Zambian History

Northern Rhodesian Flag, 1939-1953

  1. Prehistoric Period
  2. Humanoid remains found in the LuangwaValley that date back hundreds of thousands of years
  3. Early Zambian history parallels early human history
  4. Pre-Colonial Rule (1500s-1888)
  5. Influx of Bantu-speaking people
  6. Mostly from Angola and the DRC
  7. By late 1800s, were settled in areas where they currently reside
  8. Early European explorers
  9. Portuguese
  10. 17th century
  11. Followed the routes of Swahili-Arab slave traders
  12. Dr. Lacarda, 1789 – LakeMiveru
  13. Dr. David Livinghouse
  14. 1853 – Bechuanaland to Luanda
  15. Named Victoria Falls
  16. Colonial Rule (1888-1964)
  17. Cecil Rhodes
  18. Obtained a mineral rights concession from local chiefs
  19. Proclaimed Northern and Southern Rhodesia (Zambia and Zimbabwe) to be under the British Empire
  20. Northern Rhodesia separated from Rhodesia (1910) and has its own coat of arms; ruled by British South Africa Company until 1924
  21. Northern Rhodesia becomes a British protectorate(1924)
  22. Northern and Southern Rhodesias and Nyasaland (Malawi) joined to form the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
  23. Northern Rhodesia demands greater control in political and legislative affairs
  24. 1962 – African majority in legislative election
  25. 1963 – Federation dissolved
  26. Northern Rhodesia called for its own internal government
  27. N.R. demanded a new constitution and a broader, more democratic form of government
  28. Independence (1964-present)
  29. October 24, 1964 – Republic of Zambia’s Independence Day
  30. Challenges for the new country
  31. Awash in mineral wealth
  32. Few educated people to run the country
  33. Kenneth Kaunda leads Zambia for 27 years; declared his party to be the only legal party in Zambia
  34. Bankrupted the country
  35. Its neighbors still had white-dominated ruling systems
  36. Internal transport and power supply issues
  37. 1970s
  38. Independence for Zambia’s neighbors, but they started to face civil war
  39. Refugees from its neighbors
  40. Exacerbated transportation and security issues
  41. Decrease of price in copper on a world scale put many Zambians into debt
  42. 1980s
  43. Became one of the most indebted nations in the world
  44. Kaunda asks for an IMF bailout
  45. 1990s
  46. Election in 1991
  47. Frederick Chiluba won the election
  48. Kaunda left peacefully
  49. Chiluba faces turmoil
  50. Bill passed in 1996 to make office terms last two years
  51. Chiluba stayed in office beyond his time
  52. Attempted coup in 1997, after which Chiluba declares a state of emergency
  53. 2000s
  54. Chiluba replaced in December 2001 election, with another member of his party (Levy Mwanawasa)
  55. Mwanawasa restores faith in Zambia
  56. Pursues an anti-corruption agenda
  57. Greater stability
  58. Better economic prospects (with high copper prices)

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