham, Massachusetts. 1998. Ajayi, Omofolabo. Gender Situation of African Women. Modern Africa Teachers Institute. University of Kanasas, June 16, 2003.