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Difficulty: EasyState Expansion in Africa

"Now I see that some of you fear to go forward to fight for our king. If it were in the brave days of Osei Tutu, Okomfo Anokye, and Opoku Ware, chiefs would not sit down to see their king taken away without firing a shot. No European could have dared speak to chiefs of Asante in the way the governor spoke to you this morning. Is it true that the bravery of Asante is no more? I cannot believe it. It cannot be! I must say this: if you, the men of Asante, will not go forward, then we will. We, the women, will. I shall call upon my fellow women. We will fight the white men. We will fight until the last of us falls on the battlefield."

— Yaa Asantewaa, Queen Mother of Ejisu, speech to Asante leaders, 1900

Based on the passage, the speech by Yaa Asantewaa is most directly a response to which of the following developments in late-nineteenth-century Africa?

  1. A
    The growth of European economic imperialism that dominated local trade without direct political control
  2. The expansion of European colonial empires through direct military conquest and territorial annexationAnswer
  3. C
    The establishment of mercantilist monopolies by European joint-stock companies in West Africa
  4. D
    The voluntary adoption of Social Darwinist ideologies by African leaders to modernize their militaries

Answer

The expansion of European colonial empires through direct military conquest and territorial annexation
The correct answer is correct because Yaa Asantewaa's speech was a rallying cry for the Asante people to resist British military conquest and efforts to annex their kingdom directly into the British Empire. During the Scramble for Africa, European powers shifted from informal trade relationships to direct military annexation of African states.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the historical context of the stimulus.
The speech by Yaa Asantewaa in 1900 calls on the Asante people to fight against British forces who had exiled their king and demanded their sacred Golden Stool.
Understanding the historical background of the text is necessary to identify the core conflict.
2
Evaluate the nature of British actions in the Asante Empire at this time.
The British government was attempting to exert direct political control and annex the territory, which led to direct military confrontation.
This distinguishes between different modes of imperialism, such as economic imperialism versus direct political annexation.
3
Compare the historical scenario to the options to identify the correct development.
The correct option is the expansion of European colonial empires through direct military conquest and territorial annexation, as the British used military force to annex the Asante territory.
Matching the analysis with the correct historical process provides the correct answer.

Key Concept

Late 19th-century European state expansion in Africa and indigenous resistance
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

State Expansion in Africa

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