How Did Slavery Affect The Belgian Colonization Of The Congo?

Eventually, word started to spread about what was going on. The public had strongly believed that the natives were benefiting from being “civilized” through their forced labor. However, between disgusted Belgian officials and authors such as Joseph Conrad and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the truth was becoming clearer. In 1904, the Congo Reform Association was founded. Four years later, King Leopold was made to turn over the Belgian Congo to the Belgian government. Much of the collected evidence against him was in the form of photographs. The king had managed to successfully bribe almost every single person who might otherwise have made a witness against the goings-on in the Belgian Congo, as it was renamed after being handed over to the Belgian government. This did very little good for the people of the Congo; they were still being overworked, repressed, and denied basic human rights. The situation was more than a little embarrassing for the king, who disliked his authority being overshadowed. Still, his profit from the matter was no cause for complaint. Leopold’s original investment was said to be somewhere in the neighborhood of six and a half million dollars; the financial gain was that number, multiplied many times over. Compared to Belgium’s profit, during its time of colonization the population of the Congo was decreased by

He uses different perspectives to convey the different moments throughout the book, albeit some are biased toward the European imperialism (opposing Hochschild’s thesis). The diverse reference points throughout the story make for an effective support for Hochschild’s argument because he cross-applies these sources and justifies why one may be more reliable to use. Hochschild even uses the evidence which appears to controvert his thesis to give an explanation for why the imperialism occurred in the first place. He quotes Leopold when the Belgian king was still looking to receive the Congo, reciting “We… wishing to secure for Our beloved fatherland the fruits of the work which, for many long years… have been pursuing on the African continent… declare by these presents, to bequeath and transmit… all Our sovereign rights over [the Congo Free State]” (Hochschild 95). Hochschild then writes, “There was one added twist. When the king made public his will, it was backdated, so that his bequest looked like an act of generosity instead of part of a financial bargain” (Hochschild 95). By exposing Leopold’s actions, Hochschild convincingly allows the reader to understand the moral flaws in Leopold’s imperialism. Additionally, Hochschild backs up these claims with eyewitness accounts of the Congolese peoples who had suffered. One report explains the natives hatred for one general,

Leopold never actually stepped foot in Congo, he had used explorers such as Stanley Mortan and other white men to establish the colony for him. To sneakily undergo his objectives without other countries noticing, he created organizations in which he could operate under. For instance, the International African Association to stop the outspread of slavery. Leopold additionally hosted conference meetings to speak on human rights. “If he was to seize anything in Africa, he could do so only if he convinced everyone that his interest was purely altruistic”. (46) King Leopold succeeded at convincing every one of his goodwill, that he was supported financially from the Belgian government in introducing free trade and religion in the Congo.

The legacy of colonization in the African country of Congo has been, to say the least, devastating. Both the people and the economy had been dealt a low blow by King Leopold of Belgium’s invidious, violent regime (1885-1908). Congolese were subject to horrors by Leopold’s soldiers so barbaric that Europeans did not believe the reports of savagery at first. so After that, the Belgian government “reluctantly” took over Congo, finally granting independence to it in the early 1960s. These distressing times caused multiple fractures in the government, social hierarchy, agriculture, and economy. In the short term, women all over Africa, including Congo, lost much of their power - both economic and social. However, a lasting effect of Leopold’s rule

King Leopold exploited the Congo for everything it had. One thing Leopold II did was allow violence to take place. Richard Burton said that King Leopold’s soldiers, which included Belgian soldiers and the force Publique who were African, “Shot the Africans as if they were monkeys.” This is part of ideological imperialism as the Europeans felt that Africans were savages and they were superior to them. They also mutilated, whipped, killed, and raped Africans if they misbehaved, rebelled, didn’t meet their daily quotas of ivory and rubber, or was too sick or weak to work. Europeans would also do these things sometimes for no reason at all in the middle of the village to set an example. About half of the Congolese died and even more of them had scars or were missing limbs. Villages were also

In contrast to French or Britain rule, where indirect rule was preferred. But, despite the success, the Congo was extremely segregated. Large number of white people would immigrate here and become superior to African Americans because of their skin color, not matter how high on the social spectrum the white person is. During the 1940’- 50’s the Congo had very big amount urbanisation. The Country’s colonial administration began various development programs to change the territory into a “model colony”. This resulted in a new middle class of Europeanised African in cities developed. By 1950 the Congo had a wage labor force two times as big as that in any other African country. In 1960 as a result of widespread radical pro-independence movement, the Congo achieved its full independence. Thus becoming the Republic of Congo-Leopoldville under the rule of Patrice Lumumba and Joseph Kasa-Vubu. The Congo had not gotten its separation from Belgian forces helping the native people. Political factions inside the Congo’s economy and political structure had very poor relations evolved into continued involvement of Belgium in Congolese

Starting from the European colonization period, Congo has constantly been plagued with foreign interference, namely by external countries and multinational corporations looking to gain wealth. They have demolished the “magnificent African cake” systematically throughout the years, starting primarily from Leopold’s Congo Free state, which he ruled single handedly, to the modern day Democratic Republic of Congo. Leopold began his regime by holding conferences regarding Africa, and formed organizations that he claimed would aid Africa. Not only did Leopold abuse the abundance of natural resources out of greed, he also destroyed the economy, political system, and the people for generations to come. Leopold’s framework of a Congo whose resources and people are exploited for the leaders self-gain would carry on through the years to the modern day.

