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It is 1897 and you and your partner have been assigned the task of investigating the recent occurrence in Benin West Africa that led to the annexation of Benin into the British Empire and the exile of the Oba. You must look through correspondences from British Officials before the Punitive Expedition, old newspaper clippings, and pictures and answer questions about each. Take your time to carefully read each document and answer the questions. You will have class time to do much of your work, so use it wisely.
Citation preview
In 1892 British captain Gallway secured the signature of the Oba of Benin on a treaty
that opened up the Benin River and Benin territories to free trade and gave the British
permission to operate under British law rather than under Bini laws when in Benin and
its territories. The Oba a Benin did not fully understand what he was signing as he had
to rely on interpreters in British employ. Despite this treaty the Oba would continued to
exert his monopoly on the trade in Benin and would from time to time close off the flow
of goods. Following you will read a series of excerpts from documents regarding British
goals in Benin.
Consul-General Macdonald concerning Benin and trade:
“trade, commerce and civilization, however, are paralyzed by the form of fetish
government which unfortunately prevails throughout the kingdom. . . I hope before
long to be able to put a stop to this state of affairs and I look upon the treaty so ably
effected by Captain Gallwey as the first step towards carrying out this much to be
desired end.”
1. According to Macdonald what is the main problem with the government of
Benin? What does he hope to accomplish due to Gallwey’s treaty?
In November of 1896 British officials were becoming increasingly concerned with the
actions of the Oba. Acting Consul-General Phillips reported:
“The Oba has permanently placed a ju-ju on Kernels the most profitable product of the
country. . . he has closed the markets and he has only occasionally consented to open
them on receipt of presents from Jekri Chiefs. In the same year the Oba had
contemptuously rejected presents worth £40 from Itsekiri middlemen as being too small.
He received the presents only when they were doubled. The Oba also refused to start a
rubber industry even on receipt of a £30 present, and could also have extracted 1,000
corrugated iron sheets from the Itsekiri as a condition for re-opening trade if the Consul-
General had not intervened.”
1. Why are British officials frustrated with the Oba?
2. Why might the Oba be demanding these taxes (presents)?
As the British Protectorate Government in West African began commercially penetrating
the interior of Nigeria Benin continued to resist. The Oba opposed further British
encroachments into his territory and on his trade monopoly despite the “treaty” of 1892.
In 1896 British official Sir Ralph Moor stated:
“[I]n Benin and Warri districts all development except of existing trade is completely
prevented by the attitude of the king of Benin, who still declines to receive government
officers or to allow them to enter his country in any direction peaceably. He punishes
severely those of his people who even in outlying districts venture to receive them and
arbitrarily stops trade from time to time without assigning any reason. At the present
time trade had absolutely been stopped in Benin by his orders. . . Without giving up
his evil practices the king knows that he cannot admit the government to his country. . .
I now conclude that if the efforts now being made continue unsuccessful until the next
dry season, an expeditionary [fighting] force should be sent about January of February
to remove the king and his jujumen from the country.”
1. What does Moor see as the main problem with the King of Benin?
2. What does he think the British should do if they cannot convince the king to
bend to British rule?
James R. Phillips took over as Commissioner and Counsel-General of the Niger Coast
Protectorate in late 1896. He saw the situation in Benin district as dire and in immediate
need of military intervention to stop the actions of the Oba. He wrote:
“I am certain that there is only one remedy, that is to depose [overthrow] the king of
Benin from his stool. I am convinced from information which leaves no room for doubt
as well as from experience of native character, that pacific means are now quite useless,
and the time has come to remove the obstruction. I therefore, ask his Lordship’s
permission to visit Benin City in February next to depose [overthrow] and remove the
king of Benin and to establish a native council in his place and take such further steps
for the opening up of the country as the occasion may require.”
1. What does Phillips think the British need to do in Benin and why?
In January of 1897 Phillips set out on a mission to supposedly peacefully try to bring the
Oba around to the British point-of-view on “free trade” in the Benin district. Many
historians think that he was really on a reconnaissance survey to gather information to
later be used when force was applied. Whatever the purpose of Phillips’ mission it
would end in what the British termed a “massacre” of “innocents.” Phillips would setout
unarmed and ill prepared. In November of 1896 he wrote:
“there is nothing in the shape of a standing army. . . and the inhabitants appear to be
if not a peace loving at any rate a most unwarlike people whose only exploits during
many generations had been an occasional quarrel with their neighbors about trade or
slave raiding and it appears at lest improbable that they have any arms to speak of
except the usual number of trade guns. . . When Captain Gallwey visited the city the
only canon he saw were half a dozen old Portuguese guns. They were lying on the
grass un-mounted.”
