Victoria Falls and Colonial Imagination in British Southern Africa: Turning Water into Gold (African Histories and Modernities)

This Is The First Full- Length Historical Analysis Of Victoria Falls. The Text Offers A Critical Examination Of Victoria Falls Providing New Insight Into The British Southern African Project And Reveals How Victoria Falls Became One Of The First Modern African Tourist Destinations. This Book Makes A Case For A Critical Reading Of Victoria Falls As Much More Than A Localized Natural Wonder. Europeans With Multiple And Often Competing Agendas, As Well As African Leaders And Laborers Were Brought Into Contact With One Another At Victoria Falls. Their Visions Of The Past And Hopes For The Future Shared Victoria Falls As A Common Point Of Inspiration. The Value These Parties Placed On The Falls Extended Far Beyond Its Location On The Zambezi And Had Broad Implications For The British Empire In Southern And Central Africa. -- Introduction: Toward A Transcolonial History Of Victoria Falls -- A Cataract On The Zambezi: The Waterfalls In Precolonial Context -- Lewanika's Scramble For Africa: Barotseland And The British South Africa Company -- Staking Their Claim: White Settlement At Victoria Falls -- Performing Europe Or Redefining African: The African Social Life Of A Colonial Town -- What Is The Trouble?: Dispute And Discontent In North Western Rhodesia -- 'of More Value To South Africa Than All The Diamonds Ever Found Or Dreamed:' Victoria Falls And The Hydroelectric Power Scheme -- Epilogue. Andrea L. Arrington-sirois. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 265-284) And Index. Acknowledgments 7 Contents 13 List of Figures 15 Chapter 1: Introduction: Toward a Transcolonial History of Victoria Falls 16 “So Strange It Is, this Far Away Heart of Africa:” Landscape and Colonial Imagination 23 “All aboard for the Victoria Falls!” Imagining British Southern Africa 29 Chapter 2: “A Cataract on the Zambezi”: The Waterfalls in Precolonial Context 33 Mosi-oa-Tunya in the Precolonial Context 35 Proximity and Power: Disputed Claims over the Falls 42 Early European Visitors 52 British “Residents” and Trust Building 62 Conclusion 71 Chapter 3: Lewanika’s Scramble for Africa: Barotseland and the British South Africa Company 73 Lewanika and the Upper Zambezi Valley 81 Colonizer and Colonized: Diplomacy and Lewanika’s Scramble for Africa, 1884–1898 85 Post-Lawley Concession: Anglo-Lozi Relationships at the Turn of the Century 104 Conclusion 114 Chapter 4: Staking Their Claim: White Settlement at Victoria Falls 118 North Western Rhodesia Defined 120 Old Drift 121 Boom Town: Livingstone’s Early Years 133 Living in Livingstone: African Experiences and European Discourse 142 Local African Memory and the History of Livingstone 150 Conclusion 152 Chapter 5: Performing Europe or Redefining African: The African Social Life of a Colonial Town 155 Africans in a Colonial Town 158 Dressing European 164 Social Life/Performing Europe 174 Social Imagination and Life in Livingstone 184 Conclusion 189 Chapter 6: “What is the Trouble?”: Dispute and Discontent in North Western Rhodesia 191 Failed Expectations and Unwelcome Realities 194 A Dream Denied: Lewanika and the Deterioration of Power under Colonial Rule 223 Conclusion 231 Chapter 7: ‘Of More Value to South Africa than all the Diamonds Ever Found or Dreamed:’ Victoria Falls and the Hydroelectric Power Scheme 233 Bridging the Zambezi 235 Harnessing the Falls 245 Conclusion: Calls for Conservation in an Industrializing Context 263 Epilogue 271 Revisiting Imagination: The Transnational Experience of Victoria Falls Today 271 Bibliography 276 Published Primary Sources and Secondary Sources 276 Unpublished Papers/Dissertations/Theses 282 Newspaper/Magazine Articles 283 Abderdeen Journal 283 Belfast Morning News 283 Birmingham Journal 283 Bradford Observer 283 Bury and Norwich Post 283 Cornishman 283 Dublin Evening Mail 284 Dundee Courier 284 Dundee, Perth, and Cupar Advertiser 284 Edinburgh Evening News 284 The Electrical Engineer 284 The Evening Post 284 Evening Telegraph 284 Exeter and Plymouth Gazette 285 Falkirk Herald 285 Fife Herald 285 Glasgow Herald 285 Gloucester Citizen 285 The Graphic 285 Horizon 285 Hull Daily Mail 285 Leamington Spa Courier 285 Leeds Mercury 286 Lincolnshire Chronicle 286 The Livingstone Mail 286 The Livingstone Pioneer and Advertiser 287 London Daily News 287 London Standard 287 Lusaka Times 287 Luton Times and Advertiser 287 Manchester Courier and Lancashire General 287 Manchester Evening News 288 Morning Post 288 Morpeth Herald 288 Mutunde: The African Newspaper of Northern Rhodesia 288 Newcastle Courant 289 Nottingham Evening Post 289 Pall Mall Gazette 289 Portsmouth Evening