Whiteness is not enough: South Africa and the 1922 responsible government referendum in Southern Rhodesia

Abstract

In the 1922 referendum White Southern Rhodesian voters rejected the Union of South Africa in favour of becoming a self-governing part of the British empire. This article will examine White Southern Rhodesian perceptions of South Africa during the referendum, considering historiographic ideas, particularly the ‘British world’, using contemporary newspapers and letters. The argument of this article is that White Southern Rhodesians saw themselves as distinct from White South Africans and that this is emblematic of the complicated nature of the ‘British world’ idea. The ‘British world’ is a useful idea, but it is hindered by the ambiguity of its parameters.