decolonisation in Africa Flashcards
When and why was Nkrumah expelled from the UGCC
June 1949- too radical
What was the name of the nationalists party Nkrumah set up
Convention People’s Party (CPP)
Why did Nkrumah call a general strike in Jan 1950
because of Arden-Clarke’s first proposed constitution which didn’t award self gov
How long was Nkrumah in jail for
about 1 year
When did the CPP win their first general election
Feb 1951
What did Nkrumah achieve for the people in Ghana by 1957
- he doubled the no. of primary schools
- lent £1 million to farmers at low interest rates
- built 9 new hospitals
How was Nkrumah’s leadership style similar to Gandhi’s
He advocated non-violent resistance and passive protest
How many seats did the CPP win in the election in Feb 1951
35 out of the 38 seats
How many seats in the legislative council did the CPP win in 1956
71 out of the 104 seats
Why was the National Liberation Movement (NLM) formed and who was involved?
the Ashanti tribesmen and Accra farmers felt dominated by the CPP following the 1954 general election
How did the NLM cause trouble in Ghana
they stirred up serious civil discord, rioting and killing
What does the growth of fragmented nationalists groups (NLM) tells us about decolonisation in Ghana
link to India- growth of fragmented nationalist groups could have increased British desire to leave Ghana as they could end up with the unmanageable problems of partition (on a smaller scale)
Which nationalists group did Arden Clarke initially try to work with
tried to work with respectable UGCC leaders and not Nkrumah and his militants
What did the British 1954 constitution in Ghana consist of
the constitution would enlarge the legislative assembly; all members were chosen by direct election from equal, single-memeber constituencies; it established a cabinet composed of African ministers; only denfense and foreign policy remained in the hands of the British govenor
Why did the colonial office become more willing to work with Nkrumah
following the 1954 elections the CPP carried 55.4% of the votes- colonial office had to cooperate with CPP and ensure self-gov or else there would serious bloodshed
What was Nkrumah’s white paper
contained the proposals for Gold Coast Independence
What was the government’s response to Nkrumah’s white paper
British government agreed to a firm date for independence if a reasonable majority for such a step were obtained in the Gold Coast Legislative Assembly after a general election
What factors led to decol in Ghana
- nationalism
- leaders (Nkrumah)
- British gov fear of repeating the problems in India/Palestine
How du the growth of the native political class in Africa contribute to decol
- Western educated (knew the system)
- British felt they had fulfilled purpose
- class of people in which the British could collaborate with- felt as if they were leaving the country in safe hands
What was the nature of the 1946 Richards Constitution in Nigeria
-allowed for greater representation but with the Governor-General and the Executive Council (appointed) retaining ultimate power
How did nationalists react to the Richards Constitution
thought it was too conservative
Why did the British replace the Richards Constitution with the Macpherson constitution
due to pressure and discontent from nationalists groups
What was the nature of the Macpherson Constitution of 1951
-gave natives the right to vote and and created a National Council of Ministers answerable to a 185 seat federal house of representatives
What was the effect of Azikiwe’s chain of newspapers in Nigeria
influenced and heightened nationalist opinions
