NECTA ACSEE 2025 - History 1 Questions & Answers

Objectives: NECTA ACSEE 2025 - History 1 Questions & Answers

History 1 — Questions and Model Answers

HISTORY 1 — Exam Questions & Model Answers (full, exam-ready)

Instructions: Each question here carries 20 marks. Read the question, use the six points given in the answer and expand slightly when writing your own exam response. Each answer includes examples, a model paragraph and tips for exam use.

Question 1 (Compulsory):

1. The post-colonial economic challenges to development in Tanzania resulted from colonial economic policies. Justify this statement by giving six points.

Answer — Key points (6 points)

  1. Mono-crop export economy: Colonial policy emphasized a few cash crops (e.g., sisal, coffee, cotton) for export. This created dependence on world prices, so when prices fell Tanzania’s incomes collapsed.
  2. Infrastructure for extraction, not integration: Railways and roads were built to move raw materials from interior to ports, not to link internal markets or foster industry—limiting domestic industrial growth.
  3. Land and tenure distortions: Large settler farms and reserved lands for Europeans reduced access to the best land for Africans, creating insecure land tenure and low investment by local farmers.
  4. Lack of industrial base and skills: Colonial education and apprenticeship favored administration and extraction; little technical training for industry meant post-colonial shortage of skilled workers and managers.
  5. Unequal taxation and fiscal dependence: Colonial budgets and taxation prioritized extraction activities; after independence government revenue remained tied to a few exports and to external loans.
  6. Market structures and marketing boards: Colonial marketing boards controlled prices and trade; they often favored metropolitan interests and left farmers with little bargaining power and low incomes.
Example: Tanzania’s sisal industry (centered in Tanga) grew under German and British rule as an export. Infrastructure (rail to Tanga port) mainly served sisal export. When global demand/prices fell, many rural communities suffered unemployment and the central government lost foreign exchange.
Model exam paragraph (compact answer):

Colonial economic policies created a dependent, export-oriented economy in Tanganyika. By privileging sisal, coffee and cotton for export, building transport only to ports, distorting land tenure and limiting industrial and technical training, the colonial regime left the post-colony with a weak industrial base, insecure agriculture, and fiscal dependence on volatile export markets. These inherited structures explain many post-independence development difficulties.

Exam tips: Start with a short definition of colonial economic policy, then list and explain 6 points. Use one concrete local example (sisal in Tanga or coffee in Kilimanjaro) and end with a short concluding sentence connecting colonial policies to post-colonial challenges.

Question 2:

2. In six points, show how Jihad movements transformed the socio-political and economic situations of West African societies in the 19th Century.

Answer — Key points (6 points)

  1. Political centralization: Jihad leaders created large centralized states (caliphates) with stronger bureaucracies — e.g., the Sokoto Caliphate under Usman dan Fodio — replacing many smaller chiefdoms.
  2. Islamization and legal reform: The jihads spread Islamic law and institutions (madrasas, Qur'anic schools), changing legal systems from customary law to Sharia in many areas.
  3. Military transformation: Jihad movements reorganized armies and introduced disciplined military structures; this changed the balance of power and reduced the authority of some traditional rulers.
  4. Economic regulation and taxation: New states introduced taxation systems under Islamic principles, regulated trade routes and sometimes promoted trade security on the trans-Saharan routes.
  5. Education and literacy: Increased emphasis on literacy (Arabic literacy) and clerical classes produced new elites who could administer states and conduct written records.
  6. Social change and social mobility: Jihad era reforms offered opportunities for new social groups (clerics, military leaders) to rise; at the same time some traditional elites were displaced.
Example: The Sokoto Caliphate (early 1800s) unified many Hausa states, created a network of emirates, spread Islamic education and law, and reorganized taxation — all of which changed trade, governance and social roles in what is now northern Nigeria.
Model exam paragraph:

Jihad movements in 19th century West Africa reshaped societies by creating centralized Islamic states, enforcing Islamic law, reorganising military and taxation systems, promoting Arabic literacy and producing new social elites. The Sokoto Caliphate is a prime example: it combined religious reform with political consolidation and economic regulation, profoundly altering the region’s institutions.

Exam tips: Mention specific jihads (Sokoto, Massina, Toucouleur) and show cause-effect: religious reform → political change → social/economic consequences. Use one short concrete example to support each point.

