African independence movements

I. World War II drastically weakened the European imperial powers   A. Countries such as Britain, France, and the Netherlands lacked the economic and military power necessary to maintain control over their colonies 1. This weakened state provided the opportunity for African nationalists to push for independence and self-rule

B. Pan Africanism (Kwame Nkrumah) – Unite Africa into one   1. “Africa for Africans” 2. Negritude Movement – Encouraging Africans to value their heritage and traditional culture 3. Intended to cope with the issue of colonial boundaries that had ignored ethic groupings

II. Ghana – formerly known as the Gold Coast   A. Gained independence in 1957

1. Kwame Nkrumah became the first president of the country   a. Studied in the U.S. b. Often jailed as a young man c. Dreamt of a United States of Africa 2. Initiated economic reforms that focused on industrialization, education, infrastructure, welfare and health services 3. Lost power in 1966 while out of the country

III. Kenya   A. The Mau Mau were a Kenyan rebel group that used guerilla warfare against the government 1. Attacked white farmers around the country

B. Jomo Kenyatta became the first president of an independent Kenya   1. He was a celebrated non-violent leader 2. Organized an effective infrastructure for the country 3. United different ethnic and language groups 4. Encouraged the development of businesses throughout Kenya

IV. Zaire / Congo   A. Gained independence in 1960

1. Mobutu Sese Seko ruled as a brutal dictator a. Army officer who led a bloodless coup in 1965   b. Drove the country into poverty and constant war c. Responsible for changing the name from the Congo to Zaire for thirty-two years 2. Sese Seko was overthrown by Laurent Kabila after a seven-month civil war in 1997

V. Algeria   A. Ahmed Ben Bella was a leader of the Algerian National Liberation Front 1. Often jailed by the French 2. Helped Algerians gain independence in 1962

B. Ben Bella helped reestablish national order following independence   1. Began land distribution reforms 2. Developed plans for a national education system

VI. South Africa   A. Apartheid means “Separateness” 1. In 1948 the National Party came to power in South Africa and promoted the system of apartheid a. This was a complete separation of the races within the country

b. Schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods were segregated   i. The white minority had access to the best facilities

2. In 1959 reserves, called homelands, were set up for the country’s major black ethnic groups   a. Black South Africans were forbidden to live in white areas unless they worked for white people b. Blacks made up 75% percent of the population but the homelands made up only 13% percent of the land in South Africa

3. The Sharpeville Massacre occurred in 1960   a. Police killed sixty-nine people who were demonstrating in protest of the country’s racist policies

b. This eventually led to government to ban the African National Congress and imprison many of its members   i. The leader of the ANC, Nelson Mandela, was one of those jailed

4. In 1976 riots in the black township of Soweto left 600 student protestors dead   5. In 1977 a popular protest leader named Steve Biko was beaten to death by police while in custody

B. Nelson Mandela continued to lead the African National Congress from prison   1. Their goal was for black South Africans to run the country instead of the white minority

C. In 1989 F.W. de Klerk was elected President of South Africa   1. He freed Nelson Mandela from prison and legalized the A.N.C. 2. By 1991 apartheid had been repealed D. Nelson Mandela became the first black president of South Africa in 1994

VII. Colonial Legacy   A. Many African nations were not prepared for independence 1. Many governments were corrupt or weak 2. Ethnic tension led to violence in many areas B. A lack of modern technology and access to the global economic system created issues 1. Standards of living were often low 2. Crime and economic exploitation became common in areas throughout the continent