Africa's independence movements

Grade 10 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to D. Card A, a summary in our words, written today, from the State Department's Office of the Historian: About three dozen new states appeared in Asia and Africa between 1945 and 1960. There was no single process: some European governments welcomed new relationships, while others contested decolonization militarily. Colonial boundaries divided ethnic and language groups. Card B, a table of dates in our words, from the Office of the Historian and Encyclopaedia Britannica: Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, became independent from Britain on March 6, 1957. Cameroon followed on January 1, 1960, the Congo on June 30, Senegal on August 20 and Nigeria on October 1. Tanganyika became independent on December 9, 1961. Algeria, under French rule from 1830, won independence in 1962 after a war of about eight years. Kenya became independent on December 12, 1963. Card C, a summary in our words, written today, from the United Nations: In 1945 some 750 million people, nearly a third of the world, lived in dependent territories. About 80 former colonies have become independent since the UN was created. Card D, two counts in our words: The Library of Congress says 17 countries gained independence in 1960. A United Nations film archive says 16 of the 17 new UN members of 1960 came from Africa.

2. 1.

   Card B dates Ghana to 1957, four countries to 1960, Tanganyika to 1961 and Kenya to 1963. Ari says independence came to Africa in 1960. What does card B support?

   • A cluster of four in 1960, but Ghana in 1957 and Kenya in 1963 show a spread over years
   • Clusters mean nothing, since four countries in a year could be chance and show no wave
   • Independence came in 1960, since four dated countries gained it that year and no others are named
   • The wave began in 1960, since Ghana's date of 1957 belongs to an earlier and separate story
3. 2.

   Bo says Ghana's independence in 1957 started the wave of 1960. What do the dates in card B allow?

   • They show Ghana caused the wave, since four countries gained independence after it did
   • They rule out any link, since three years is too long for an example to matter to others
   • They show Ghana was the first African country to gain independence, since 1957 is the earliest date
   • Ghana came first by almost three years, which fits an example but does not show it caused the wave
4. 3.

   Card B: Algeria won independence in 1962 after a war of about eight years under French rule. Esme says Ghana and Algeria followed the same path. What fits?

   • They followed the same path, since both ended colonial rule and both appear in the same table
   • Ghana's path included a war too, since card B lists it among the earliest independent states
   • Algeria's path was shorter, since its independence came in 1962 and Ghana's came in 1957
   • Card A says no single process, and card B names a war only for Algeria, so the paths differ
5. 4.

   Card D: one source counts 17 countries gaining independence in 1960; another says 16 of 17 new UN members were African. Jun says they contradict. What is the reply?

   • They contradict, since 17 and 16 cannot both describe Africa in the single year 1960
   • They differ by one, so one source simply left out a country that gained independence in 1960
   • The UN is right, since 16 of 17 is an exact share and the other source gives a total alone
   • They count different things: independent countries against new UN members that were African
6. 5.

   Kira says 16 of 17 means 16 African countries gained independence in 1960. What does the UN count measure?

   • Countries that left the UN in 1960, since the count is of changes in membership that year
   • African countries in the UN before 1960, since 16 of 17 is a share of existing members
   • New members of the UN, 16 African; independence and membership can fall in different years
   • Countries that gained independence in 1960, since the film archive is about that single year
7. 6.

   Luz must cite the 1960 figures in a report. Which wording is best?

   • Seventeen African countries gained independence and joined the UN in 1960, as both sources show
   • The Library of Congress counts 17 countries gaining independence; the UN, 16 African new members
   • About sixteen or seventeen countries gained independence, since the two sources are probably one count
   • Sixteen African countries gained independence in 1960, and the Library of Congress count is wrong
8. 7.

   Card A says colonial boundaries divided ethnic and language groups. Pia says independence therefore redrew the borders. What fits?

   • The cards say boundaries divided groups, not that new states changed them
   • Independence redrew the borders, since divided groups would demand new states at independence
   • The borders were unimportant, since groups are divided by borders in many regions of the world
   • The borders were drawn by Africans, since independent states set their own limits in 1960
9. 8.

   Card C: in 1945 about 750 million people, nearly a third of the world, lived in dependent territories. Ren says a third of Africans were colonized. What fits?

   • A third of Asians, since Asia had most of the dependent people in the world in 1945
   • The third is of the world's people in dependent territories, not of Africans or of Africa
   • A third of Africans, since Africa had the largest number of dependent territories in 1945
   • Nearly the whole of Africa, since the figure shows how widespread dependence was in the world
10. 9.

    Card C: about 80 colonies independent since the UN began. Card A: about three dozen new states by 1960. Tala says about 44 came after 1960. What does the arithmetic allow?

    • No figure can be found, since a count of states and a count of colonies are unrelated
    • Exactly 44 came after 1960, since 80 minus 36 gives the number that followed the year 1960
    • About 44 is rough: two rounded counts that cover different spans and regions
    • About 44 came before 1960, since 80 minus 36 counts the earlier years of the period
11. 10.

    Card A says there was no single process. Zee asks which question the cards best help answer.

    • How many Africans lived under colonial rule in 1960, since card C gives a figure for people
    • Which European country was kindest to its colonies, since card A names welcoming governments
    • Why each colony became independent in the same decade, since the cards date many to 1960
    • How the path to independence differed from place to place, from welcomed change to war