Kenyan Independence Movement The East Africa Protectorate was first colonized by British settlers in 1895 and with the creation of the treaty of Versailles in 1920 it officially came under British control as the colony of Kenya. The people of Kenya were never content with having the white settlers take their land from them and continuously expressed their thoughts. However, Kenya wouldn’t become an independent nation until December 12, 1963. Kenya’s road to independence was filled with oppression and disappointment. There were many separate attempts to lead Kenya to freedom, but all of them failed to reach their goals. The Mau-Mau Rebellion was the final straw for colonialism in Kenya and the natives’ last push for independence. The …show more content…
All of his attempts to draw sympathy in Europe failed and he returned to Kenya at the end of World War II to try to get his people a political voice in the government. Originally, the KAU was only made up of the Kikuyu “elite”, but ultimately it widens its sphere of influence to encompass many of the different ethnicities within Kenya. What had started as a small group of intellectuals would grow to include over 150,000 angry Kenyans by 1951. Kenyatta believed strongly that violence would only hurt their cause. If they approached things in a political and peaceful manner, it would show the British that these people were civilized and ready to govern themselves. The KAU continually tried to gain more political power in the government, but the colonial government did everything it could to prevent the KAU from succeeding. When the KAU tried appealing to the British government, they got nothing but promises. The Kenyans started growing restless, waiting for promises that will never be fulfilled. To many people, violence seemed like the only way to solve their problems. When peaceful independent movements failed to succeed, people gave up hope that their problems could be solved peacefully. The building frustration was about to burst. With World War II ending, returning soldiers expected to get some recognition for their serviced in the
An extreme turmoil had been taking place during the early 1940’s. The world was at war. Many young soldiers had grown anxious during this upheaval since
History within Kenya truly started from 1885-1963 and that’s when imperialism started in Kenya. The British owned Kenya as a colony and slowly started enforcing laws that Kenya had never experienced before. The imperialism that took place in Kenya had a massive effect on the economy, political parties, and culture. All three of these, that were affected of imperialism, still show these effects today. Although Kenya has recovered from a huge past.
There was a great question asked by numerous individuals in the eighteenth century with what happens to people’s lives when their country is a colony of another country. This was very important to Americans when they were being ruled by Great Britain, and even to this day it remains important when countries find themselves controlled by more powerful outsiders. But what is colonialism? Colonialism occurs when one nation takes control of another. Kenya’s experience as a colony of Great Britain gives us more of an idea of what being colonized meant both to the people being controlled and to those who control them. Although it seems hard to believe, Kenya was created by the Europeans and generally this had a positive on effect on Kenyans because it began development.
Kenya had a prime minister named Kenyatta, after he was released from prison he continued to strive
The scenes in New York City of soldiers returning from World War II have been remembered for decades. The huge parades, the confetti flying through the streets, and couples embracing were reflective of the gratitude the country encompassed for soldiers returning from World War II (Crowe, Pervis et al.). The country as a whole was very appreciative of the services of these soldiers. Laif Maseng, a World War II veteran said that his return from World War II was not quite like the vibrant scenes in New York (Maseng) “For me, it was more of a ‘we’re glad you’re home safe, now go get a
From the earliest times, war has existed as a painful reality. Stories are passed down from generation to generation about brave men fighting epic battles in ancient civilizations. Occasionally a different type of legend emerges: the homefront hero. In Ancient Greece and Rome, elderly statesmen prevented famine and raised supplies for their distant armies in wartime. From then on through history, those left behind, from the leaders of countries tested in resolve and commitment by wars to the ordinary citizens who rise above their routines to serve their countries, are powerful forces behind victories. World War II was no exception. While the soldiers abroad were undoubtedly true heroes of the war, the parents, siblings, and children they left behind also assisted in the war effort. No one remained truly unaffected by the war. Without the labors of women, the efforts of schoolchildren, and the institution of rationing, World War II could not have been won.
