Peter Mancall's Report

The first chapter in Boahen’s book is titled “Eve of Colonial Conquest” and this section gives the readers a background of the colonialism in Africa through a look at the fundamental economic, political, and social changes that occurred just a few decades before colonialism took root. Boahen states that the trade of “natural products” is the most significant economic change in Africa by 1880. Just before the trading of “natural products” slave trades were abolished.

European powers shamelessly exploited the people and resources of Africa in the 19th century. They often tried to justify their actions by using ideology, religion and moralism. After the end of the African slave trade, the development of steam power, and medical discovery, European nations started exploring not only the coast but also the unmapped interior of the continent. In this essay, I will explain the main driving forces behind African Imperialism. The Western europeans countries all competed for land and resources because of their self interest. They sought natural resources, and technology gave them the ability to exploit them. The philosophy of national pride however, was the primary reason. (Main document) (Doc C, D & B)

Although all this documents stress voices from the Slave Trade, each document sheds a unique light on the much-debated question about who should be held responsible for the tragedy of the Atlantic slave trade. For example, Document 15.1 sheds light on the role of both European and African merchants in the trafficking of slaves as well as the human suffering of the slave trade. However Document 15.2 reveals the cooperation between local African rulers and European and African traders in the slave trade. Moreover, Documents 15.3 focus on how disruptive European traders could be to established African governments, even those that actively opposed the slave trade. And finally, Document 15.4 shows how some African leaders were attached to the slave trade and promoted it even when European were moving to end it. Nonetheless, all the documents do shed a clear and a full light on what should be held responsible for the

In the late 1800’s Europeans took over Africa, took their resources,enslaving the Africans, and changed the course of history. The Europeans took over Africa, which is called The Scramble For Africa, in 1884-1914. The Europeans took over because Africa was rich in raw materials, they wanted power, and they thought their culture was superior. The driving force behind imperialism was need for resources, political competition, and technological advances. One driving force behind imperialism was need for natural resources. Document E uses a bar graph to show imports and exports in 1854, and 1900 between Great Britain and South Saharan Africa. Great Britain made 3 million British pounds in 1854, and 21

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.

For centuries Europe has traded with countries from around the world that has changed their economy, and their social life. Africa has a rich culture which contains very rich resources that the nation used to trade with other countries for years to help their nation. One Africa’s biggest trading partners was Europe within the 9th to 17th century. The reason these two were major trading partners was because of each countries needs which they both helped each other. At the time Europe was fascinated with Africa’s textiles, carvings, spices, and ivory but was soon fascinated by purchasing slaves to help with their economy by purchasing labor for their factories and plantations. While Africa was fascinated by Europe’s weapons and also cloth, iron and copper which the tribes in Africa would trade their own people for these goods. Therefore European culture was most affected by the contact with cultures from Africa which changed the European economy, and their social life and their way of living.

Throughout history, Africa has been a vulnerable player in the eyes of the rest of the world. From the slave trade to various civil right injustices that have taken place over in every century, we have studied in this class, we have been able to see the lasting impact on the continent as a ramification of certain events occurring. Using sources from the text, I will attempt to prove how the western world, exercised their power to capitalize on the African continent, in addition to the exploitation of the African people and land.

Along with these countries Ishmael Beah’s memoir A Long Way Gone will be examined to give a firsthand account of the issues plaguing Africa and to describe how European imperialism has impacted African economics and

To further evaluate Europe and Africa one could look at the economic consequences of European colonialism in Africa. There are several consequences to this subject. The two that seem the most important was the transformation of individual colonies into export-oriented

The controversial scholarly journal of Robert S Wolff explores the history of the first trade encounters between the Portuguese in Africa and Asia, controversy lying in its separation from the Western narrative. Throughout the article, the author is trying to figure out the motives or other considerations playing a role behind the actions of Portuguese and other Europeans, such as choosing violent ways of making a profit in the lands of Africa and Asia, rather than using the existing trade networks, to emerge as the world ruler. In his view, Europeans had claimed themselves to be the “center of the world” way before they have risen to that title. European countries were looking for profitable trade in wealthy lands full of gold, consequently lack of resources and other valuable goods became a barrier to their success in the already existing channels.This is seen in da Gamma’s first encounter with the local ruler of Calicut, where his gifts were considered substandard to that of the poorest merchant, as seen by the local advisor.

Assess the Impact of European commercial activities in the Atlantic Islands and West Africa from 1415 to 1600.

As major European empires rose from the start of the 1400s and facilitated the rise and extensive growth of the transatlantic slave trade up until the mid-to-near end of the 19th century, Africa, especially the western areas, became a major hub within the European imperial economies, with that the Asian trade market, thus influencing, if not almost undoubtedly fostering, financial globalization and some pieces of globalization in cultural matters. With the Portuguese’s kick off of the transatlantic slave trade, a major connection to the global

Early in the 17th century, Portugal was the main European power interacting and trading with African economies. Further discovery peaked a Portuguese interest in African spices, textiles, gold and slaves. Similar to the original role it played in Southeast Asia, Portugal acted as the “truck driver” of the African markets by transporting goods and slaves between African port cities in addition to the trade between European and African markets. The interaction with the African communities had a deeper impact in comparison with the interaction between Portugal and Southeast Asia. As a desire for wealth and development invaded the minds of the Portuguese officials, it also spread to Africa by altering the culture, disrupting political establishments and creating a greater reliance on global interaction The culture changed as African businessmen began selling fellow Africans into the slave trade in order to maximize profits. The previously established political entities of Africa were traded for European-influenced governmental structures. Spiked by the industrial revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries, earlier African markets involving artisan-fare and small businesses were practically eliminated as production of large companies increased (Strayer 452-457). This trend of dominance continued to spread

Kristin Mann’s novel titled “Slavery and the Birth of an African City: Lagos, 1760-1900” is an investigation into the history of a small but globally significant portion of the West African coast and its relationship with the economy and the culture of the Atlantic world. Mann alludes to a shift in consciousness by the dominant power of Britain to the ‘reconceptualization’ (Mann 2007, 1) of Europe’s relationship with Africa as well as the abolishment of the trading of slaves. Her central focus is on Lagos – the former capital city of Africa’s most populous nation, Nigeria – from its rise to pre-eminence as a slave port to its relationship with the political economy and culture of the Atlantic world. This book is primarily concerned with the African side of the story and does this by examining how the inhabitants of Lagos were affected by their Atlantic encounters in the eras of slavery and abolition. Mann uncovers how the world that the people of Lagos lived in changed overtime from the centre of Atlantic commerce into a British imperial capital through the following means: i) the trading of slaves, ii) the production of and trade in palm produce (2). Mann’s book also highlights the shifting balance of power between owners and slaves and the relationships between rich men, women and other dependents and how they adapt to new opportunities and constraints. Her study aims to advance the knowledge concerning several problems in African history, Atlantic history, and slave

The ‘scramble for Africa’ was a phenomenon in the world between the years 1880-1914. The ‘dark continent’ was relatively untouched by Europeans up until this point, with few ports of control on the coasts in the west, which were remnants of the slave trade, and in the south, Britain held the Cape, taken from the Dutch during the French Revolutionary Wars. So, during a period of 30 years, it came to pass that almost the whole of Africa was taken by Europeans. (Except Liberia a colony for freed American slaves, and Abyssinia managed to hold out against Italian aggression). It will be my objective in this essay to analyse the economic factors which resulted in the almost complete colonisation and takeover of Africa, and also to determine to