CXC - Caribbean Examinations Council Caribbean History: Independence Movements Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following was the MOST significant factor leading to the dissolution of the West Indies Federation in 1962?

Accepted Answer

The withdrawal of Jamaica following a national referendum.

Answer

Disagreements over the location of the federal capital.

Answer

Economic pressure and lack of support from Great Britain.

Answer

The rise of the Black Power movement across the region.

Question 2

A political activist in the 1950s British West Indies argues, "We must have the right to elect our own leaders and make our own laws. For too long, decisions affecting our economy and our children's education have been made in London." This activist's argument is primarily rooted in the demand for...

Accepted Answer

political sovereignty.

Answer

greater economic integration with Britain.

Answer

the preservation of the Crown Colony system.

Answer

immediate regional federation.

Question 3

Which of the following was a major outcome of the 1930s labour rebellions and the subsequent Moyne Commission Report?

Accepted Answer

An acceleration of political reforms, including the growth of trade unions and political parties.

Answer

The immediate granting of independence to all British colonies.

Answer

The strengthening of the plantocracy's political power.

Answer

The establishment of a permanent British military presence to prevent future unrest.

Question 4

Dr. Eric Williams, the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, led the People's National Movement (PNM) to independence under the popular slogan "Massa Day Done." This slogan BEST encapsulated the idea of...

Accepted Answer

ending the psychological and political dominance of the old colonial system.

Answer

promoting a return to exclusively African cultural traditions.

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advocating for economic dependence on the United States instead of Britain.

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encouraging the mass migration of former plantation owners.

Question 5

The introduction of Universal Adult Suffrage in the British Caribbean territories during the mid-20th century was a critical step towards independence primarily because it...

Accepted Answer

transferred political power from the small, property-owning elite to the general population.

Answer

guaranteed economic stability for the newly formed nations.

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was a mandatory requirement for receiving aid from Britain.

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immediately ended all legal and economic ties with Great Britain.

Question 6

The path to independence for most British Caribbean territories in the 1960s, such as Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, is best described as a process of...

Accepted Answer

constitutional decolonization.

Answer

armed revolutionary conflict.

Answer

annexation by the United States.

Answer

immediate and unplanned abandonment by Britain.