THE HlSTORY OF LIBERIA

THE HlSTORY OF LIBERIA

•The history of Liberia in the 19th century was a record of struggle for survival and strong devotion to independence.
•Liberia in 1847 struggled against America which was responsible for its foundation to become an independent state.
• Efforts to preserve the independence of Liberia continued up to the time of partition of Africa when Liberia survived European colonialism
• Liberia was a product of slave abolition movement; efforts to create it were engineered by the Americans throughout the 19th century.
• Liberia and America thus existed in a patron-client relationship although Liberia was independent; she continued to look at America as her protector
NB: Africans had been enslaved in many parts of the world America inclusive however due to pressure arising out of the increasing population and strike- from slaves with an intent of becoming free and liberated.
• America in reaction formed the American colonization society (ACS) in 1816 whose aim was to find colonies in Africa where slaves could be set free.
•The society was also to find a way of expanding the American trade along West African lines.
• In 1822 Liberia was founded as a land for the free slaves
NB: However the freed slaves faced a number of problems while in Liberia
11. TO WHAT EXTENT WAS THE FRENCH POLICY OF ASSIMILATION SUCCESS IN WEST AFRICA

Added on: 18 Mar 2016
Last Modified on: 18 Mar 2016
Approach:
• Brief back ground about the assimilation
• Identify the aims and objectives of the policy
• Basing on the aims explain the extent to which the French colonial administration in West Africa was successful by 1914.
• Logicallyconc1ude
Background of the question
1. The word assimilation was derived from a French noun "Assimiler" which means to resemble. In this policy the French aimed at molding French people in black skin in terms of culture, language, law civilization, religion and all other aspects.
2. Assimilation was mostly used in Senegal, however it basically succeeded II the four communes of Senegal such as Dakar, Gone, St, Louis and Rufisque while elsewhere it fails
3. Extent of success in the four commune's local government was similar to those of France.
4. French language became the official medium of communication in the four communes
5. French citizenship was granted to the Africans living in the four communes
6. Senegalese communes practiced the same agricultural system (crops) as the metropolitan French e.g. the growing of groundnuts.
7. There was good military link between the French and that of the colonies i.e. the four communes.
8. There was adoption of the French culture e.g. marriage
9. The French religion (Catholicism) was adopted by the Senegalese in the four communes
10. French judicial systems were extended to the communes
11. Voting rights of the metropolitan France were extended to a few coastal communes ‘population.
12. The citizens from the communes were offered employment services in France e.g. Blaise (Elected a deputy in the French parliament).
13. Succeeded with central administration with headquarter at Dakar.
14. Slave trade and slavery was abolished in the four communes.
15. The citizens in the communes adopted a French way of dressing.
Failures
1. Equality was not upheld as it was condemned by many French scholars
2. Citizenship was granted to the citizens residents of the four communes while those outside were denied
3. Assimilation was expensive hence the French resorted to indirect rule in some cases
4. Few people were able to adopt the French language
5. French West Africa did not become an over sea territories instead remained colonies subject to exploitation
6. The use of forced labour undermined the aims of the system
7. Few people were converted to Christianity and Islam was already deeply noted
8. Education systems did not promote assimilation; education was controlled by catholic missionaries who were more interested in conversion to Christianity than promoting assimilation.
9. Moreover the education was rejected by Muslim Senegalese for fear of being converted from Islam to Christianity.
10. There was limited economic development in the colonies.
11. Conditions for assimilation were made difficult e.g. one had to be educated in French, be rich, be monogamous, trained in French military service and have absolute loyalty to France which many people could not meet.
12. Assimilation would destroy French colonial empire thought the world hence rejection of equality with Africans.
13. Heavy taxes imposed on Africans, undermined the system of assimilation i.e. there was no equality as expected.
14. Outside the communes, there were no proper organized local government.
15. There was limited representation of the Africans in the French of Parliament.
16. Africans were denied employment in the metropolitan France.
17. Adoption or change to association is a sign of failure of assimilation..
18. In the rest of Senegal other than the four communes the impact of assimilation was not thought at all.
In conclusion, therefore the French assimilation policy was built on a rational rather than realistic assumptions that could not come to pass hence its failure was eminent.