▁pause ▁in ▁scholar ship ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 0 s . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁many ▁African ▁students ▁were ▁studying ▁in ▁British ▁univers ities , ▁and ▁they ▁produced ▁a ▁demand ▁for ▁new ▁scholar ship , ▁and ▁started ▁themselves ▁to ▁supply ▁it ▁as ▁well . ▁Oxford ▁University ▁became ▁the ▁main ▁center ▁for ▁African ▁studies , ▁with ▁activity ▁as ▁well ▁at ▁Cambridge , ▁and ▁the ▁London ▁School ▁of ▁Econom ics . ▁ ▁The ▁perspective ▁from ▁British ▁government ▁policy - m akers ▁or ▁from ▁international ▁business ▁operations , ▁slowly ▁gave ▁way ▁to ▁a ▁new ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁activities ▁of ▁the ▁n atives , ▁especially ▁in ▁a ▁national istic ▁movements ▁and ▁the ▁growing ▁demand ▁for ▁independence . ▁ ▁The ▁major ▁break through ▁came ▁from ▁Ron ald ▁Robinson ▁and ▁John ▁Gall ag her , ▁especially ▁with ▁their ▁studies ▁of ▁the ▁impact ▁of ▁free ▁trade ▁on ▁Africa . ▁ ▁South ▁Africa ▁The ▁histor i ography ▁of ▁South ▁Africa ▁has ▁been ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁content ious ▁areas ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁Empire , ▁involving ▁a ▁three - way ▁division ▁of ▁sharp ly ▁differ ing ▁interpret ations ▁among ▁the ▁British , ▁the ▁Bo ers , ▁and ▁the ▁black ▁African ▁histor ians . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁British ▁histor ians ▁emphas ized ▁the ▁benefits ▁of ▁British ▁civil ization . ▁Af rik an er ▁histor i ography ▁began ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s ▁with ▁early ▁la ud atory ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁tre kk ers ▁and ▁und is gu ised ▁anger ▁at ▁the ▁British