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Trial access to Colonial Africa in Official Statistics, 1821-1953
By Sarah Gilmore, on 31 January 2020
UCL has trial access to Colonial Africa in Official Statistics, 1821-1953, from British Online Archives, until 29th February 2020. To access off-site please use Desktop@UCL Anywhere .
Colonial Africa in Official Statistics, 1821-1953 covers 132 of African history in statistics. The late nineteenth century ‘Scramble for Africa’ saw European colonialist powers carve up the African continent between themselves. Great Britain controlled the largest portion of territory, with its Colonial Regulations requiring an ‘Annual Blue Book’ to be transmitted from each colony to the British Colonial Office. The Blue Book was an attempt to standardise statistical reports, primarily covering economic development as well as demographic, ecclesiastical and public records.
This collection contains Blue Books and other archival material from 13 British colonies and protectorates in Africa dating 1821-1953. The standardised nature of the Blue Books enables comparisons to be drawn geographically (between colonies), and over time on issues from colonial economic practice to education and hospitals.
