Battle of Isandlwana

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/battle-of-isandlwana

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Battle of Isandlwana?Approximately 20,000 warriors
2. What is the date of battle?January 22, 1879
3. What is the location?Isandlwana, Zululand (present-day KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
4. What happened at the Battle of Isandlwana?The battle took place on January 22, 1879, when a British column of about 1,800 men was attacked by a Zulu army of about 20,000. The Zulus surrounded and overran the camp, killing more than 1,300 British and colonial troops. This was the biggest defeat the British Army had suffered against an indigenous force in over fifty years.
5. Why did the Zulu win against the British?The Zulus had many more warriors, moved quickly, and used a clever formation that surrounded the British. Even though the British had better rifles and guns, the Zulu numbers, speed, and teamwork broke the British lines.

Imperialism: A policy or ideology of extending a country's rule over foreign nations, often by military force.
Sovereignty: Supreme power or authority; the authority of a state to govern itself or another state.
Indigenous Resistance: The opposition by native peoples to the imposition of foreign rule or control.
Colonial Warfare: Military conflicts that occurred between colonizers and the indigenous populations of colonized territories.