European Imperialism DBQ

During the European Scramble for Africa, in the early 20th century, Africans had a peaceful reaction with anti-imperialistic sentiments (docs. 2, 3, 4, and 7), peaceful actions through the approach of diplomacy (docs.1, 2, and 3) and also a rebellious anti-imperialistic reaction (docs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) towards the Scramble for Africa.

The European imperial powers met with mixed reactions from the people they attempted to exert their control over. The scramble for Africa was accepted by the people that gave in peacefully but rejected by the people that fought violently against the European for their right to be free and independant.

Between the period from 1880 to 1914, European powers went after overseas empires in Africa. The governments and political leaders of the European powers believed that this colonization of the African empires was necessary to maintain their global influence. A second group of people supposed that African colonization was the result of the greedy Capitalists who \only cared for new resources and markets. The third group of people claimed it to be their job to enlighten and educate the uncivilized people of Africa. Although the political leaders of European powers encouraged colonization of African empires to advance their nation’s global influence, others argued that it was only for the profiteering of the Capitalists who sought new

In the 19th and 20th centuries Europe was thriving and wealthy while most of their colonies in Africa were suffering under their rule. The Europeans all wanted a piece of Africa’s land with its plentiful resources and free labor. Around this time, Europe was going through the industrial revolution and because business was booming the European countries need more resources than they already had. The Africans had the land the Europeans wanted to use to continue having booming businesses, they also had African slaves and workers that they can use so they don’t have to pay for labor. In the 19th century leader of the Europeans countries want to discuss how they will divide Africa without the leaders of Africa knowing. The Europeans then started to invade Africa and take control over the citizens. As the Europeans got more powerful, the Africans become more miserable. Unable to match the guns Europe had, African countries began getting claimed, one by one with the exception of two. The Europeans ruled in a cruel way that left many Africans dead or suffering. Many countries tried and successfully broke away from Europeans after many years under colonization. The Europeans had a negative impact on the lives of many Africans in the 19th and 20th centuries, especially with racism and assimilation. People were taught to be a human they had to be like a European which led to many racist views on African people and culture and is why some nations like France used assimilation to make

When the Europeans scrambled to colonize Africa, the reactions of the natives was progressively more apprehensive. At first the natives found that they could be peaceful with this strange new white man. Soon after, though, they found that these new men mistreated and cheated them greatly, and had superior military technology. Given these new conditions of the relationship the Africans decided it was in their best interest to take up arms against the Europeans and try to rid themselves of the harmful White Man.

Africa has undergone a long history of being invaded, taken advantage of and colonized. European powers are primarily at fault for this, however they have experienced their own turmoil in this time period: war. This led Europe to create mercenary armies of African soldiers to fight for their countries, particularly in the World Wars. The rampant injustice of this system and many African lives lost was a spark for the African nation states under colonial rule. It led to the wildfire that was African independence movements, protests, and riots. It also led to the Year of Africa, where most countries were recognized as their own entities and no longer colonies. While there are many factors involved in this portion of history, the importance of

After the Europeans had secured land in Africa, all the seven European countries imposed harsh authoritarian rule over the people of Africa. These rules ensured that the people of the land did not further resist as they did in the past and to maintain total control over resources. Not only did Europeans enforce this harsh rule upon African citizens but they also imposed provincial taxes upon them which extorted more resources from these nations also on top of what natural resources they previously extorted.

Across the continent nations were faced with the challenges of strengthening and growing their national unity and security to allow for continued growth. Many areas across Africa have witnessed failed states that lead to economic and political turmoil steaming from decades of failed European policy. In addition to the failed policy, European rulers left Africa with a complex problem of handling human rights. Under European colonial control African people were subjects to their European controlled courts which left them as inferior to those who were occupying their land. In many cases the indigenous people of Africa were forced into slavery to serve the colonial powers in the areas of industry and agriculture. The indigenous people of Africa were also forced to carry identification badges and were subject to continues brutality by authorities. Many areas throughout Africa are still stricken with deep wounds and divides from racism related to European rule. Even to this day the effects of European colonial rule have hindered the continents view of having a long history of developing new techniques and

