StructuredAcademicControversy

TheColonialPeriod

DuringtheperiodofEuropeancolonialexpansioninAfrica(18801950),theBritishcontrolled
theareanowknownasNigeriainWestAfrica.Yourtask,asacriticalhistorian,willbeto
determinewhethertheBritishinvolvementinWestAfricawasCharityorExploitation.
Forsteponeofthisinvestigation,youwillworkinpairstodiscusstheevidencesupportingeither
thecharityorexploitationproposition.Youwillbeassignedasideforwhichtogather
evidence.Youandyourpartnerwillthenpresentyourevidencetotheopposition.Next,you
willlistenandtakenotesontheoppositionsargument.Finally,youwilldiscusstheissuewith
theoppositiontocometoacooperativeunderstanding.

Question:WastheBritishcolonialcontroloftheNigerianColonycharityorexploitation?
TeamA:Charity
TeamB:Exploitation
Process:
Class1:
1. (30minutes)Readthedocumentsincludedinthispacket,andtogetherwithyour
partnerselectfourpiecesofevidencetopresent(seegraphicorganizer).Youmay
selectmorethanonepiecefromagivendocument.Atleastthreedocumentthough
mustberepresentedinyourevidence.
2. (20minutes)Eachgrouppresentsitsevidencetotheopposition(allpeoplemust
activelypresent).Whiletheoppositionispresenting,youandyourpartnershould
writedetailednotesontheirevidence/argument.
Class2:
1. (15minutes)Eachteamshouldattempttopresenttheopposition'sargumentbackto
them.Anyandallmisunderstandingsshouldbeaddressedatthisstage.
2. (15minutes)Assignedrolescanbeabandoned.Workinwholetables(bothpartner
groups)tocometoaconsensusanswertothequestion.
3. (20minutes)Wholeclassdiscussion/reflectionontheAcademicControversy
4. (15minutes)Startwritingassignmentusepartnershipgroupsasaresourceto
developideas(butworkmustbecompletedindividually.

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WorksheetandActivityOrganizer
RememberthatYOUareahistoricalinvestigator.Thatmeansthatyouviewtheworldwitha
criticaleyeyouarentsatisfiedwiththesurfacelevelexplanation.Sourcingtheevidenceyou
viewisthenofcriticalimportance.Foreachdocumentexplainhowthesourcenoteimpacts
yourunderstandingoftheevidenceitself.Whatpotentialbiasesareexposed?Howdothese
biasesimpactyouruseoftheassociatedtextsasevidence?

Source

Type(book,
textbook,
historical
artifact,etc.)

Author

Date

Potential
Bias

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OrganizingtheEvidence:
Usethisspacetowriteyourfourmainpoints,andtotakenoteswhenthe
oppositionsidemakestheirpresentation
BritishInvolvementwasCharity
1.

2.

3.

4.

BritishInvolvementwasExploitation
1.

2.

3.

4.

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TheConsensus
Oncebothsideshavemadetheirpresentationsabandonyourassignedpositions,
andworktogetherwithyourentiretabletoformaconsensusopinion.Your
wholetableconsensusmustdrawuponspecificpiecesofevidenceinsupporting
yourassertions.
Outlineyourconsensusbelow:

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Document1:TheTreatyofLagos(1852)(Modified)
Note:TheTreatyofLagos,betweentheBritishgovernmentandtheEmirofLagoswastheresult
ofamilitarycampaignconductedbytheBritishinWestAfrica.Thecampaignhadtheaimof
haltingtheslavetrade.Importantlythough,thisdocumentrepresentstheformalstartofBritish
controlovertheareawhichispresentdayNigeria.

ArticleV
EuropeansorotherpersonsnowengagedintheSlaveTradearetobeexpelled
fromthecountrythehouses,stores,orbuildingshithertoemployedas
slavefactories,ifnotconvertedtolawfulpurposeswithinthreemonthsofthe
conclusionofthisEngagement,aretobedestroyed.
ArticleVI
ThesubjectsoftheQueenofEnglandmayalwaystradefreelywiththepeopleof
Lagosineveryarticletheywishtobuyandsellinalltheplaces,andports,and
riverswithintheterritoriesandChiefsoflagos,andthroughoutthewholeoftheir
dominionsandtheKingandChiefsofLagospledgethemselvestoshowno
favourandgivenoprivilegetotheshipsandtradersofothercountrieswhichthey
donotshowtothoseofEngland.

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Document2:ExcerptfromTheDualMandateinBritishTropicalAfrica
(1926)(Modified)
Note:ThisbookwaswrittenbyFrederickLugard,aBritishlordandthegovernorgeneralofthe
NigerianColonyfrom19141919.Lugardwasacelebratedexplorerandwellknownheroic
figureinBritishsociety.Hewasregardedasaneffectiveadministrator.

