Individuals

Question 1

David Livingstone

Answer 1

began his travels as a missionary doctor to South Africa in 1841, and also explored the hinterland. He returned to Britain and gave a series of celebrated lectures at Cambridge. He received funding for a return in 1858 and was given the title Consul of East Africa, exploring the Zambezi and sending 2000 letters back to Britain that captured public imagination. His dramatic disappearance and rediscovery in 1871 further did so

Question 2

John Kirk

Answer 2

was Livingstone’s botanist on his Zambezi expedition. He returned to Africa in 1868 as Vice-Consul in Zanzibar, and ensured it operated as a British client state, giving Britain a foothold on East Africa

Question 3

Sir Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke

Answer 3

looked for the source of the Nile and disagreed over what it was when one claimed to have found it in Lake Victoria, named by him after the queen.

Question 4

John Mackenzie

Answer 4

was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Protectorate of Bechuanaland after putting pressure on the British government to establish a protectorate there

Question 5

Sir William Mackinnon

Answer 5

founded the Calcutta and Burma Steam Navigation Company, and the Imperial British East Africa Company, which received a charter in 1888

Question 6

George Goldie

Answer 6

formed the Central African Trading Company in 1876, combining all British trading firms on the River Niger in 1879 to create the United African Company. He secured over 450 treaty arrangements transferring territory and jurisdiction to the Company, which produced palm oil etc.. His firm was chartered as the Royal Niger Company in 1886. Became an administrator in Northern Nigeria

Question 7

Evelyn Baring

Answer 7

was influential in Egypt, approving the Dufferin Report of 1883 establishing a British puppet government over Egypt. He was the Consul-General between 1883-1907, dealing with the budget and promoting irrigation projects. Looked to promote Christianity in Egypt. He was forced to resign his post after the flogging of locals at Denshawai in 1906, but was awarded 50k in 1907

Question 8

Bartle Frere

Answer 8

became High Commissioner and Governor of Cape Colony in 1877, and was told to merge British South Africa with the Transvaal. However, he found the South African colonists hostile to these plans, and deliberately provoked a war with the Zulus and Pedi in 1878. The eventual victory was not enough to outweigh the costs and embarrassment of the war, and Frere was withdrawn by Gladstone’s Liberal government in 1881.

Question 9

Joseph Chamberlain

Answer 9

was the most committed Colonial Secretary of the Victorian era, turning down Home Sec. and Chancellor for the job. He believed in the need to reinforce imperial bonds, and called and chaired two Colonial Conferences in 1897 and 1902, proposing an imperial defence and customs union, which was rejected by the white settler colonies. He believed in a sense of imperial duty, and believed in superiority of the British race. His involvement in the Boer War diminished some of his political capital, and he resigned a Colonial Secretary in 1903 after he was passed over for PM in favour of Balfour in 1902. His zealous campaign for tariff reform included setting up the Tariff Reform League, and he split the Conservative party, leading to their 1906 election loss

Question 10

Cecil Rhodes

Answer 10

secured prime ministership of Cape Colony in 1890, and impressed upon audiences the right and duty of Anglo-Saxons to dominate Africa and beyond through his control of Cape newspapers. He hoped to link the Cape to British-dominated Sudan and Egypt, as so opened up territories that were to be known as the Rhodesias by establishing a fort in Matabeleland. He resigned as PM of Cape in 1896 after the Jameson Raid, and died six years later. His funds helped promote Empire after his death

Question 11

Viceroy Curzon

Answer 11

was appointed Viceroy of India in 1899, and believed strongly in British imperial duty. As Viceroy, he implemented reforms to help Indian commerce and agriculture, and founded the Imperial Cadet Corps to give Indian nobles a military role. He did, however, have low opinions of the ability of Indians, and refused to appoint more to senior posts. His partition of Bengal in 1905, designed to weaken the Raj’s internal enemies, was wildly unpopular and forced him to resign the following year

Question 12

Alfred Milner

Answer 12

Took on the role of High Commissioner for South Africa at a crucial time. Demanded full citizenship rights for Uitlanders in the Transvaal, deliberately provoking Kruger. Negotiated the Peace of Vereeniging. Controversially used Chinese labourers on short term contracts to work in Transvaal gold mines, and their poor treatment outraged the British public, contributing to the Conservative election defeat in 1906 and his resignation from his South African posts

Question 13

Edwin Montagu

Answer 13

was Secretary of State for India from 1917 to 1922, and was responsible for reform such as the Government of India Act 1919, giving Indians a limited form of political representation

