Explain What Motivated Europeans Imperialize Africa

The technical advances in the early and middle part of the 19th century enabled Western European powers to exploit imperial objectives in Africa. Among these advances were the steam engine, extraction of quinine, invention of the telegraph, steal processing and improved weaponry. The steam engine was important in increasing the speed and reliability of transportation. Extracting quinine from the bark of the cinchona tree helped treat malaria; a mosquito borne disease that killed thousands; it was now possible to survive in the interior of Africa. The telegraph was invented in 1837 and allowed fast communication over long

Europe saw great profit in imperialising Africa. Africa had valuable natural resources that could make Europe rich.

During 19th century Europe the Industrial Revolution was rapidly spreading through many prominent European nations, such as France, Germany and Spain. The Industrial Revolution was the name given to the period of time, around the 1800s, when many of Europe’s economies switched from agricultural economies to industrial ones. This Revolution spurred on a new age of European Imperialism, European nations set about conquering, claiming and colonising chunks of Africa. The new economic motives, technological advancements and desire for power created by the Industrial Revolution were the greatest motives behind European Imperialism in Africa.

Imperialism is when a strong country seizes a weaker country and takes control of their economy, politics, and culture. Countries Imperialize each other because they desire more power, control over one another, and want to be superior. Europe Imperialized Africa because of three main reasons: social, political, and economic. Due to Europe going through Industrialization they went to Africa which was not very developed, so the Europeans took whatever they want because they weren’t stopped. They also began spreading christianity in Africa because of how big it was in Europe.

In the Mid-1800s the Europeans Imperialised Africa for three main reasons. Those reasons being Cultural, Political, and Economic. The Europeans were encouraged by all the resources, and a way to find a peaceful way to divide Africa up. What motive did the Europeans have about taking over Africa? The best motive for the Europeans was economic because they needed the natural resources for the benefits.

Africa was imperialized in the 1880s. Before imperialism, African countries socially had thousands of different tribes, nations, cultures and languages. Africa was also economically active before imperialism by having complex trade. Europeans imperialized Africa to spread Christianity, abolition of slavery, their beliefs in cultural and racial superiority and to open new markets. Europeans also wanted Africa’s natural resources like their ivory, gold, rubber, diamonds, fruit minerals, palm oil and others.

The Great African Land Race: Expanding European Territory Since the 1500’s, Europeans have been utilizing Africa as a center for trading and slavery. But in the early 1880’s, Africa became more of an interest to Europeans like King Leopold who wanted to expand their control over the world. The rush to conquer the mysterious continent began. Many factors caused Europeans to take part in land grabbing; however, the largest force driving Europeans towards imperialism in Africa was the desire for power through riches and natural African resources, which allowed Europeans to expand their economy and territory. Europeans quickly began to seize as much land as they could in Africa in order to win the great race for power.

During the nineteenth century, Europe was scrambling to colonize Africa. Before the year 1880, Europe controlled only ten percent of Africa. However, due to the Industrial Revolution and its inventions, Europe obtained the means to go into Africa and take what they wanted. Some countries wanted the raw materials from Africa while others thought that by taking control of the land, it would show how they were superior to other nations and would gain respect. Some Europeans thought that because they were superior it was their duty to help the Africans. European powers scrambled to colonize Africa because they wanted respect, to strengthen the economy, and to civilize the Africans.

King Leopold II ruled the Congo Free State and he mistreated his slaves for years before European leaders became aware of the forced labor. This was the beginning of European imperialism in Africa. The motivation behind Europeans imperializing Africa was the economic gain, competition between nations, and the technology and resources.

The weak always gets taken over. That pretty much explains imperialism. Imperialism was was in 1875-1914 in Africa. What was the driving force behind European imperialism in Africa? That is that question that I aim to answer in this essay. The term driving force means reasoning or push. The word imperialism is the act of fully taking over a country. I have three main reasons for the driving force behind European imperialism in Africa: get materials, national competition and to gain more power. The main reason was so that Europeans can gain more power.

interest in Africa? Africa was good for manufacturing goods and a great source for raw materials. With

Demonstrated in the “Technology and Imperialism” chart, due to the industrial revolution and the increasing output of new and significant inventions, such as the steam engine, telegraph, maxim gun, and repeating rifle, it allowed for easier communication and improved armies. The steam engine aided with transportation of goods for trade, the telegraph aided with communication between countries, and the guns helped to improve the armies which in terms helped Europe colonize Africa, due to having a stronger army compared to the African countries. Africa was known to be vast with resources. For example, cotton, palm oil, sugar, coffee, rubber, ivory, etc., and Europe wanted to take full advantage of this opportunity. Portugal, Belgium, France, Britain, and Germany were the main countries to take advantage of these resources, which is displayed in “Selected African Colonies and Their Exports.”

While steamships and railways revolutionize transportation providing quick movement throughout Africa, telegraph lines enable communication, and medicines prolong the stay of Europeans in Africa (Grant). Most importantly, industrialization in Africa further promotes industry in Europe by the ability to reach more resources. This becomes evident by the description of the province of Manyuema, “which, at the time of the death of Livingstone, was the richest in ivory and population, and which the slave-hunters have now reduced to a desert, seizing the ivory, and reducing the inhabitants to slavery in order that they may carry the ivory to the coast, after which they would be sold” (Document 8). Their desire for these resources causes them to overtake an abundant amount changing the landscape of Africa

After the Europeans began to colonize Africa, they saw great results rather quickly. European influence had caused the opening of many lumber, mining,and planting corporations, as well as

Out of all the other places, why were the Europeans most motivated and able to take authority over Africa? Between the years 1500 and 1800 the nations in Europe trades for goods along the west coast of Africa. However, they did not go deeply into the continent because of a deadly disease called malaria.