The presence of ivory, rubber, copper, and diamonds in the Congo only whetted Leopold’s appetite for wealth. He sent Sir Stanley deeper and deeper into the unexplored jungles in search of profitable resources. However, his treatment of the native population was not quite in line with his philanthropic reputation. He extorted the indigenous peoples with often called “barbaric” methods. Leopold strove to further develop the Congo nation by establishing an exportation network which included the building of river ports and roads into the interior of the nation. The expeditions proved to be quite successful for the Belgian king. Some figures report an income of approximately ₤30,000 per year earned through his ventures in the Congo.

During late 1880s, King Leopold the II of Belgium began the colonization of the then largely unexplored Congo Basin. The main characteristics of colonialism can be examined by discussing Belgian expansionism through King Leopold’s Congo. It is not the main events or the most influential world leaders at this period in history that I wish to consider. Rather, analyzing the nature of Belgian colonialism through the colonization of the Congo. In particular, I will focus on three main issues: (1) the political motives; (2) the cultural values; and (3) economic upheaval.

During the period in which it was administered by Leopoldo II (1885-1908), the territory was subject to systematic and indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources (especially ivory and rubber), in which Indian labor was used exclusively in conditions of slavery. The horrible ways how the people of African were punished for not accomplished the labor demand by the Belgian colony. The congo is one of the most bless country in the world by its natural resources and at the same time it is a cursed since the colonization. The colonization, the slavery and the corroption in its goverment had being some of its reason of the poverty in this territory.The Portuguese, Belgians, Mobutu and the current government blocked up the development of the

The legacy of colonization in the African country of Congo has been incredibly destructive. In the past, the Congo has been dealt a low blow by King Leopold of Belgium’s invidious, violent regime. This lasted from 1885 to 1908, not including the Belgian government’s takeover until 1960. The colonial governments committed acts so barbaric towards the Congolese that other Europeans did not believe reports of it at first. The Congo gained independence from Belgium in 1960, but still has a long way to go in order to become strong again. This is due to the country’s evidently distressing past, which created multiple fractures in both the social hierarchy and economy. In the short term, women in Congo lost much of their power and respect through

The violent and forced rule of the Congo is a horrific time in African history. The time period beginning with Henry Morton Stanley's first exploration to the Congo, and King Leopold's desire of this area, had been a nightmare for the people of the Congo. The civilizing mission to the Congo not only resulted in the killing of thousands of people but also the destruction of a culture. The two articles, 'Belgian Colonialism in the Congo', and the letter by George Washington Williams, are just two views from this time. Both articles depict very different opinions of what is going on in the Congo and also what should be allowed to go on there. These articles show the very different opinions of someone who has never gone and someone who has

Like all other European countries, King Leopold’s main interest was in the resources the area possessed and the money he could make by harvesting them. He forced native chiefs into labor contracts in which quotas were set for rubber to be harvested and given to the king. In order to enforce the quotas, wives and daughters were taken hostage, staved and raped while men were worked to death thinking they could free their loved ones. Many Congolese fled their homes to escape the horrors of the king, resulting in a devastating amount of deaths due to failed rebellions and an extreme lack of farmers and hunters, making the food sources scarce. It is estimated by demographers that: “ between 1880 and 1920 the population of the Congo may have been slashed by up to 50 percent, from perhaps 20 million people at the beginning of that period to an estimated 10 million at the end” ( “Leopold

Without doubt, Belgian colonization of the Congo aggravated the colony’s economic development to a prodigious degree. This was because of King Leopold II’s ongoing thievery of the Congo’s abundant quantities of natural resources, his countless activities that thoroughly agitated the agricultural model, and his adjusted regulations that had upset the economic rights of the Congolese. Essentially, this event had caused numerous complications, complications that may never be resolved. It has shaped, damaged, and devastated the financial system. It has influenced and determined their past, present, and future economic status. But above all, the cognizance of obstacles and conflicts that arose from Belgian rule will be seared into Congolese minds, as a scar that will forever

The nature of colonial rule in the Congo was that of brute force, greed, and a lust for power. The scramble for Africa was one that was headed by the Europeans with small as well as larger countries owning colonies in Africa. The Europeans saw great opportunities for colonization and with the idea of colonization came power as well as wealth. For King Leopold II of Belgium, running an Empire was everything he had wanted since he was young. Adam Hochschild, the author of “King Leopold’s Ghost,” writes that it may have been Leopold’s lack of parenting that made his lust for power and wealth so drastic.1 With failed attempts to buy the Philippines and other land masses from other European countries, Leopold saw his only hope for his dream of an Empire in Africa. Leopold “had learned from his many attempts to buy a colony that none was for sale; he would have to conquer it.”2 He wanted a colony because he too wanted to gain profit from the natural resources the land would provide as he saw in France’s success with Northern Africa and England’s success with South Africa. Explorers talked of Africa as if it had no inhabitants and was just “waiting to be filled by the cities and railway lines constructed through the magic of European industry.”3 With Henry Stanley’s expedition and research of “empty” Africa, Leopold saw an opportunity to create an Empire. He acted as a philanthropist in public with only a few of his closest people knowing about his true plans to colonize parts of