In the early 1880’s, the powers of Europe started to take control of regions in Africa and set up colonies there. In the beginning, colonization caused the Africans little harm, but before long, the Europeans started to take complete control of wherever they went. The Europeans used their advanced knowledge and technology to easily maneuver through the vast African landscape and used advanced weapons to take control of the African people and their land. The countries that claimed the most land and had the most significant effect on Africa were France, England, Belgium, and Germany. There were many reasons for the European countries to be competing against each other to gain colonies in Africa. One of the main reasons was that the
The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were a time of great change in America. The Vietnam War, the civil rights movement and the sexual revolution were just some of the issues on the evening news in American households. For citizens of the San Francisco Bay area, as well as the rest of California, the late 60’s early 70’represented terror, fear and death. “The bizarre and theatrical and still unresolved serial murders by real-life ghoul who called himself Zodiac, who claimed in letters to have killed 37 people (though police have focused on five homicides and two attempted murders in the greater Bay Area in 1968 and 1969” (Booth,2) have intrigued people for nearly four decades. How has Zodiac remained so elusive? What
The British colonization of Kenya destroyed the culture and economy of the native people, but it established a democratic government and left Kenya a more modernized country.[1] During the 1880’s through 1914, the start of WWI, was an age of imperialism. One place that felt victim to this imperialism was Africa. At this time Africa was a wholly unmodernized continent. The reason the Europeans went after Africa was the introduction of the idea of social Darwinism and the “white man’s burden”. Social Darwinism is the belief that only the strongest and the most cunning can make it to the top of the social ladder, and it was the White Man’s Burden to step in for these undeveloped countries
"Ask not what your country can do for you, but ask what you can do for your country," once said by President John F. Kennedy. According to a WWII history article published by Lincoln Riddle, "Wartime relations can cause a country to go down to a point where a large portion of the public doesn't support the war." One of the many ways countries curb this downfall is by using propaganda. In World War II, countries broadcasted and displayed propaganda throughout society to get the public to support the war effort and to unite the country. There were many different techniques used such as bandwagon, labeling, plain folks, transfer etc.
Beginning in 1880, there was a growing desire for European countries to expand and control their rule. The only continent at that time that was left uncontrolled and, in the European's eyes uncivilized, was Africa. This was the start of Western Imperialism. All European countries wanted their piece of Africa and to get it, they would let nothing stand in their way. They would change the entire government, religion, market, and behavior of most of the African nation and affect almost every person living there. An account of the impact of Imperialism is given in Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart. This book shows the changes that occurred in Africa during Imperialism and its affect on the community and the people
“African Perspectives on Colonialism” is a book written by A. Adu Boahen. This book classifies the African responses to European colonialism in the 19th century. Boahen begins with the status of Africa in the last quarter of the 19th century and follows through the first years of African independence. This book deals with a twenty year time period between 1880 and 1900. Boahen talks about when Africa was seized and occupied by the Imperial Powers of Europe. Eurocentric points of view dominated the study of this era but Boahen gives us the African perspective. There are always two sides of the story and Boehen tells us the side less talked about informing us of what he knows.
The people of Kenya have gone though many changes since gaining their independence in 1963. They now have the freedom of speech and religion. Kenya has also increased its educational system by building more schools.
The Kenyan feminist and environmental activist, Wangari Maathai, explores the legacy of colonialism and oppression in her native country through her moving 2006 memoir, Unbowed. Maathai explains that over the course of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Africa experienced a massive influx of white settlers. In an effort to solidify control over recently acquired colonies, many European powers had encouraged large numbers of their ethnically white citizens to make a new home on the African continent. As a result, thousands of native Africans were displaced. Maathai’s ancestors, the Kikuyu and Maasai peoples were among them. The majority of these forced dislocations took
The paper seeks to understand the political, social and cultural variables that have thrown Kenya into the geo-political limelight insofar as the so-called ‘War on Terrorism’ is