African Responses to Colonialism: A Study of the Peaceful and Violent Dichotomy

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A. Adu Boahen's African Perspectives on Colonialism neatly classifies African responses to European colonialism during both phases of invasion and occupation during the 19th century with precise labels according to their nature or time period. However, the reactions can also be loosely grouped into two diametric characterizations: peaceful and violent. Although creating this dichotomy seems a gross generalization and oversimplification of the colonial African experience, it more importantly allows for a different perspective- one that exposes the overwhelming success of the typically peaceful or pacifist reaction in contrast to the little gain and large losses of the violent response.

In order to analyze Boahen’s work as well as produce a coherent interpretation of his evidence, definitions for and connections between the terms in question are critical. Therefore, peaceful responses are defined as devoid of bloodshed and aggressive confrontation whereas violent reactions are defined as uprisings of a coalition or faction that involve open hostility. In the context of African resistance to colonialism, success is defined as the achievement of the party in question's objective as well as sustaining the attained goal in order for it to have a lasting positive impact on the country. These objectives typically fall into the two categories of state sovereignty and amity. While they are generally found to be the products of peaceful reactions, fatalities and destruction are by large the most notable outcomes of violent opposition. Moreover, this pattern observed from the results of the two types of responses is best understood when presented in terms of time periods: invasion and occupation.

There are several examples of peaceful str...

... middle of paper ...

...l to socio-economical. Even more fascinating is the similarly consistent trend that states which deployed peaceful negotiations with the colonialists were much more successful than their violent counterparts in achieving or maintaining sovereignty and peace- despite at times having to sacrifice one for the other. For reasons that are beyond the scope of this paper, Boahen makes a conscious decision not to emphasize this ostensible tendency. Ultimately, peaceful responses did not bring about a harmonious relationship between the colony and the colonial power; however, in contrast to their violent counterparts, they did not result in nearly the equivalent number of deaths, injuries and devastating consequences to the infrastructure of the colony.

Works Cited
Boahen,A. Adu. African Perspectives on Colonialism. (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University

Press, 1987.)

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