(The Economist). When it came to taking over, if the Africans did not cooperate the Europeans could be very brutal. The Africans could either give it up without a fight, or they could resist and get obliterated by the Europeans. Eventually most of them learned that it was best to just go with the flow, because resisting only caused harm on themselves and got them nowhere. As long as they did what they were supposed to do and did not resist the Europeans were not as harsh on

Some tribes rose up against the Imperialists but were eventually put down. Africans desired to keep their way of life but the Imperialists had other ideas. Although having Africans attend school and helping the poor helped some, forcing a people group to change the way they operate is usually not successful (Smith 64). Today, African countries still struggle with the repercussions of oppressive European rule (Smith

The novel Things Fall Apart by Chineau Achebe shows first hand how the imperialists forced themselves upon the Africans and how it hurt the villagers. Okonkwo, the main characters in the book, was a strong man who held important tribal positions. Okonkwo was exiled for seven years due to a crime he committed and during that time the European imperialists came into his home village and began to alter the tribes way of life. When Okonkwo came back he saw that many great and powerful leaders had converted to Christianity and left the villagers with no leader, causing the tribe to fall apart (Achebe). Also, the new laws the white men came with were enforced and many people were killed because they disobeyed them. When Okonkwo had finally seen enough, he led a rebellion with a handful of villagers. During the revolt, Okonkwo killed a European ambassador and ended up hanging himself. He did this because he felt suicide was less painful than enduring the punishments that would be inflicted upon him by the Europeans. His death symbolized the destruction of the tribe. Okonkwo was a stubborn and courageous leader and if the Europeans could

Acts of resistance and conflict plague human history. More recently in recorded history, the African continent and its peoples have fought for autonomy and basic human rights under the hands of white European colonizers. The avenues through which forms of African resistance presented themselves have both been peaceful as well as violent. Avenues of peace made themselves prevalent by through treaties and other forms of diplomacy. More violent paths made themselves through armed attacks towards fixtures of white settlement. Both violent and peaceful attempts were proliferated by a growing desire of freedom within the various African colonies. These attempts are marked by the changing political, social and economic climate of the globe marking

Decolonization period in Africa didn’t come peacefully in all the countries. Many times the natives had to get violent in order to achieve their independence. Although the history of this struggle has two sides, it has always been portrayed through a European point of view. This painted the Africans as pure savages without truly examining what drove them to commit these violent acts. Europeans have always bent history to show themselves in a positive manner. One of the battles in which history has been mainly one sided is the Mau- Mau rebellion in Kenya.

During the Scramble for Africa in the late 1900s, European powers divided Africa and its resources into political partitions at the Berlin Conference of 1884-85. By the early 1900s, African soil was almost completely controlled by European rule, with the only exceptions being Liberia (which had been settled by African-American former slaves) and Ethiopia (which had successfully resisted colonization by Italy). As a result of colonialism and imperialism, Africa suffered long term effects, such as the loss of important natural resources, economic devastation, cultural confusion, geopolitical division, and political subjugation (Lecture). It was for this cause that Africans sought for their independence. Therefore

During the second half of the 19th century, imperialism by Europeans stunted Africa’s growth by forcing Africa and its natives to submit its resources and people for European gain. Europeans already had a foothold on the African coasts because of the slave trade, but after the Berlin conference in 1884 the Western countries divided Africa between themselves for their own needs, without the knowledge or consensus of the native Africans. with different rule for the needs of Europeans . Sir Frederick E. Lugard, an English administrator, stated in 1904 that “the primitive savage in contact with (European) civilization learns the discipline of work, and the result of cooperation.” Lugard, like many Europeans, didn’t believe that Europeans were hurting Africa and its natives through imperialism. They thought they were helping and teaching Africans about hard work through hard labour. Jomo Kenyatta, an African nationalist leader, states that “... Europeans have robbed [the Africans] of the material foundations of his culture, and reduced him [to] an inferior state that goes against human happiness.” This shows that through imperialism, Europeans actually erased African culture by forcing them to do labour and be slaves. Consequently, this submission hurt Africa because by the time most African countries gained their independence, they not only were struggling to adapt to new leadership after years of being controlled by Europeans, but were also drained of their natural resources.