Study Guide: AFRICA HISTORY

[Pages:2]Study Guide: AFRICA HISTORY

SS7H1 The student will analyze continuity and change in Africa leading to the 21st century. a . Explain how the European partitioning across Africa contributed to conflict, civil war, and artificial political boundaries. b. Explain how nationalism led to independence in South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria. c. Explain the creation and end of apartheid in South Africa and the roles of Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk. d. Explain the impact of the Pan-African movement.

Apartheid: System of legal segregation and racism in South Africa from the 1940s through the early 1990s. The white minority controlled the government in South Africa and in 1948 created a system of racial "separateness" that gave rights and freedoms to whites, but not to black native Africans, "colored" (mixed race) and Asians. The rest of the world opposed South African's policy for decades and used economic sanctions, boycotts, and embargos to pressure the South African government into stopping apartheid which eventually ended in 1992. As a result, all South Africans were then allowed to vote and hold office.

Berlin Conference: European nations met in Berlin, Germany in 1884/85 to discuss Africa's land and resources and how they wanted it to be divided in order to avoid conflict with one another. African rulers were not invited to attend this meeting and had no say in how Africa was to be divided. Although the feeling is slowly changing, having no say in their countries' borders led to many Africans having more loyalty to their own ethnic group than their country. The modern day boundary lines (political borders) that are seen in Africa today are the result of the partitioning of Africa during the Berlin Conference.

Civil War: Conflict within a society (country). There have been many civil wars in Africa or who (ethnic group) should represent the government; over resources; over tribal boundary lines. The cause of these wars can be partly blamed on European partitioning and the artificial boundaries that were created that did not take into consideration the tribal territories that have been in place for centuries. Repeated civil wars in African have contributed to broken families, refugees, and tension among ethnic groups. This has also caused conflict within borders because a strong national unity has been hard to establish because some have more loyalty to their ethnic groups rather than to their country.

F. W. deKlerk: White president of South African who placed a major role in ending apartheid in and releasing Nelson Mandela from prison. He also helped create a new constitution that allowed for a multiracial democratic South Africa.

Genocide: Planned extermination (killing) of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group: also known as "ethnic cleansing". The Holocaust is an example of genocide in Europe by Germans against the Jews. In Africa, there have been several cases of genocide. In the small central African country of Rwanda, members of the Hutu ethnic group killed over 800,000 people from the Tutsi ethnic group in a span of only 100 days because they did not want to share the power in the government. The rivalry between the two ethnic groups grew over the years due to Belgium favoring one ethnic group over the other during the decades of colonization.

Imperialism: One country controls another country by force, politically, and/or economically in order to exploit (take advantage of) or gain resources and territory. European nations wanted to colonize Africa because they needed the raw materials (natural resources) found on the African continent.

Independence: When a country gains the right to govern itself without foreign rule or influence. Many African nations gained independence after WWII (in the 1950s and 1960s) when European countries could no longer maintain their colonial power due to strong resistance from African national movements. Some countries gained independence through force and violence like in Kenya, while others, like Nigeria, the different ethnic groups nonviolently (peacefully) convinced the European power to give them their independence.

Nelson Mandela: Black South African anti-apartheid activist who spend 27 years in prison for protesting against apartheid, leading the movement for freedoms for all South Africans. When apartheid officially ended in 1993, all races were allowed to vote and in 1994 Nelson Mandela became the first black present of South Africa.

Partitioning: Means to divide or separate. European powers did this to the continent of Africa (Berlin Conference). This partitioning ignored cultural or tribal boundaries that were already in place. This created conflict between African and Europeans, and also between African ethnic groups (rival tribes) that were forced to live in the same territory, while other ethnic groups were divided. Through partitioning, Africans lost the right to govern themselves, lost many natural resources without equal return and conflict and civil war followed in the years after independence.

Pan-African movement: A global movement by Africans and descendants of African slaves and migrants to unite together and help end colonial rule in African during the 20th century. In 1919 the first Pan-African Congress was organized to gather leaders to unite against colonial rule. It helped create more unity among Africans worldwide, increase nationalism, and led to the creation of the African Union (AU).

Positives of Colonialism Schools and hospitals were constructed which has improved education and healthcare in some

places Roads and railroads were built which helps transportation and trade Some new technologies were introduced to the African continent to modernize some areas.

Negatives of Colonialism Africans lost the right to govern themselves They lost many natural resources without equal return Conflict and civil war has followed in the years after independence These conflicts create broken families, refugees (those left homeless as a result of conflict or natural disaster) Tension among ethnic groups Unstable governments.

South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenyan Independence Nigeria gained their independence peacefully even though a civil war followed their independence

when part of the country split off from the rest of the nation. Kenya achieved their independence by force as a result of a period of violence. Both countries had

been colonized by Great Britain. South Africa gained their independence in 1910, technically. However, the majority of the citizens

did not have many rights until the early 1990s and the end to a system of racial segregation.

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