Samora Machel, the first president of independent Mozambique, was born on September 29, 1933, in the village of Chilembene, in the Gaza Province of Mozambique. He was of the Shangana ethnic group and was born into a family of farmers. Machel attended a Catholic mission … Read MoreSamora Moises Machel (1933-1986)
The Maji Maji Uprising in Tanganyika was the most significant African challenge to German colonial rule during the brief period when Germany had African colonies. The Uprising lasted two years and involved people over 10,000 square miles. During the “scramble for Africa” that began with … Read MoreMaji Maji Uprising (1905-1907)
The Battle of Isandlwana, January 22, 1879, was the first engagement of the Anglo-Zulu War and would prove to be a significant and unexpected victory for the Zulu in a war which they ultimately lost to the British. Since the British arrival in South Africa … Read MoreBattle of Isandlwana (1879)
James Horton, African surgeon, soldier and nationalist, challenged prevailing views on the inferiority of Africans and proposed ideologies for African self-government. His philosophies became the basis for future African independence. Horton was born in British colonial Sierra Leone outside of Freetown, the son of former … Read MoreJames Africanus Beale Horton (1835-1883)
Robert Mugabe led Zimbabwe from its independence in 1980 until he was forced to step down in 2017. He remained in power through his tight control of the government bureaucracy and the armed forces. Robert Mugabe was born on February 21, 1924, at Katuma Jesuit … Read MoreRobert Gabriel Mugabe (1924-2019)
The Indochina War (1947-1954) pitted the French Colonial government against the Vietminh, the Communist Vietnamese devoted to the liberation of their country from French colonial rule. During that conflict the French used thousands of Tirailleurs Sénégalais, soldiers recruited throughout the French African colonies, for service … Read MoreTirailleurs Sénégalais in the Indochina War (1947-1954)
The African Democratic Rally, known as Rassemblement Démocratique Africain (RDA), was the first French-speaking Pan-African organization. Created in 1946 at Bamako, Sudan (now Mali), it emerged when African nationalist and anti-colonialist movements were growing rapidly at the end of World War II. In 1945 the … Read MoreAfrican Democratic Rally (1946- )
The “riots” or the war, led by women in the provinces of Calabar and Owerri in southeastern Nigeria in November and December of 1929, became known as the “Aba Women’s Riots of 1929” in British colonial history, or as the “Women’s War” in Igbo history. … Read MoreAba Women’s Riots (November-December 1929)
The Mau Mau Uprising, a revolt against colonial rule in Kenya, lasted from 1952 through 1960 and helped to hasten Kenya’s independence. Issues like the expulsion of Kikuyu tenants from settler farms, loss of land to white settlers, poverty, and lack of true political representation … Read MoreMau Mau (1952-1960)
The Tirailleurs Sénégalais were West African Colonial Army troops who fought for the French during World War I, World War II, and in numerous conquest, police, and colonial counterinsurgency operations. Despite the name, the Tirailleurs Sénégalais were composed of soldiers recruited and conscripted from throughout … Read MoreTirailleurs Senegalais (1857– )