Question 14

Lord Linlithgow

Answer 14

served as Viceroy of India from 1935-43. He was a practical man who looked to further Indian enfranchisement with the Government of India Act 1935 to weaken the more radical strands of Indian nationalism

Question 15

Gandhi

Answer 15

began his career in South Africa, protesting against racism and segregation and challenging the British+Boers. Returned to India in 1915 and became president of the Indian National Congress. He travelled the country, supporting protests against British rule. Began calling for independence after the 1919 Amritsar Massacre. Helped organise the Quit India movement of 1942, and the Civil Disobedience movements of the early 1930s

Question 16

Onn bin Ja’afar

Answer 16

Founder of the UMNO, which campaigned to rally Malays against the British Malay Union. He organised rallies and forced a British climb-down. Nationalist ladders in Malaysia were driven by ideology and race, such as Tan Cheng Lock, a fierce anti-communist. Nationalism in Malaya brought the “Malayan Emergency” in 1948, a violent guerrilla war between the armed Malayan forces and the British Commonwealth. Tan and him partnered and participated in successful peace and independence negotiations in 1957

Question 17

Kwame Nkrumah

Answer 17

Was exposed to Western radical ideas while studying in Accra, and continued his studies in the USA, where he became involved in radical black activism. He helped organise the fifth Pan-African Congress in 1945 and was invited to chair the United Gold Coast Convention. After a brief stint in prison, he founded the CPP in 1948, and became PM in 1953, moving the Gold Coast towards full independence as Ghana in 1957. He ruled until a US-backed coup in 1966, and helped to co-ordinate various African independence movements

Question 18

Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe

Answer 18

Developed a strong sense of African nationalism working as a journalist, and emerged as a champion of Nigerian independence, founding the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons in 1944. Nigeria was starkly divided on religious and ethnic grounds, and this resulted in several nationalist political groups emerging. It took all of his bargaining skills to prevent the colony from sliding into anarchy, and he secured independence in 1960

Question 19

Jomo Kenyatta

Answer 19

Was a member of the Kikuyu from British East Africa. He joined the Kikuyu Central Association which had been set up to defend Kikuyu land that were being encroached by white settlers. He developed his education in England and became president of the Kenya Africa Union in 1947. Hostility towards white people led to the Mau Mau rebellion of 1951, which led to the banning of the KAU and the declaration of a State of Emergency. He was arrested, accused of aiding the rebellion and imprisoned for seven years. After his release in 1961, He immediately began negotiations for independence with Britain. This was successful in 1963. Brought about a gradual Africanisation of the government, and ensured Kikuyu dominance in government

Question 20

Apolo Milton Obote

Answer 20

Became politicised working as a construction worker in Kenya, and joined the Uganda National Congress on his return in 1956. In 1962 he was appointed PM of an independent Uganda by the British Governor-General. He ruled in an arbitrary way, securing a great degree of power for himself. After regaining power from Idi Amin in 1979, his second rule was marred by civil war

Question 21

Nelson Mandela

Answer 21

Was determined to achieve equal rights for black people and end apartheid. Formed the youth league of the African National Congress in 1944 and rose through the ranks, and was chosen to head the civil disobedience campaign in 1952. Joined the South African Communist Party, and co-founded the armed wing of the ANC, the Umkhonto weSwize. Left South Africa in 1962 and was arrested on his return, emerging from prison after 27 years in 1990 and becoming President in 1994

Question 22

Sir Andrew Cohen

Answer 22

Knew decolonisation would have to come about, and was deeply concerned about the treatment of Africans in the colonies. Cultivated contacts amongst nationalists in West and central Africa, and set out his named Report in 1947 which mapped out pathways for democratic self-government. Proposed the CAF as a response to concerns about apartheid, and laid the groundwork for Ugandan independence by bringing native Ugandans into government as Governor of Uganda

Question 23

Sir John Macpherson

Answer 23

Helped manage the transition to independence in Nigeria with his 1951 named Constitution, which helped ensure the growth of Nigerian political parties

Question 24

Sir Charles Arden-Clarke

Answer 24

Played a part in securing the release of Nkrumah from prison in 1951, which diffused tensions in the Gold Coast. He proved skilled in mediating between Ashanti peoples and supporters of Nkrumah, and worked closely with Nkrumah. He was asked by the independent Ghanaian government to be their first honorary Governor-General.