WORLD GEOGRAPHY
END COURSE WRITING TASK
Argumentative Writing Assignment: Effects of Colonialism in Africa
After researching artifacts on colonialism in Africa, write a five-paragraph essay
that discusses the effects of European colonization and evaluates which effect
had the greatest impact on Africa today. Support your position with evidence
from the texts. Be sure to acknowledge competing views.
 Remember copying ideas is plagiarism. Use proper citation when using
another person’s ideas.
 The rubric that will be used to assess your response is included at the
end of this packet.
 The graphic organizer provided may help you organize your thoughts before
you begin writing.
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
From Notebook Gallery
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African Tribal Groups. Digital image. Exploring Africa. Michigan State University, n.d. Web. 25
June 2012. <http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/teachers/curriculum/m7b/resources.php>.
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Wines, Michael. "1960: Independence Takes Root Across Africa." New York Times Upfront
(Vol. 138, No. 3). Oct. 10 2005: 28+. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 25 Jun 2012.
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Excerpt from The Conspiracy against Africa by Gerald Caplan
Most people are aware of the African condition: corruption, conflict, famine, AIDS,
wretched governance, grinding poverty. At the time of its independence in 1957, Ghana--the
second sub-Saharan African country to free itself of colonial rule and the white hope (as it were)
of the emerging continent--was in development terms on a par with South Korea, near the bottom
of the scale. Today, the United Nations' Human Development Index ranks South Korea twentyeighth among 177 nations, Ghana 138th. For many, this is a vivid and fair symbol of the African
record in the past half-century.
Africa is not a poor continent, and not all Africans are poor. Merrill Lynch's World
Wealth Report for 2006 calculates that there are 82,000 African millionaires--a mere bagatelle
out of some billion people, but surely a surprising number nonetheless. Their total worth is $786
billion. But instead of providing moderate prosperity for all, many African nations are the most
unequal places on earth. You see it immediately: the gated communities and guarded monster
homes of expatriates and local elites right next to mile upon mile of squalid townships with their
tiny hovels, filthy water, open sewers, piles of rubbish. Even the rich can't escape the broken
roads, the ubiquitous garbage, the gridlocked traffic, the suicidal drivers, the gangs of feckless
young men, the beggars so thick on the ground that even liberals keep the windows closed in
their air-conditioned SUVs.
These are the external signs of the larger economic reality. Of the 177 countries on the
UNDP's Human Development Index, the bottom twenty-four are all African, as are thirty-six of
the bottom forty. Most of these countries can't be expected to improve their lot because they lack
the basic institutions and capital needed to develop. Future generations will likely be more
numerous, poorer, less educated, and more desperate. According to the Economic Commission
for Africa's flagship Economic Report on Africa 2005, African poverty "is chronic and rising.
The share of the total population living below the $1 a day threshold is higher today than in the
1980s and 1990s--this despite significant improvements in the growth of African GDP in recent
years. The implication: poverty has been unresponsive to economic growth. Underlying this
trend is the fact that the majority of people have no jobs or secure sources of income."
Caplan, Gerald. "The Conspiracy Against Africa." The Walrus. Nov. 2006: 58-69. SIRS Issues
Researcher. Web. 25 Jun 2012.
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Impact of Western Colonialism and Imperialism on Asia and Africa
There is no unanimity amongst scholars regarding the impact of Western Colonialism and
Imperialism on Asia and Africa. On the one hand, some scholars hold that it greatly contributed
to the civilizing of the backward people and contributed to the improvement of their living
standards.
They argue that the various colonial powers set up schools and colleges, constructed
roads and railways, built canals and bridges; provided law and order, improved sanitation and
health, promoted trade and commerce and thus contributed to the welfare of the native people.
On the other hand, writers like John Conard and Holison are highly critical of the role of
western imperialism in Asia and Africa. They associate imperialism with exploitation, misery,
poverty, cruelty, conversion, degradation and racial segregation. Holison says that imperialism
was 'rapacious and immoral'.
John Conard says "In many cases the motives for empire building have been selfish and
the people in the colonies have frquently been exploited for the benefit of the mother-country."
Both the above views contain only partial truth. In fact, the western colonization and imperialism
was a mixed blessing. Its effect can be conveniently studied under the following heads.
1. Political Impact:
In the political sphere, Imperialism proved to be a blessing in disguise for some countries.
For example it provided political unity to India which had been torn by dissensions and strife
before the arrival of the western powers. Thus the British provided political unity to India which
she had not achieved at any stage in her past history.
