The period between 1895 and 1915 was one of remarkable decline in British humanitarian conscience, During these two decades, two divergent attitudes, the predominant racist creed and the patronising condescension of traditional philanthropy, were supplemented by a new school of thought which saw itself as the keeper of true colonial conscience in Britain. Originally conceived by Mary Kingsley as a commercial lobby, this 'Third Party' (as i1 called itself) was sustained mainly by the humanitarian idealism of John Holt and E. D. Morel. 'Exeter Hall' continued its traditional function as watch-dog for aboriginal rights arid pressure . group in Imperial affairs, but its former position of primacy was already undermined not only by the fact that its ro3.e and methods were no longer a. deposit of popular and, official attitudes, but al5o by the relative ascendancy of the Third Party as the moat positive public factor in Imperial thought and policy towards West Africa. Indeed, during this period, the personality of Morel was synonymous with a reformist movement which saw the native land settlement as the indispensable bulwark of Imperial policy in West Africa. Questioning the Colonial Office method of developing these tropical 'estates , the Third Party adv,c8ted Imperial administrative reforms there. These pressure-group activities are also examined front the stand-point of British Imperial thought, while the West African responses to these pub]Jo and official attitudes are given their due importance. T1i ideas d activities of these pressure-groups were not totally Gut of tune with the intentions of the Colonial Office, but. since official policy was threatened by its inherent vea1ne Its ad too expeditious methods, by unwholesome alleg1..nce to personal friendships, party affiliations, and indiv11ual commercial adventurism, these hunianitarians strove to keep alive the ideal of Imperial Trusteeship.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:261562 |
| Date | January 1966 |
| Creators | Nworah, Kingsley Kenneth Dike |
| Publisher | King's College London (University of London) |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/portal/en/theses/humanitarian-pressuregroups-and-british-attitudes-to-west-africa-18951915(27b86129-828c-4ab5-96e6-ed8325a60ee4).html |
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