Question 3:

3. In six points, analyse the social and political impact of the Triangular Slave Trade in West Africa.

Answer — Key points (6 points)

  1. Population loss and demographic shock: Large-scale export of men and women reduced population, disrupted family structures and caused long-term labor shortages in some regions.
  2. Social fragmentation and insecurity: Slave raids and warfare to capture people increased violence, weakened communities and created cycles of revenge and instability.
  3. Political centralization and militarization: Some states (e.g., Asante, Dahomey) became stronger by participating in the trade—building powerful armies and central governments oriented to capture and sell captives.
  4. Economic distortion: Economies shifted to focus on the slave trade rather than agriculture or crafts, undermining diversified local economies.
  5. Cultural and social changes: Loss of people changed gender balances, roles and cultural transmission; in some areas new elites formed around slave trading.
  6. Long-term trauma and diaspora linkages: The trade created the African diaspora in the Americas; it produced long-term social trauma and shaped African–Atlantic cultural exchanges (music, religion, languages).
Example: The Kingdom of Dahomey (in present-day Benin) grew powerful partly by capturing and selling captives to European traders; this strengthened the king’s authority but also entrenched violence and dependency on the slave trade.
Model exam paragraph:

The Triangular Slave Trade had deep social and political impacts: depopulation, community disruption, militarization of certain states, and economic distortion. States like Dahomey and Asante expanded militarily to supply captives, while societies suffered long-term demographic and social damage that altered development trajectories.

Exam tips: Give concrete consequences (demographic, political, economic) and include at least one named kingdom/region. Link short evidence to each point (e.g., “this led to…”).

Question 4:

4. In six points, examine the social and economic injustices which were encountered by the people of African origin in the New World.

Answer — Key points (6 points)

  1. Plantation slavery and forced labor: Africans were enslaved and forced to work on plantations (sugar, cotton, tobacco) under brutal conditions with no paid wages or freedom.
  2. Family separation and social trauma: Enslaved people were routinely separated from children and spouses by sale; family ties were broken and social cohesion harmed.
  3. No legal rights and racial discrimination: Laws denied Africans legal personhood or equal protection; even after abolition, institutional racism limited rights and opportunities.
  4. Economic exploitation and poverty: Wages and capital were concentrated with owners; freed people often had restricted access to land, credit and well-paid jobs sustaining poverty across generations.
  5. Culture suppression and identity pressure: African languages, religions and customs were suppressed; enslaved people resisted but faced cultural erasure attempts.
  6. Violence and repression: Physical punishment, punitive laws (e.g., vagrancy laws), and policing were used to control African-origin populations and limit mobility and rights.
Example: In the US antebellum South, enslaved families were split apart by sale; after emancipation, Black Codes and Jim Crow laws limited civil rights, land ownership opportunities and safe employment.
Model exam paragraph:

People of African origin in the New World faced profound injustices: they were enslaved on plantations, denied legal rights, separated from families, economically exploited and culturally suppressed. These injustices left lasting legacies that shaped unequal societies in the Americas even after slavery ended.

Exam tips: Use one or two specific New World contexts (Caribbean sugar plantations, US South, Brazil) to illustrate each point. Distinguish between slavery-era wrongs and post-emancipation institutional discrimination.

Question 5:

5. In six points, examine measures taken by European powers to maintain constant supply of labour in the plantations and settler farms after 1945.

Answer — Key points (6 points)

  1. Contract and indentured labour schemes: Europeans hired or recruited workers from other colonies (e.g., Indian indentured workers earlier; after 1945 similar contract labour systems continued or were revived).
  2. Forced and coerced labour (disguised): Colonial administrations sometimes used compulsory service laws, quotas or recruitment drives that coerced workers into plantations and farms.
  3. Migrant labour recruitment and mobilization: Permanent or seasonal migrant labour circuits were organized, moving workers to mines, plantations and settler farms (e.g., Mozambican workers to South African farms/mines).
  4. Wage manipulation and controlled mobility: Low wages, pass systems or identity documents (passes) limited worker mobility and forced dependence on estate employment.
  5. Taxation policies to force labour: Poll taxes or hut taxes compelled men to seek wage labour to pay taxes, indirectly supplying plantation labour.
  6. Use of native authorities and intermediaries: Colonial governments used local chiefs or labour agents to recruit and pressure people into labour, sometimes using promises or deception.
Example: In parts of southern Africa and in Portuguese colonies after WWII, recruitment systems and taxes pushed rural people into labour markets for mines and farms; in East Africa, some settler farms used low wages and restricted mobility (passes) to retain workers.
Model exam paragraph:

After 1945 European colonial regimes used a range of measures to secure farm and plantation labour: contract systems, coerced recruitment, migrant labour circuits, wage control, tax policies and the use of local authorities. These methods ensured a steady labour supply for settler farms and export agriculture while limiting workers’ freedom.