1. What does this reveal about the possible aims of Phillips’ mission?
2. What assumptions did Phillips make about the Bini people?
Next you will read news reports from before, during and after the British Punitive
expedition. Make sure that you think about the point-of-view of each piece and answer
all the questions to the best of your ability.
Published: July 18, 1880Copyright © The New York Times
1. Why did Moffat and Smith travel to Benin?
2. How does Burton describe what he, and what later Moffat and Smith, saw upon
their arrival at Benin? Why might he have described this?
Published: January 12, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
1. How is the British expedition of January 1897 described?
2. What does the report think may have happened on this expedition?
Published: January 13, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
1. What happened to most members of the British expedition? How do the British
feel about this?
2. Why is another expedition being formed by the British? What do they hope to
accomplish?
Published: January 16, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
Published: January 17, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
1. Why might the incident in Benin be referred to as a “massacre”?
2. What role will Boisragon play in the future expedition to Benin?
3. What is the goal of this new expedition?
4. What is meant by: “. . . neighboring tribes have done homage to the British
flag while it is waving in Benin City”?
5. What hardships might the members of the expedition be expected to face and
overcome in their quest for Benin City?
6. Why might the article refer to “cannibalism”?
Published: January 22, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
1. Why might the headline of this article refer to the “unarmed” expedition and its
members were “ambushed” and killed in a “savage” country? To whom might
this article be appealing and for what action might it be trying to build support?
2. According to this article what was the goal of the “peaceful” expedition into
Benin?
3. How is the attitude of the Bini King toward the British described?
4. What did the King of Benin do after the “massacre”? Why might this upset the
British?
5. Why might a “punitive” type expedition have occurred even if the first expedition
had not been attacked and its members killed? How were the actions of the Bini
king hurting British colonial goals?
6. Why might the British want to annex Benin into their West African possessions?
Published: January 23, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
1. How are the British and the Bini described in this article? Whose point of view is
this? How might this be different if had been told by the Oba?
2. According to this article why would a “British Commercial” administration be
better for the people of Benin and the people of surrounding areas?
Published: February 23, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
1. How was the Punitive Expedition successful?
2. According to this article why does Benin City deserve the name “City of Blood”?
Why might this description be highlighted in this article?
3. How many casualties did the European forces suffer?
4. How is Benin and the power of the Oba described in this article?
1. What have the British captured from Benin?
2. What does this reveal about the purpose and end result of the expedition?
1. What happened to the Oba’s Palace? What might this reveal about the purpose
of the British expedition?
Published: July 7, 1899Copyright © The New York Times
Published: July 9, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
1. What do the British forces accomplish in their pursuit of the Bini King? Why is
this important for British colonial power?
Published: August 12, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
Published: August 22, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
1. When and how did the Oba surrender?
2. Why did the British not let the Oba surrender privately?
Published: September 16, 1897Copyright © The New York Times
Above text: Lagos, West Coast of Africa. Sept. 15 -- The trial of the King of Benin and
his chiefs who surrendered on Aug. 5 to the British authorities, and are charged with
having collaborated in the massacre of an unarmed British expedition under British
Consul Philips, is proceeding at Benin City.
Three of the chiefs have already been convicted. Two of them were shot, and
their bodies were displayed hanging in the streets for twenty-four hours. The third of
these three chiefs committed suicide.
1. Why might the trial of the king and his chiefs be held in Benin?
2. Why might the British have displayed the bodies of the Bini chiefs?
The above trial resulted in the exile of the Oba and in the complete annexation of Benin
by the British. Below is a Picture of the exiled Oba. After reading these documents
please briefly explain what you think of British actions in Benin. This may be a
brainstorm. You may do this with your partner or separately and then compare notes.
As you brainstorm think: What was fair or unfair about the way the British treated the
Bini people and Bini royalty? How might these actions have been viewed by Okonkwo in
Things Fall Apart? Remember think carefully, you will later use this brainstorm to help
write your opinion article.