The introduction of colonialism had vast implications on the world and greatly altered the histories of millions of people. The practice of colonialism denotes the process that people from one place establish a settlement in another land in a way which has repercussions on people who initially inhabited the land, (Derry, 2011, p. 358). Throughout the globe, though mostly in the Americas, Africa and the Pacific Islands, (Morgan, 2017), Indigenous lands were colonized, effecting the countless Indigenous populations. While contact was not obligated to be negative, contact between Indigenous populations and colonizers had an immensely negative impact on Indigenous peoples living in colonizΩzed land. New diseases introduced by colonizers wiped out the vast majority of the Indigenous population. Additionally, the peaceful contact which Indigenous populations initiated was usually not held up by colonizers. Unfortunately, this resulted in the various forms of oppression for Indigenous groups at the hands of the colonizers. Throughout colonial times, millions of Indigenous lives were lost while colonizers continued to reap the material benefits of colonization. These results of colonization were consistent globally, though each region and Indigenous group experienced colonization differently. For example, in Argentina, interactions between colonizers and Indigenous groups were initially peaceful. However, eventually, the Argentine government, along with missionaries, decided to
The colonization of Australia has a disturbing influence on the Indigenous people who have lived in Australia for almost 60,000 years. Indigenous people are recognised as the custodians of the world’s longest living culture. For almost 60,000 years, more than 500 different Aboriginal nations and up to 1 million Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were understood to have lived in Australia before the arrival of the British in 1788. The new settlement was designed to improve Britain’s claim was to establish colonial powers. The result of colonisation was to beat competition over land and resources which quickly lead to violence. The history of colonisation has created an impact on families as it placed many thousands of children in
Colonisation has impacted profoundly on indigenous communities worldwide and this essays examines and details some of those impacts.
Primary sources from Europeans, Amerindians, and Africans had revealed the early modern Atlantic world was developed by colonization, and the experience faced by each civilization. As the Europeans began to colonize the Amerindians land it had been done by war to capture riches and land. Colonization of Africa had been established much early by the Europeans using their land for human-slave and merchant trade. The different civilizations had experienced this processing of developing the modern Atlantic world differently. The Europeans sought these new lands as a way to expand its civilization by gaining wealth and power. As for the Amerindians and Africans they had an experience that was developed through devastation and loss of their humanity.
The Kenyan feminist and environmental activist, