The European Colonization Of Africa

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.

During the 1800s, Europeans had a great desire to take over the colonization of Africa completely. This imperialism changed the way the African people lived, entirely. All ways of life, political organizations, and social structures were adjusted due to the large effects the Europeans had on the countries. However, one of the biggest changes was the European-dominated hierarchies and the arrival of Christianity, and Western ideals spread throughout Africa. However, the primary driving force behind European imperialism in Africa is the relentless pursuit of Africa’s abundance of raw materials to share among their countries.

Imperialism is the building of an empire by using power in the form of economic, political or military means. In Africa this was shown widely under the rule of King Leopold. King Leopold was the ruler of Belgium. While he was in rule, he had an obsession with trying to find Belgium a colony. In the 1830s the only country left for capturing was Africa. Africa was so interesting to him as a result of over half of it was still led by the native people, which he knew that he could out rule. Also, Africa flourished in multiple resources. These include: ivory, rubber, timber, coffee, gold, and that is only a few of the variety resources contained there. With the knowledge of what was there Leopold sent out Stanley to map the Congo River, which is

Once Africa got involved with the major trading centers, trade improved and they were able

With several overtly expressed themes, one can clearly see the consequences of imperialism, racism, and capitalism which explicitly addressed in the book. In this paper, I’d like to draw attention to an underlying theme which played many pivotal roles throughout the course of the conquest of the Congo: technology. Technology was a key component in both constructing King Leopold’s empire in the Congo and in dismantling it through the efforts of the international human rights movement led by E.D Morel and Roger Casement. Different technological instruments make their appearance subtly throughout the book but three specific innovations had major impacts on the development and disintegration of the Belgian Congo: river steamers, the telegraph, and photography. Without these inventions, Leopold’s detailed orchestration of the Congo conquest would’ve been an impossible venture. These instruments brought about improvements in exploration and communication which made Leopold’s covert manipulation and Stanley’s navigation through the Congo feasible.

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.

The lives of natives were reduced to nothing but machines of profit. In The Black Man’s Burden, Edward Morel argued that, “To reduce all the varied and picturesque and stimulating ways of savage life to a dull routine of endless toil for uncomprehended ends, to break social ties and disrupt institutions; to stifle natural desires and crush mental development… to kill the soul in a people - this is a crime which transcends physical murder.” European nations withered away at the very character of the nations they subjected to their rule. Their very culture was destroyed, replaced with monotonous slavery. Because of this, African kings made it clear they wouldn’t stay idle. In a quote from Machemba, the king of Yao to a German commander, he explained “I have listened to your words but can find no reason why I should obey you - I would rather die first… [T]o be your subject, that I cannot be. If it should be war you desire, then I am ready, but never to be your subject. I do not fall at your feet, for you are God’s creature just as I am.” The African nations were hoping for friendship between them and Europe, but they wouldn’t be subjected to their rule and would rather go to war. Instead of the vast benefits of actual trade between two sovereign nations, Europeans dismantled any further chance of

The years following the Berlin Conference were marked by the Europeans’ race to occupy and colonize land in Africa. A time of growth for Europe resulted in a decline in Africa’s ability to rule their own land. Africa’s fate was being decided for it by the European invaders. However, many Africans refused to give in to the fate being handed to them by the Europeans. Various actions and reactions marked the Scramble for Africa from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. Africans chose to deal with the Europeans in many different fashions, from giving in peacefully to fighting back with everything they had.

In this class we have read about and discussed the numerous misconceptions about African and European interactions between the 15th and 19th century focusing primarily on the trade and commercial aspect of their relationships. Examining how the theories of Europe’s domination and Africa’s role of willing victim create a damaging and negatively skewed portrayal of the past. Upon studying travel guides and other primary sources John Thornton has presented a more accurate depiction of Africa’s agency in the Atlantic trade system, a picture that was made clearer with the help of a document from Peter Mancall’s collection of primary sources the assists in solidifying this accurate description. What about Mancall’s document allows it to verify all

Involving the mother is great point. Care of the mother will depends on the assessment, but then, if it requires a total care will determine how the Susie mother can be involve, but she can be of help in decision making and seeking her opinions and advises. If the aged mother’s care is not total there are some other things that the old woman can still do to help out with the family. During cooking the Susie can still help out to do few things and that can make feel valuable in the midst of the family. I the process of helping out do few things that are reasonable will also help her to rehabilitates and also strengthen her

For Europeans, the African Congo was a land full of unsolved mysteries and intriguing economic prospects in the second half of the 19th century. It was the last region of Africa to be explored by Europeans; for over 400 years, Europeans had attempted time and time again to explore the region, and yet all had succumbed to unbearable hardships and impassible terrain. It is likely that this region would have remained unexplored until very recently if it were not for a man named Henry Morton Stanley. Stanley was the first European explorer to lead a successful journey into Congo, overcoming the unbelievable probability of failure to open up the heart of tropical Africa to European imperialism. However, his journey was neither smooth nor

It was 1850. The Europeans enhanced their chokehold over their Asain Dominions and proxies, and the indiginous peoples of Oceania were wiped out. However, Africa still was left quiet. Passed by the British ships en route to the Orient, Africa was relatively untouched by the enticing fruits of European imperialism. The slave trade, formerly a lucrative business in West Africa, was banned by the powerful British, and most of the population was not under colonial rule. While Africans were certainly aware of the European presence on their continent, and vice-versa, the two groups mostly kept to themselves. Other than the occasional traders and explorers, Africa was the continent most devoid of European Imperialism. Europeans

Imperialism had a vast impact on the Congo’s economy. The first thing the Belgians wanted was control over the Congo’s economy, so that they could have their supplies of ivory and rubber.

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.

Africa has had a long and tumultuous road of colonization and decolonization the rush to colonize Africa started in the 17th century with the discovery of the vast amounts of gold, diamonds, and rubber with colonization hitting a fever pitch during World War I. However, the repercussions of colonization have left deep wounds that still remain unhealed in the 21st century. Early on, European nations such as Britain, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium scrambled for territories. Countries wanted land so they could harvest the resources, increase trade, and gain power. The European colonization of Africa brought racism, civil unrest, and insatiable greed; all of which have had lasting impacts on Africa.