Impact of British Colonization on Kenya - 1679 Words

History Russell McGillivray Kenya 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 â€Å"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†¦show more content†¦Other than those though, there were some major contributions made that still effect the country today. One such contribution was the Lyttleton Multiracial Constitution,[19] which was imposed after the Mau Mau crisis, as a way to appe ase the kikuyu rebels. This constitution was the first step on the way to establishing a better relationship between the natives and the settlers.[20] This constitution, created by the British, established a council, made up of legislators elected by all the people of Kenya, which would make decisions on the future of the country. This was established because the numerous cultural groups of Kenya had trouble agreeing on decisions for the country, as each tribe wanted changes to better their own tribe. The British established this to help the native Kenyan people, instead of taking advantage of them. This went a long way toward bettering the relationship between the two peoples. 6 years later the Macleod Constitution was established. This created an African majority in the council that gave the Kenyan’s more power over the Settlers. It also gave each tribe a share of the power in the council, much like the state representatives we have in our congress; each tribe had a differe nt share of the power based on size. The tribes with more people had more representatives in the council, and therefore more power. With these two constitutions, the Kenyan people were well on their way to becoming anShow MoreRelatedThe Colonization Of Kenya Under British Rule And Its Outcomes That Made The Country Worse2541 Words   |  11 PagesColonization is when a country moves from its shores to set up settlements in areas already inhabited by a certain group of people and where resistance is of least concern in terms of war. This paper will first discus the colonization of Africa as well as how and why the Europeans came to Africa. It will then look at common problems that occurred due to the colonization and will specifically look into the colonization of Kenya under British rule and its outcomes that made the country worse. 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