...soinAfricatodaywearerepayingthedebt,andbringingtothedarkplacesof
theearth,theabodeofbarbarismandcruelty,thetorchofcultureandprogress,
whileministeringtothematerialneedsofourowncivilization.Inthistaskthe
nationsofEuropehavepledgedthemselvestocooperationbyasolemn
covenant.Britishmethodshavenotperhapsinallcasesproducedidealresults,
butIamconvincedthattherecanbenoquestionbutthatBritishrulehas
promotedthehappinessandwelfareoftheprimitiveraces.Letthosewho
questionitexaminetheresultsimpartially.Ifthereisunrest,andadesirefor
independence,asinIndiaandEgypt,itisbecausewehavetaughtthevalueof
libertyandfreedom,whichforcenturiesthesepeopleshadnotknown.Theirvery
discontentisameasureoftheirprogress.Weholdthesecountriesbecauseitisthe
geniusofourrace.

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Document3:ExcerptfromNativeAdministrationandPoliticalDevelopment
inBritishTropicalAfrica(1943)(Modified)
Note:WrittenbyLordMalcolmHailey,thisbookservedtodetailthestrategyofindirect
governanceanditseffect.Haileywasalongservingcolonialadministrator.Hewrotemany
influentialguidesonhowbesttogoverncolonialpossessions.

Theuseoftraditionalnativeauthoritiesasagenciesoflocalruleisnowsowidely
extendedthatitmustnecessarilyoccupythechiefpartofourattention.Their
valuedependslargelyonthecaretakeninascertainingtherealseatofindigenous
nativeauthoritybeforemakingthegrantofthosestatutorypowerswhichmark
thepositionofanativeauthorityaspartofthemachineryofouradministration.It
isofgreatimportancethatadministrativeofficersshouldintheirpersonalcontact
withnativeauthoritieshaveregardtothetraditionalpositionoccupiedbythe
councilorelders.Thereisalsotheriskthatthenativeauthoritymayseekto
avoidtakingitspropershareofresponsibilityonthegroundthatitis"working
undergovernmentorders."

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Document4:ExcerptfromAfricaandtheNewGlobalization(2008)
(Modified)
Note:ThisexcerptistakenfromanacademicpaperwrittenbyGeorgeKlayKieh,aLiberian
(African)historianandpolitician.Thepapersmainfocusistheeconomicdevelopmentofthe
Africancontinentandhowcolonialexposurealteredthattrajectory.Thisspecificpassage
detailsthepracticesoftheNigerCompanytheprivatelyownedentitythateffectivelygoverned
Nigeriainitsearlycolonialperiod.

OnJuly10th,1886,TheRoyalNigerCOmpanywasgrantedaRoyalCharterto
developtheresourcesofNigeria,acquiredintheTreatyofBerlin,fortheBritish
economy.PartoftheconditionsforofferingtheRoyalNigerCompanyexclusive
rightstosuchenormousterritorieswasthattheCompanywouldprovidethe
resourcesneededtoexploitandexporttheresources.Increatingthischarter,the
Britishgovernmentdidnotengageinvoluntaryormutuallybeneficialexchanges
withAfricanlandowners.Instead,theRoyalNigerCompanywasofteninvolved
intheconfiscation,usuallythroughforce,ofAfricanlands.Throughthisprocess,
landthatwasownedcommunallybyAfricanethnicgroupswascapturedandthe
allrightsofittransferredtoEuropeanbusinessenterprises.

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PostControversyAssignment:
IntwoparagraphsreflectontheBritishcolonialismStructuredAcademicControversy.Usethis
reflectionasanopportunitytoassessbothyourparticipationintheStructuredAcademic
Controversyandtheformofthelessonitself.Questionstoconsider:
1. Wereyouhappywiththesideyouwereinitiallyassignedto?Ifso,whywhatmadeyour
positioneasytosupport?Ifnot,whatmadetheassignedpositionparticularlydifficult?
2. Whatwasdifferentaboutthislessonfromthedebateswehavehadinpastclasses?Did
youfindthisformatbetterorworsefordevelopingyourknowledgeasahistorian?
3. Werethereperspectivesmissingfromtheprovideddocuments?Ifso,whatadditional
resourceswouldhavemadeforamorecompleteunderstandingofthequestion?
4. Doyoufeelthatyoubringanylatent(hidden)biasestothisquestion?Ifso,doyoufeel
youwereconsciousofthemduringthisproject?
Asalways,yourworkmustfollowtherulesfromtheWritingChecklist.Pleaseworkwithyour
partnerandtableindiscussingthesequestions.Butyourwritingmustbecompletedindividually.

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