This was rendered possible due to development of railways, modern means of transport
and communication, press, introduction of English language which served as lingua franca, and a
uniform system of administration throughout the country. This unity paved the way for the
growth of political consciousness amongst people and ultimately motivated them to overthrow
the colonial and imperialist yoke.
Secondly, the western colonialism and imperialism was responsible for the introduction
of western ideas like nationalism, democracy, constitutionalism etc. in Asia and Africa. The
various imperialist powers tried to implant their ideas and institutions in their colonies and thus
unconsciously let loose liberal forces in the countries of Asia and Africa.
Thirdly, the colonial powers introduced efficient system of administration in the country.
It is true that the administrative machinery was evolved primarily to promote the interest of the
imperialist powers and paid little attention to the well being and welfare of the natives.
Further, the natives were not given adequate representation in the civil services and
generally excluded from higher positions. Despite these shortcomings, the system of
administration, provided by the imperialist powers, exposed the colonial people to the system of
western administration.
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Fourthly, the imperialist rule also led to the rise of slavery. The slaves began to be sold
and purchased as part of personal belongings. The practice commenced when Portuguese in the
15th century raided the African villages and enslaved the people.
These persons were then transported to America. In fact there existed a regular market of
slaves in Lisbon. Even the English engaged themselves in the slave trade. This slave trade
resulted in the uprooting of millions of Africans from their homes. What is still worse that they
were made to work under the most inhuman conditions and were treated with great cruelty.
Finally, the colonialism and imperialism led to bitter rivalry among the European powers
and they fought various wars for the possession of the^ colonies. For example France and
Germany clashed over Morocco in Africa. In India also the French were involved in a long
drawn-out struggle with the British.
2. Economic Impact.
In the economic sphere impact also the western imperialism had a mixed impact. On the
positive side ii led to development of industries in Asia and Africa. The various imperialist
powers set up industries in their colonies to make profits and thus paved the way for the
industrialization of the colonies. The colonial powers established long lines of railways, built
banking houses etc. in the colonies to fully exploit their resources. They also set up certain
industries in these colonies to make quick profits and fully exploited the resources available
there.
All this proved to be a boon for the colonies and led to their industrialization. On the
negative side, the imperialist powers exploited the colonies by importing raw materials at the
cheapest possible rates and exported the finished products at very high rates.
They also tried to cripple local industries, trade and commerce by enacting necessary
industrial and taxation laws. This policy of systematic exploitation resulted in the draining of
wealth and greatly contributed to poverty, starvation and backwardness of the colonies.
3. Social and Cultural Impact:
In the social and cultural spheres the colonial and imperialist rule produced serious
consequences. In the first place it adversely affected the religions of the local people because the
local people were encouraged by the Western Missionaries to embrace Christianity by offering
them certain material benefits. As a result soon Christianity became a thriving religion in many
Asian and African countries.
Secondly, the Christian Missionaries played an important role in providing certain social
services to the local people in the form of hospitals, dispensaries, schools, colleges etc. and thus
greatly contributed to the enlightening of the people of Asia and Africa. Thirdly, colonial and
imperialist rule led to racial segregation. The European rulers treated their culture as superior to
the Asian and African cultures and tried to impose the same on them.
Further, they believed that white races are superior to the black races and tried to keep
aloof. They often enacted discriminatory laws against the local people. For example, in India the
Indians could not travel in the railway compartment in which the Europeans were travelling. This
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policy of racial segregation greatly undermined the moral tone of the local population. Fourthly,
the imperialist rule undermined the moral principles.
They foreshook all norms of morality to keep their hold on the colonial people. They
tried to divide the local people and made them fight among themselves to retain power. The
policy of 'divide and rule' followed by the British in India best exemplifies this policy of the
imperialist powers. It is well known that this policy of 'divide and rule' ultimately led to the
partition of India.
Finally, the policy of colonialism and imperialism caused untold misery and suffering to
the people. The various imperialist powers were involved in a number of wars with the local
people as well as amongst themselves which resulted in loss of millions lives. Thus colonialism
and imperialism resulted in untold misery to humanity.
In the light of the above discussion we can say that colonialism and imperialism left a
deep impact on Asia and Africa in the political, economic as well as social field.
"Impact of Western Colonialism and Imperialism on Asia and Africa." Preserve Articles, n.d.
Web. 25 June 2012. <http://www.preservearticles.com/2011090412997/impact-of-westserncolonialism-and-imperialism-on-asia-and-africa.html>.
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1960: Independence Takes Root Across Africa
In One Momentous Year, 17 Nations Were Freed from European Colonial Rule
By Michael Wines
At the stroke of midnight on Oct. 1, 1960, at a racecourse outside Lagos, a crisp green and white
flag climbed a giant flagpole, replacing the British Union Jack, and fireworks lit up the sky. Tens of
thousands of people roared collectively and sang the words of a new national anthem. Nigeria had
become an independent nation.
