Precipitating Agents to Africa’s

Colonization in context of Africa’s

Civilization
1. Predefined TransAtlantic Trade
Routes as well as the Triangular
TranslanSlave trave
2. Multiplicity of Tribes and Dialects
without common language
increasing ‘divide and rule’ colonial
politics
 Precipitating Agents to Africa’s
Colonization in context of Africa’s
Civilization
3. Impact of slave trade depleted the
number of abled men in defense of the
Continent. >12 million slaves
4. Salient Disguised philathrophism
5.Increased affinity to Western
Culture, Styles and Systems the roots
for Xenocentricism
“I do not want to
miss a good
chance of getting
us a slice of this
magnificent
African cake.”

- King Leopold II of Belgium

The Age of Imperialism
Ch 27
1850-1914
► Imperialism ► A policy by which strong nations tried to dominate other
countries politically, economically, or socially
► Spurred by:
1. industrialism (industrialized nations sought
resources + markets for their products) [Gold]
2. Belief in European superiority [Glory]
- A strong empire was a measure of
national greatness
- Racism – (belief that one race is superior
to another)
- Social Darwinism is the belief
that those (Europeans) who are
the fittest for survival enjoyed
wealth + success and were
superior to others
- thought it was their duty to
“Westernize” the rest of the
world
3. Desire to spread Christianity [God]
The White Man’s Burden
► Africa
Before ► By mid-1800s, African people were divided
European into hundreds of ethnic + linguistic groups
w/ most following traditional beliefs while
Domination
some converted to Islam + Christianity.
Politically, they ranged from large empires
that united many ethnic groups to
independent villages
► Originally Europeans had been discouraged
from widespread exploration of Africa due
to powerful African armies, difficulties
traveling in the interior, + diseases
► Africans had trade networks w/ each other
+ foreigners

A map drawn in Spain

and dated to 1375,
showing the king of
Mali holding a gold
nugget
1885
► Beginnings ► 1st few explorations were done by explorers,
of European missionaries, or humanitarians opposed to the
slave trade
Exploration
► They published stories about their travels
into Africa ► Newspapers hired reporters to write about these
exotic places
► A reporter (Henry Stanley) made news after
finding a missing missionary (Dr. Livingstone)
in Africa’s interior. Stanley was then hired by
the king of Belgium to obtain land in the
Congo
► After Stanley got local chiefs to sign the
necessary treaties, Belgium’s king controlled
that land (which was 80% larger than
Belgium!)
► France gets nervous + signs treaty giving it
control of more land by Belgium’s Congo
► And the race is on w/ Britain, Germany, Italy,
► Factors 1. Technological superiority (1st
Promoting automatic machine gun is invented)
Imperialism 2. improved transportation +
in Africa communications allowed the mother
countries to keep up w/ their
colonies
3. Development of the drug quinine (in
1829) protected Europeans from
malaria which plagued Africa’s
interior
4. Divisions among the African tribes
discouraged Africans from unifying
against the Europeans – a weakness
Europeans capitalized on
 Industrial Revolution
► European countries needed natural
resources & raw materials (rubber, metals,
minerals)

► Africahad a plethora (overabundance) of

natural resources

► New markets for goods

 Everyone wants a piece of the
magnificent African cake…
► “Scramble for Africa”: Prospects of
exploiting African resources that resulted in
nationalist rivalries between European
empires for control of Africa

► Berlin Conference: Meeting proposed by

German chancellor Otto von Bismarck to
devise ground rules with 14 European states
for the colonization of Africa
 SCRAMBLE FOR
AFRICA
► The “scramble for Africa” took place
between 1875 and 1900
► Geographical information compiled by
explorers & adventurers held great interest
for European imperialists
► Henry Stanley of Belgium established a
colony called Congo Free State, 1870’s
► Taking advantage of Egypt’s unrest, Britain
occupied Egypt, 1882
 Berlin Conference
►1884-1885
►European leaders wanted to avoid war…
 Agree upon carving up African continent into
colonies
 Drawn up without African participation
 Provided the basis for the subsequent partition
(break up), invasion, and colonization of Africa
by various European powers
 European armies sent to consolidate their
claims & impose colonial rule
 Berlin Conference
►RESULT: a transformation of political
& economic Africa, with virtually all
parts of the continent colonized by
1900
 European colonies embraced all of Africa
except Ethiopia & Liberia
► The Scramble ► Discovery of diamonds + gold in South
for Africa Africa intensify Europe’s interest in
colonization
► To prevent war among European countries
over Africa, 14 countries participate in the
Berlin Conference (1884-85), at which
they agreed any European country could
lay claim to parts of Africa by notifying
other European powers of its claim +
showing it controlled the area
►No African ruler was invited to
attend this conference
►By 1914, only Liberia + Ethiopia
remained free
► Europeans cash in on Africa’s rich natural
resources
► Developed cash-crop plantations which
displaced food crops grown by Africans to
feed their families
1914
► Clashes ► Zulus fight against British for 8 yrs before being
Occur B/w defeated
Africans + ► Dutch 1st settled South Africa. They become
Europeans known as Boers (Dutch word for “farmers”) + as
Afrikaners. They take Africans’ land + establish
large farms. British + Boers clash. Boers moved
northward in a movement known as the Great
Trek. They then fought w/ other African tribes.
► British + Boers fight in the Boer War (the South
African War) for control over South Africa.
►1st modern war (used commando raids,
guerrilla tactics, burning of farms, +
imprisonment of women + children in
disease-ridden concentration camps)
►Africans also participated
►British won both territories were combined
under British control (modern day South
Africa).
End Section
1
► European ► During the explorations of the 15th +
Control Over 16th centuries imperial powers often
Colonies didn’t penetrate far into conquered
areas
► By the 18th + 19th centuries Europeans
demanded more influence over the
economic, political, + social lives of
their colonies for the economic benefit
of the mother countries
 Forms of Imperialism
Colony A country or a territory governed
internally by a foreign power

Protectorate A country or a territory w/ its own

internal gov.’t but under the
control of an outside power
Sphere of An area in which an outside
Influence power claims exclusive
investment or trading privileges
Economic An independent but less-
Imperialism developed country controlled by
private business interests rather
than other gov.’ts
 2 Methods of Control
1. ► Favored by US + Britain
Indirect ► Relies on existing political rulers
Control ►Had to accept colonial power’s
authority to rule
►Local ruler handled most of the daily
management of colony
2. Direct ► Favored by France + most other
Control European countries
► Believed colonies were incapable of
running a proper gov.’t
►Led to a policy of paternalism
(treating colonies as if they were
children, providing for their needs,
but not giving them rights)
• Brought in foreign bureaucrats
+ did not train local people in
European styles of gov.’t
►Also led to a policy of assimilation
(one nation forces or encourages a
colony to adopt the mother
country’s institutions + customs)
 Imperial Management Methods
Indirect Control Direct Control
► Local gov.’t officials ► Foreign officials
used brought in to rule
► Limited self-rule ► No self-rule
► Goal: to develop ► Goal: assimilation
future leaders
► Gov.’t institutions are ► Gov.’tinstitutions are
based on European based only on
styles but may have European styles
local rules
► Ethiopia ► Only African country to never be
successfully colonized
► Due to efforts of Emperor Menelik II
1. He played British, French, +
Italians against one another
2. He stockpiled modern
weapons
- Was able to defeat
Italians after being
tricked by them into
signing away Ethiopia
 Effects of Colonization:
► Positive 1. Reduced local warfare
2. Improvements in some schools +
hospitals
- literacy rates + life-spans
3. Economic expansion
4. RRs, dams, telephones, +
telegraphs
► Negative 1. Lost control of land + indep.
2. Many died of new diseases
3. Thousands die resisting colonial rule
4. Famines due to planting cash crops
instead of food for Africans
5. Breakdown of traditional cultures
6. Men left families to look for work
7. ***European boundaries broke up
kinship groups + often combined
rival groups
- leads to conflicts that
continue today

End Section
2
 Thoughts to consider…
► Why do you think that there was
such a demand for African land?
► Which nations do you think were
most fought over among the
European powers?
► Does this act of imperialism relate
to any other acts in world history?
 Defining Key Concepts…
► IMPERIALISM: the policy of extending the
rule or authority of an empire or nation over
foreign countries, or of acquiring and
holding colonies and dependencies

► COLONIZATION: the control or governing

influence of a nation over a dependent
country, territory, or people (to settle an
area and take control)
 Africa in the 1800’s
► Continent made up
of hundreds of
ethnic groups and
languages
► Slave trade
► European trading
posts only along
coasts
► Emissaries sent to
investigate
Europeans Colonize Africa
► Why Africa?!
 Natural resources & raw materials (industrialization)
 To build empires (nationalism)
► NATIONALISM: Devotion to one's nation; love of your
country & willingness to sacrifice anything for it
 Spread Christianity
 Racism?
►Superiority v. Inferiority
►Civilized v. Uncivilized

► Three “G’s”: GOLD, GLORY, & GOD

“The sun never sets on the British
Empire…”
► European competition for colonies leads to
establishing empires…
Factors Enabling Colonization
► Inter-European power struggles and
competition for preeminence (the fact of
surpassing all others; superiority)
► Ethnic conflicts in Africa
► New advances in medicine
 Malaria vaccine, Penicillin
► Industrialization
 New technology among the Europeans
►Weapons, Steamships, Railroads
 Social problems?
 Industrial Revolution
► INDUSTRIALIZATION:
the development of
a society

► It refers to the
large-scale
production process
of machines and
new technologies
that allow a society
to move forward.
 Impacts & Effects of European
Rule
► African people had little power in their
governments
► Europeans gained power in part by
encouraging rivalries among ethnic groups
► Europeans took the best land to farm
► Drew political boundaries that divided
ethnic groups & forced different groups to
live together