Africa and Independence

Transition from Colonization to Winning Independence

Developing Ideas

• Why do you think Independence Movements occurred after World War II?

• How/Why do you think Independence Movements were started in Africa?

Transition to Independence

• After WWII, European nations realized that colonial rule in Africa would have to end.

• United Nations charter pledged that all colonial people should have the right to self-determination.

• In 1957, the Gold Coast, renamed Ghana was the 1st former British colony to gain independence. Kenya soon followed.

• Why was it important that British colonies began to gain independence?

New African Leaders

• Kwame Nkrumah • Jomo Kenyatta

Pan-Africanism

• Definition- the unity of all black Africans, regardless of national boundaries.

• Pan-Africanists believed all black African peoples shared a common identity.

• Many new African leaders supported this belief including Kenyatta and Nkrumah.

Economic problems resulting from Independence

• Reliance on the export of one resource

• Large growth in population hurt economies

• Droughts

• Poverty

Political Challenges

• After the hope of newly created democratic governments, many nations gave way to the rise of dictatorships. (Nkrumah)

• Battle of Ethnic group within nations. Many boundaries were created by the colonization of European countries leading to different ethnic groups being in the same country. This led to many civil wars in Africa.