Nigeria's first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa,
sounded a hopeful but somber note that morning, marking the end
of a century of British colonial rule. "Having been accepted as an
independent state, we must at once play an active part in
maintaining the peace of the world and in preserving civilization,"
he said. "We shall not fail for want of determination."
He might have been speaking for an entire continent. At the end
of 1950, there were only four independent nations in Africa. By the
end of 1960, there were 27--17 of them set free in that year alone,
as Britain, France, and Belgium all but dismantled colonial empires
that had subjugated tens of millions of Africans.
Nigerian Celebration
Nigerians celebrating independence
from a century of British rule during
ceremonies outside the capital, Lagos,
on Oct. 1, 1960. (Credit: Mark
Kauffman/Time- Life/Getty Images)
European Conquest
European involvement in Africa began in the mid-15th century
when Portuguese traders came looking for gold. By the end of the next century, they were trading in
African slaves (with many sent to America), but colonization on a large scale didn't occur until much
later. In the late 1800s, when explorers uncovered the riches of the continent's interior, including
diamonds, rubber, and iron ore, the "scramble for Africa" began. In 1885, the European powers carved
up the continent: Britain, Germany, and Portugal mostly took southern and eastern Africa; France
controlled the west and north, and Belgium got the Congo. By 1900, 90 percent of Africa was under
European control.
A Mixed Legacy
Colonial rule brought some benefits: roads, railroads, and
educational and governmental models that still survive. But it was
riddled with abuses. Natives hired to oversee the colonies often
ruled cruelly, and direct European control could be even worse:
Congo's first ruler, Belgium's King Leopold II, boosted production
at rubber plantations and mines by ordering managers to hack off
the hands of laggard workers.
Copper Mines in Uganda
The miners are all Africans, working
under European foreman. (Credit:
Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis)
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In addition, the territorial borders created by Europeans--often
arbitrarily and without regard to tribal relationships or geographic
considerations--are responsible for a good deal of the ethnic
turmoil and fighting in Africa today.
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After World War II, a broke and ravaged Europe faced increasing demands for freedom from its
colonial subjects, including those in Africa. In some cases, independence movements turned violent, as
guerrilla fighters attacked colonial governments; in others, African political leaders championed selfdetermination and rallied support with relatively little bloodshed.
In Nigeria, freedom came gradually: In 1946, Britain acceded to Nigerians' demands for
representation in the colonial government; eight years later, it granted regional assemblies more power,
which led ultimately to the end of colonial rule. In 1960, Britain granted independence to Somalia as
well; in the next five years, nine more British colonies--Uganda, Zambia, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe
among them--also became free.
Exhausted Empire
The French were bogged down in a guerrilla war in Algeria, and had killed 10,000 Africans in a
1955 revolt in Cameroon. Exhausted, they gave up most of their empire: 14 of the 17 nations set free in
1960 were French colonies, including Mali, Niger, and Madagascar.
These changes in Africa played out at the height of the Cold War between the United States and the
Soviet Union. The U.S. was intent on thwarting the spread of Communism around the globe, and
Africa became the latest battleground.
Many African leaders viewed the democratic West with suspicion, and Communism with an open
mind. "We in Africa have had experience of French colonialism, of British colonialism, of Belgian and
Portuguese," one Guinean intellectual told The New York Times in 1960. "We can worry about Russia
later. First we must rid this continent of the colonialism that still exists here."
In Congo, also freed that year, Belgian forces fled in the face of rioting, and the country soon fell
into a civil war, during which Col. Joseph Mobutu, the army's chief of staff, seized control. It was
revealed many years later that the U.S., afraid that Congo would become Communist, secretly aided
the anti-Soviet Mobutu, who would become one of Africa's most savage dictators.
Indeed, for many of Africa's former colonies, freedom's blessings have been tempered by blood and
suffering. The Congo had almost no trained government officials when it became free; most of the
post-independence period was marked by brutal repression under Mobutu and vicious wars among
tribes battling to control its mineral riches.
Hunger & Hope
Zimbabwe became independent from Britain in 1965, but white rule over the majority black
population continued until 1980. Once one of Africa's top farming nations, it has become one of its
hungriest under its autocratic ruler, Robert G. Mugabe.
Sudan, freed by Britain in 1956, has been wracked by civil war for decades, during which 2 million
people have died; and ethnic violence in the Darfur region has claimed tens of thousands more lives
since 2003.
