1918-1939 History of Southern Africa Botswana
from 1966






Late Protectorate, 1939-1965



Stamps issued for Bechuanaland
by the British Postal Administration



More than 10,000 Bechuanas served in World War II, in Syria and the Middle East. In 1941 a military camp was established as Lobatse. After World War II the British implemented constitutional reforms, granting the country's population voting rights.
A 1938 petition of the white population of the TATI DISTRICT for incorporation into Southern Rhodesia was not approved.
A 1946 census counted a population of 252,869, of whom 2,325 were Europeans, 96 Asiatics and 1,708 'coloureds'. The protectorate had a training center for African teachers. South African law was applied in the protectorate. In 1940 a dairy industry was established.
Seretse Khama, son of King Tshekedi Khama, while studying in England, married an Englishwoman. He then was refused permission to return to his homeland; in 1948 his father Tshekedi Khama was forced to leave the country. Both returned in 1956.
In 1950, the European and Native Advisery Councils were combined to form the Joint Advisory Council. In 1961 is was renamed Legislative Council, with widened authority. Half of the members were whites, half were blacks, at a time when 3,200 whites and 317,000 natives inhabited Bechuanaland. In 1961 a constitution was passed, replaced by another constitution in 1965, which foresaw Home Rule. Transition to independence was smooth. In 1965 the capital was moved from Mafikeng (located in South Africa) to GABORONE. In 1966, independence was declared.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		History of Botswana, from Africanet and from Infoplease
DOCUMENTS Flag of the High Commissioner for Basutoland, Bechuanaland and Swaziland, from FOTW
REFERENCE South and East African Year Book and Guide, 49th edition, 1949, pp. 193-196
Chapter 28 : Medicine Murder in Basutoland, pp.568-584, in : John Gunther, Inside Africa, NY : Harper & Bros. (1953) 1955 [G]
Zdenek Cervenka et al., Botswana - Lesotho - Swaziland, Bonn : Deutsche Afrika-Gesellschaft, 1974, in German
Article : British South African Protectorates, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1944 p.130, 1945 p.128, 1946 pp.150-151, 1947 p.153, 1948 p.142, 1949 pp.125-126, 1950 p.130, 1951 pp.125-126, 1952 p.124 [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1953 pp.124-125 (on events in 1952) [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1954 p.125 (on events in 1953) [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1955 p.184 (on events in 1954) [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1956 p.123 (on events in 1955) [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1957 p.183 (on events in 1956) [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1958 p.121 (on events in 1957) [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1959 p.122 (on events in 1958) [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1960 p.123 (on events in 1959) [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1961 p.122 (on events in 1960) [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1962 p.109-110 (on events in 1961) [G]
Article British South African Territories, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1963 p.224 (on events in 1962) [G]
Article Commonwealth of Nations, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1964 pp.268-269 (on events in 1963) [G]
Article Colonies and Other Dependencies, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1965 p.252 (on events of 1964) [G]
Article Colonies and Other Dependencies, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1966 p.203 (on events of 1965) [G]
Article : Bechuanaland Protectorate, in : Statesman's Year Book 1943 pp.231-233 [G]
Article : Bechuanaland Protectorate, in : Americana Annual 1943 pp.93-94, 1944 p.86, 1945 p.88, 1946 p.95, 1947 p.74, 1957 pp.83-84 [G]
Article : British South African Territories : Bechuanaland Protectorate, in : Americana Annual 1961 p.97 (on events of 1960) [G]
Article : British South African Territories : Bechuanaland Protectorate, in : Americana Annual 1962 pp.95-96 (on events of 1961) [G]
Article : British South African Territories : Bechuanaland Protectorate, in : Americana Annual 1963 pp.103-104 (on events of 1962) [G]
Article : British South African Territories : Bechuanaland Protectorate, in : Americana Annual 1964 pp.103-104 (on events of 1963) [G]
Article : Commonwealth of Nations, in : Americana Annual 1965 pp.183-185 (on events of 1964) [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on August 25th 2007

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