Who Decides What Should be Remembered? Historians, Archives, and Evidence

What is Operation Legacy? refers to the British policy of willfully destroying or removing colonial documents that were deemed “incriminating” to the British government. This policy took place over more than two decades (1950s – 1970s) and was imposed just prior to when British colonies were to get their political independence. Its objective was to keep information out of the hands of the incoming governments of soon-to-be politically independent nations throughout the British Empire.

Students who complete this module will demonstrate:

• The ability to critically assess the ways in which evidence is compiled and constructed (including the operation of power within these processes)
• A facility with research techniques
• An awareness of the importance of chronology and historical context

The ability to recognize when historical assumptions, both implicit and explicitly stated, inform ideas about the present.