Exam tips: Mention specific policies (taxes, pass laws, recruitment) and regions where they applied. Explain how each measure reduced labour mobility or forced people into wage work.

Question 6:

6. With concrete examples from Tanganyika, describe any six reforms that were done in the agricultural sector after the Second World War.

Answer — Key points (6 points)

  1. Promotion of cash-crop cultivation: Colonial authorities expanded cash crops (coffee, cotton, sisal) with extension services encouraging smallholders to grow export crops.
  2. Agricultural extension services: The government increased extension workers to teach improved techniques, pest control and use of simple inputs to raise yields.
  3. Marketing and co-operative bodies: Establishment or strengthening of co-operatives and marketing boards to collect, process and export crops (e.g., cooperatives for coffee growers on Kilimanjaro/Usambara slopes).
  4. Land settlement and resettlement schemes: Post-war schemes sometimes reorganised land to increase cultivation — both smallholder schemes and settler farms influenced by colonial planning.
  5. Improved transport and storage: Investment in roads, rail links and storage facilities to reduce post-harvest losses and move produce to ports (rail to Tanga and improvements to feeder roads).
  6. Research and experimental stations: Establishment of agricultural research stations to test crop varieties, soil conservation and pest control adapted to Tanganyika conditions.
Example: Coffee cultivation on Kilimanjaro and Usambara was expanded with support from agricultural officers and cooperatives; marketing structures helped process and export the coffee, though smallholders still faced price pressures.
Model exam paragraph:

After WWII Tanganyika saw several agricultural reforms: promotion of cash crops like coffee and cotton, expansion of extension services, formation of cooperatives and marketing boards, some resettlement schemes, investment in transport and storage and the growth of research stations. These measures aimed to increase export earnings but often left smallholders exposed to market risks.

Exam tips: Use Tanganyika place names (Kilimanjaro, Tanga, Usambara) and show both positive aims and limitations (e.g., increased production vs. vulnerability to price changes). If asked for "concrete examples" always name locations or crops.

Question 7:

7. Explain six roles which Pan-Africanism played towards African decolonization.

Answer — Key points (6 points)

  1. Intellectual awakening and shared identity: Pan-Africanism created a sense of common African identity and pride that challenged colonial narratives of inferiority.
  2. International networking and advocacy: Pan-African congresses and conferences (e.g., 1945 Manchester Pan-African Congress) connected activists and leaders, coordinating anti-colonial strategies.
  3. Leadership formation and inspiration: Pan-African ideas inspired leaders (Nkrumah, Kenyatta, Nyerere among others) to pursue political independence and to seek continental solidarity.
  4. Mobilising mass movements: Pan-African rhetoric helped galvanise mass political movements, trade unions and parties demanding an end to colonial rule.
  5. Legitimacy in international forums: Pan-African delegates used international platforms (UN, conferences) to expose colonial abuses and seek diplomatic pressure for independence.
  6. Promotion of unity and post-independence cooperation: Pan-Africanism encouraged ideas of unity (e.g., Organization of African Unity 1963) that helped newly independent states coordinate on anti-colonial diplomacy and economic cooperation.
Example: The 1945 Pan-African Congress in Manchester helped link leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah with activists; Nkrumah later led Ghana to independence in 1957 and used Pan-African ideas to promote decolonization across Africa.
Model exam paragraph:

Pan-Africanism provided intellectual foundations, international networks, political leadership and mass mobilisation that accelerated decolonization. By uniting activists, promoting a shared identity, and exposing colonial injustices in international forums, the Pan-African movement played a central role in inspiring and organising African independence struggles.

Exam tips: Give examples of congresses, leaders and organisations (Manchester 1945, Nkrumah, OAU). Show how ideas turned into political action and mention both ideological and practical roles.

Final note: Use the six points for each question as the backbone of a 20-mark answer. In an exam write a short introduction (1–2 sentences), develop each point with 1–2 sentences and an example, then finish with 1–2 concluding sentences. Good luck!

Reference Book: N/A

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