Gold Coast Test Kwame Nkrumah
Gold Coast Test – Kwame Nkrumah
DIOCESAN COLLEGE
GRADE 11
TEST
NATIONALISM IN AFRICA – CASE STUDY GHANA
45 MINUTES
40 MARKS (TBC to 50)
WEEK 7 – 03 SEPTEMBER 2015
SOURCE 1A – An extract from an article entitled ‘Kwame Nkrumah fathered Pan-Africanism’.
As a proponent of Pan-Africanism, Nkrumah sought the liberation of the entire continent from colonial rule, offered generous assistance to other African nationalists, and initially pursued a policy of nonalignment with the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). His goal was never realized, but his efforts helped bring about the Organization of African Unity, which promotes peace and cooperation between African nations. In 1960 Ghana became a republic and Nkrumah was elected president. Between 1961 and 1966 Nkrumah put together an ambitious and very expensive hydroelectric project on the Volta River that though highly successful, was laced with economic mismanagement along with several other developmental schemes over the period.
Downloaded from the Internet site on 1 September 2015
SOURCE 1B – A cartoon by ‘Samco’ in the Evening Post of 26 March 1960.
Downloaded from the Internet site 1 September 2015
SOURCE 1C – An extract from an article entitled ‘The Decolonisation Of Africa & the Rise Of African Nationalism’ with specific reference to the Gold Coast and Ghana – author unknown.
The Cocoa Farmers' Strike And Consumer Boycott Of 1937:
The local people of Ghana had lost most of their farms through colonial oppression. The British set up large cocoa farms and trading companies. Cocoa soon became one of the largest and most profitable crops in the whole of the British Empire. African farmers who did manage to keep their farmers were exploited by the British. In the colonial period, the Gold Coast became a mono-economy, totally dependent on the cocoa crop. Food and other items needed had to be imported. In 1937, African farmers took action to try and break the stranglehold over the cocoa-based economy. They refused to sell cocoa at low prices and decided to boycott goods imported from Britain. A growing sense of national identity helped to build solidarity between the farmers and the workers in the towns. The strike went on for 8 months. Eventually the British agreed to help the farmers get higher prices for their cocoa. The cocoa farmers' successful defiance campaign helped pave the way for the Gold Coast's independence struggles after WW2.
The Rise of Mass Political Movements in the Gold Coast after World War 2:
In 1946, the British gave the Gold Coast a new constitution. This provided for more elected representatives in the Legislative Council. The United Gold Coast Convention(UGCC) was formed in 1947. The UGCC was not a political party but its aim was to shift the power of the colonial government into the hands of the people as quickly as possible. Kwame Nkrumah, a young Pan-Africanist, returned from 12 years overseas to become the secretary of the UGCC. The UGCC soon became a mass movement and found support all across the Gold Coast. The population of the Gold Coast all did their bit to help the UGCC reach their goals. The trade unions even organised strikes to force the government to agree to the UGCC's demands of further constitutional reform. An example of mass protest in the Gold Coast is the protest of the ex-servicemen in 1948. Natives who had fought in the war found life difficult when they came home. The government had not kept the promises it had made to help them back into civilian life. They formed the Ex-Servicemen's Union and on 22 February they staged a peaceful March in Accra to protest the rising cost of living. The march was brutally dispersed by the police. This angered many people and riots broke out in Accra, Kumasi and other towns. The authorities accused the UGCC and many of their leaders were arrested and imprisoned.
Downloaded from the site moodle.wbhs.org.za/.../African%20Nationalism%20Gold%20Coast%20t on 1 September 2015. (probably class notes written up by a history teacher at WBHS.
SOURCE 1D - British Sir Charles Arden-Clarke and Kwame Nkrumah at the ceremonies marking Ghana's independence from Britain - March 1957
This image was downloaded from the Internet site do on 1 September 2015
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BASED ON THE SOURCES – AND WHERE POSSIBLE AND APPROPRIATE, USE YOUR OWN KNOWLEDGE.
1-Read Source 1A and answer from the source where possible and use your own knowledge as well. Your answers need to be historically contextualised (in other words, explain them in the context of the history that you have studied).
1.1-In what way was Nkrumah a supporter of Pan-Africanism? (2)
1.2-Why was his goal never realised? (4)
1.3-Other than the reasons supplied in the text, how might the hydroelectric project been both pleasing and a disappointment? (4) (10)
2-Read Source 1Band answer from the source where possible and use your own knowledge as well. Your answers need to be historically contextualised (in other words, explain them in the context of the history that you have studied).
2.1-What is the significance of the date of the cartoon? (2)
2.2-What is meant by the cartoon’s caption? (4)
2.3- How might someone such as Nkrumah have reacted to the cartoon? (4) (10)
3-Read Source 1C and answer from the source where possible and use your own knowledge as well. Your answers need to be historically contextualised (in other words, explain them in the context of the history that you have studied).
3.1-Explain ‘The local people of Ghana had lost most of their farms through colonial oppression. (2)
3.2-Evaluate the role of strikes and consumer boycotts in the road to Ghana’s independence. (4)
3.3- Evaluate the role of political movements for Ghana achieving independence. (4) (10)
4-PARAGRAPH QUESTION – Write a paragraph to explain the following question.
4.1-Use mostly your own knowledge but also Source 1D as well as the other sources (Source 1A – Source 1C) to explain how as a history student you formulate your ideas about the success (or the lack thereof) in Ghana breaking its ties with colonialism. (10)
1