The Tswana are the main ethnic group in Botswana and the northwest province of South Africa.
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Tswana Term Timeline in Why Nations Fail
The timeline below shows where the term Tswana appears in Why Nations Fail. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 14: Breaking the Mold
In this chapter, Acemoglu and Robinson’s first section is “Three African Chiefs.” In 1895, three Tswana chiefs from southern Africa visited England. The imperialist businessman Cecil Rhodes was trying to take...
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Acemoglu and Robinson argue that the three Tswana chiefs managed to coordinate and petition the British government because Tswana states have a history...
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Still, Tswana chiefs tried to stay independent from the British, who built railroads through their land but...
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...work together—for instance, even though it’s a diverse country, the government defines everyone as ethnically Tswana. In short, Botswana chose to build inclusive political institutions upon independence, which allowed it to...
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