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Discuss the factors that led to the growth of movements for African independence.
 
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ANSWER:
Students should understand that there were several forces that gave rise to independence movements in Africa. First, some Africans received education from Christian or Muslim schools, and thus the African elite were exposed to political ideas from the West that emphasized natural rights and helped them form ideas of independence. Students should identify Blaise Diagne; the Pan-Africanists from America, W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey; and when (1909), by whom (Western-educated lawyers and journalists), and for what purpose (to defend the interests of Africans) the African National Congress was founded. The Young Kikuyu and the African National Congress were two examples of groups that began to gather many followers. Second, World War II had a big impact on the African demand for independence. Many Africans participated as soldiers in the war and returned to Africa with new radical ideas that favored liberation. Another source of encouragement for independence came from Haile Selassie and his successful campaign against the Italians in Ethiopia. World War II demands for labor, conscription, and food exports, together with Allied ideals of liberation and freedom, convinced many Africans of the need for radical change.