Colonial Law in Africa, 1920-1945 - Key Data

The legal system that a country has developed can provide fascinating insights into its social, cultural, and political history. This collection provides the opportunity to explore the laws implemented by successive British governments in eleven African countries from January 1920 to December 1945.

During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the British government published gazettes on an annual basis. These outlined the colonial laws that were implemented in its African territories. This collection, drawn from the records of the British Foreign & Commonwealth Office, brings together numerous gazettes. The volumes within this collection are organised by country. These include: Kenya, Lagos (Nigeria), Northern Rhodesia (Zambia), Nyasaland (Malawi), Sierra Leone, Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), The Gambia, Gold Coast (Ghana), Uganda, Zanzibar (Tanzania), and Tanganyika (Tanzania).

These documents cover the transfer of Southern Rhodesia from the British South Africa Company to the British government, the influence of the Treaty of Versailles upon Tanzania, and the outbreak of the Second World War. The gazettes also include shipping records, legislation, probate records, and information on land sales. The collection likewise sheds light upon government finances and trading as imports, exports, and colonial finances are detailed in some of the gazettes.

Colonial Law in Africa, 1920–1945 is the second collection in British Online Archives’ three-part series Colonial Law in Africa. This collection provides an extensive survey of British rule throughout Africa. It is a rich resource for students and researchers interested in Africa and the themes of colonialism and race in modern history.