Decolonization: Politics and Independence in Former Colonial and Commonwealth Territories

There are several databases in the Gale Primary Sources series, and Decolonization: Politics and Independence in Former Colonial and Commonwealth Territories is one of them. It covers the process of decolonization in former British colonies and Commonwealth nations using primary source material created in those areas. This database contains three collections: Marjorie Nicholson Papers from the Trades Union Congress Library, Papers of African Trade Unions, and Political Pamphlets from the Institute of Commonwealth Studies. They provide 193, 466, and 9,697 manuscripts, respectively, relating to 67 former or current colonies in Africa, Asia, Australasia, and the Americas (including the Caribbean). This database has both Search and Browse functions that are understandable and can be navigated with relative ease. Its Search functions often, though not always, generate results relevant to the query made. This database can either be purchased with an annual hosting fee or subscribed to. The purchase price can be as low as $3,124 for public libraries, with a starting annual hosting fee of $29, but various factors (institution type, size, budget, etc.), some of which are not spelled out clearly by the vendor, may change the price substantially. Subscription prices are equally vague, making it necessary to contact Gale directly for more information. Whether institutions will find this pricing affordable will depend on their need for primary source materials on British decolonization. The database’s licensing agreement is too long and detailed but is still standard in its provisions and relatively unconcerning.