News 289 Reading Mercury 289 Sheffield Daily Telegraph 289 Sheffield Independent 289 South Africa 289 Surrey Mirror 290 Tamworth Herald 290 Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser 290 Western Mail 290 Western Times 290 Worcestershire Chronicle 290 Selected Primary Sources 290 Livingstone Museum Archives 290 National Archives of Zambia 292 National Archives of Zimbabwe 293 Public Records Office, Kew 294 Royal Geographical Society of London 295 Index 296 "Acknowledgments" -- "Contents" -- "List of Figures" -- "Chapter 1: Introduction: Toward a Transcolonial History of Victoria Falls" -- "â#x80;#x9C;So Strange It Is, this Far Away Heart of Africa:â#x80;#x9D; Landscape and Colonial Imagination" -- "â#x80;#x9C;All aboard for the Victoria Falls!â#x80;#x9D; Imagining British Southern Africa" -- "Chapter 2: â#x80;#x9C;A Cataract on the Zambeziâ#x80;#x9D;: The Waterfalls in Precolonial Context" -- "Mosi-oa-Tunya in the Precolonial Context" -- "Proximity and Power: Disputed Claims over the Falls" -- "Early European Visitors" -- "British â#x80;#x9C;Residentsâ#x80;#x9D; and Trust Building" -- " Conclusion" -- "Chapter 3: Lewanikaâ#x80;#x99;s Scramble for Africa: Barotseland and the British South Africa Company" -- "Lewanika and the Upper Zambezi Valley" -- "Colonizer and Colonized: Diplomacy and Lewanikaâ#x80;#x99;s Scramble for Africa, 1884â#x80;#x93;1898" -- "Post-Lawley Concession: Anglo-Lozi Relationships at the Turn of the Century" -- " Conclusion" -- "Chapter 4: Staking Their Claim: White Settlement at Victoria Falls" -- "North Western Rhodesia Defined" -- "Old Drift" -- "Boom Town: Livingstoneâ#x80;#x99;s Early Years" -- "Living in Livingstone: African Experiences and European Discourse" -- "Local African Memory and the History of Livingstone" -- " Conclusion" -- "Chapter 5: Performing Europe or Redefining African: The African Social Life of a Colonial Town" -- "Africans in a Colonial Town" -- "Dressing European" -- "Social Life/Performing Europe" -- "Social Imagination and Life in Livingstone" -- " Conclusion" -- "Chapter 6: â#x80;#x9C;What is the Trouble?â#x80;#x9D;: Dispute and Discontent in North Western Rhodesia" -- "Failed Expectations and Unwelcome Realities" -- "A Dream Denied: Lewanika and the Deterioration of Power under Colonial Rule" -- " Conclusion" "This is the first full- length historical analysis of Victoria Falls. The text offers a critical examination of Victoria Falls providing new insight into the British Southern African project and reveals how Victoria Falls became one of the first modern African tourist destinations. This book makes a case for a critical reading of Victoria Falls as much more than a localized natural wonder. Europeans with multiple and often competing agendas, as well as African leaders and laborers were brought into contact with one another at Victoria Falls. Their visions of the past and hopes for the future shared Victoria Falls as a common point of inspiration. The value these parties placed on the Falls extended far beyond its location on the Zambezi and had broad implications for the British Empire in Southern and Central Africa."-- Publisher's website This is the first full- length historical analysis of Victoria Falls. The text offers a critical examination of Victoria Falls providing new insight into the British Southern African project and reveals how Victoria Falls became one of the first modern African tourist destinations. This book makes a case for a critical reading of Victoria Falls as much more than a localized natural wonder. Europeans with multiple and often competing agendas, as well as African leaders and laborers were brought into contact with one another at Victoria Falls. Their visions of the past and hopes for the future shared Victoria Falls as a common point of inspiration. The value these parties placed on the Falls extended far beyond its location on the Zambezi and had broad implications for the British Empire in Southern and Central Africa.-- Provided by publisher Front Matter....Pages i-xv Introduction: Toward a Transcolonial History of Victoria Falls....Pages 1-17 “A Cataract on the Zambezi”: The Waterfalls in Precolonial Context....Pages 19-58 Lewanika’s Scramble for Africa: Barotseland and the British South Africa Company....Pages 59-103 Staking Their Claim: White Settlement at Victoria Falls....Pages 105-141 Performing Europe or Redefining African: The African Social Life of a Colonial Town....Pages 143-178 “What is the Trouble?”: Dispute and Discontent in North Western Rhodesia....Pages 179-220 ‘Of More Value to South Africa than all the Diamonds Ever Found or Dreamed:’ Victoria Falls and the Hydroelectric Power Scheme....Pages 221-258 Back Matter....Pages 259-291