Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
In the late 1880s, a cattle plague known as Rinderpest swept across Africa 'like forest fire', entering from the east coast and reaching the Atlantic coast in 1892 and the southernmost tip of Africa five years later. Along the way it killed 90 per cent of the cattle. Historically, Africa had abundant land and a relatively small population, and few Africans had any reason to work for a wage. European colonisers had been unable to find enough labour for their plantations and mines. But the destruction of African-owned cattle changed everything.
(i) From where did Rinderpest originally enter Africa, and what was the immediate cause of its arrival? (1 mark)
(ii) Before Rinderpest, why were European colonisers unable to find sufficient labour in Africa? (1 mark)
(iii) Explain how the Rinderpest epidemic enabled European colonisers to gain control over African labour. (2 marks)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 14:59 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) Rinderpest entered Africa from the east coast (Eritrea in East Africa). It was carried by infected cattle imported from British Asia to feed Italian soldiers who were invading Eritrea.
(ii) Before Rinderpest, Africa had abundant land and livestock. Africans could sustain their livelihoods through land and cattle, so they had little reason to work for a wage. European colonisers thus found it difficult to recruit sufficient labour for their plantations and mines.
(iii) Rinderpest killed 90 per cent of Africa's cattle, destroying African livelihoods entirely. Planters, mine owners, and colonial governments then monopolised the scarce remaining cattle, using control over this resource to force desperate Africans into the labour market. This allowed European colonisers to conquer and subdue Africa, gaining effective control over its people and economy.
Source: Chapter 3, Section 2.4 — Rinderpest, or the Cattle Plague
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Explanation
- (i) Students often write "east Africa" but must also name the specific cause — infected cattle from British Asia brought for Italian troops. Both facts are needed for full credit.
- (ii) The key phrase from the passage is "land and livestock sustained African livelihoods" — this is the direct reason. Mention both land AND cattle for a complete answer.
- (iii) This is a 2-mark inference question. Two clear points are expected: (1) cattle loss destroyed African self-sufficiency, and (2) colonisers monopolised remaining cattle to force Africans into wage labour. Avoid vague answers like "they became poor" — be specific about the mechanism of control.