Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The history of Kenya as a political entity can be traced to the "Scramble for Africa" following the 1885 Congress of Berlin. Its present-day borders were first mapped out as a protectorate called British East Africa. When was this territory proclaimed?
2. Prior to colonization - and in the initial phases of British involvement - Kenya's most important cities by far were her well-developed ports, including Kipini, Malindi, Kilifi, and especially Mombasa. In the first decade of the twentieth century, however, the interior city of Nairobi became increasingly important, eventually becoming the capital and assuming a primary role in the colony's political and cultural life. Which of these was most important in Nairobi's development?
3. A major thrust of European incursion into Africa was Christian evangelism. Which of the following statements about Christianity in Kenya is generally accepted by historians?
4. To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, the only certainties in life are death and taxes, and the story of Britain's activities in Kenya is rife with both. Beginning in 1901, what tax in particular played a major role in transforming traditional Kenyan society?
5. The British gradually instituted European control over agricultural production in Kenya, relegating the Africans to "reserves" according to ethnicity, the most hospitable land going to immigrants from Europe. What area came to be known as the "heart" of European settlement?
6. Europeans were not the only immigrants to Kenya from the British Empire. Tens of thousands of indentured servants from elsewhere were brought in to work on railway projects, and over time they became a political force to be reckoned with. From where did the majority of these workers come?
7. European battles over territory came to British East Africa in World War I, with the British ending the conflict with possession of neighboring Tanganyika, previously a German possession and now known as Tanzania. This war saw Africans enlisted as Carrier Corps, providing what we today would call logistical support. Approximately how many Kenyans were killed fighting for the British in World War I?
8. As in many colonial administrations, the British in Kenya instituted a set of pass laws in 1921 that required every African man to register, be fingerprinted, and carry his registration with him at all times (usually in a metal box around his neck). What was the name of this system?
9. One of the most influential early nationalist movements in Kenyan history was founded in 1921. Originally named the Young Kikuyu Association (after the nationality that a plurality of Kenyans belonged to), this activist organization was quickly renamed to the more inclusive East African Association (EAA). Who was the influential leader that took the helm of this group?
10. Undeniably the most important figure in Kenya's independence movement was Jomo Kenyatta, who established the Kikuyu-language "Muigwithania" ("The Unifier") in 1928 and was dispatched by the Kikuyu Central Association (the successor to the banned EAA) to Britain in 1929. Ironically, though a great speaker, Kenyatta was nearly illiterate and delegated most of the writing for the group to others.
Source: Author
stuthehistoryguy
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
bloomsby before going online.
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