French Indochina

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

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/french-indochina

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. When was French Indochina built?1887
2. What is the key colonial exports?Rubber, rice, coal, and tin
3. What is the primary justification for rule?The 'mission civilisatrice' (civilizing mission)
4. Why did France want to control Indochina?France wanted to grow its power after wars, compete with Britain, and use the area’s farms and raw materials.
5. How did the French change life in Indochina?They built railways and roads mainly to move goods, turned farms into rubber and rice plantations, and made a small group of French officials rich while many locals worked hard.

Metropole: The ruling country of a colonial empire, as opposed to its colonies.
Protectorate: A territory that is protected by, and often controlled by, a more powerful state.
Decolonization: The process by which colonies become independent from their ruling imperial powers.