But there are bright spots as well. A democratic Mozambique is growing rapidly. Mali, after years
of dictatorship, has become a resilient democracy. And a decade after it emerged from apartheid, South
Africa is increasingly the continent's model for democracy and its economic engine.
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Still, with poverty and disease, including the world's worst rates of AIDS, plaguing the continent,
Africa was the focus in July of the Live 8 concerts and the G8 summit in Scotland, during which world
leaders pledged increased assistance.
Many African leaders say that if Africa is to overcome colonialism's legacy, it must do more on its
own to embrace education and modernization so it can compete in the world economy. "Africa is
ready," Turner Isoun, Nigeria's Minister of Science and Technology, told New Scientist magazine
recently. "We are past the stage of just being passengers."
Michael Wines is Johannesburg bureau chief for The New York Times.
Wines, Michael. "1960: Independence Takes Root Across Africa." New York Times Upfront (Vol.
138, No. 3). Oct. 10 2005: 28+. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 25 Jun 2012.
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Teaching Task Rubric (Argumentation)
Novice
Apprentice
1
2
Practitioner
Meets Expectations
3
Attempts to address prompt, but
lacks focus or is off-task.
Addresses prompt appropriately and
establishes a position, but focus is
uneven.
Addresses prompt appropriately and
maintains a clear, steady focus. Provides
a generally convincing position.
Addresses all aspects of prompt
appropriately with a consistently strong
focus and convincing position.
Controlling
Idea
Attempts to establish a claim, but
lacks a clear purpose. (L2) Makes
no mention of counter claims.
Establishes a claim. (L2) Makes
note of counter claims.
Establishes a credible claim. (L2)
Develops claim and counter claims
fairly.
Establishes and maintains a substantive
and credible claim or proposal. (L2)
Develops claims and counter claims fairly
and thoroughly.
Reading/
Research
Attempts to reference reading
materials to develop response, but
lacks connections or relevance to
the purpose of the prompt.
Presents information from reading
materials relevant to the purpose of
the prompt with minor lapses in
accuracy or completeness.
Accurately presents details from reading
materials relevant to the purpose of the
prompt development, argument or claim.
Accurately and effectively presents
important details from reading materials
to develop argument or claim.
Development
Attempts to provide details in
response to the prompt, but lacks
sufficient development or
relevance to the purpose of the
prompt. (L3) Makes no
connections or a connection that is
irrelevant to argument or claim.
Presents appropriate details to
support and develop the focus,
controlling idea, or claim, with
minor lapses in the reasoning,
examples, or explanations. (L3)
Makes a connection with a weak or
unclear relationship to argument or
claim.
Presents appropriate and sufficient
details to support and develop the focus,
controlling idea, claim. Makes a relevant
connection to clarify argument or claim.
Presents thorough and detailed
information to effectively support and
develop the focus, controlling idea, or
claim. (L3) Makes a clarifying
connection(s) that illuminates argument
and adds depth to reasoning.
Attempts to organize ideas, but
lacks control of structure.
Uses an appropriate organizational
structure for development of
reasoning and logic, with minor
lapses in structure and/or coherence.
Maintains an appropriate organizational
structure to address specific requirements
of the prompt. Structure reveals the
reasoning and logic of the argument.
Maintains an organizational structure that
intentionally and effectively enhances the
presentation of information as required by
the specific prompt. Structure enhances
development of the reasoning and logic of
the argument.
Conventions
Attempts to demonstrate standard
English conventions, but lacks
cohesion and control of grammar,
usage, and mechanics. Sources are
used without citation.
Demonstrates an uneven command
of standard English conventions and
cohesion. Uses language and tone
with some inaccurate, inappropriate,
or uneven features. Inconsistently
cites sources.
Demonstrates a command of standard
English conventions and cohesion, with
few errors. Response includes language
and tone appropriate to the audience,
purpose, and specific requirements of the
prompt. Cites sources using appropriate
format with only minor errors.
Demonstrates and maintains a
well-developed command of standard
English conventions and cohesion, with
few errors. Response includes language
and tone consistently appropriate to the
audience, purpose, and specific
requirements of the prompt. Consistently
cites sources using appropriate format.
Content
Understanding
Attempts to include disciplinary
content in argument, but
understanding of content is weak;
content is irrelevant, inappropriate,
or inaccurate.
Briefly notes disciplinary content
relevant to the prompt; shows basic
or uneven understanding of content;
minor errors in explanation.
Accurately presents disciplinary content
relevant to the prompt with sufficient
explanations that demonstrate
understanding.
Integrates relevant and accurate
disciplinary content with thorough
explanations that demonstrate in-depth
understanding.
Scoring
Elements
Focus
Organization
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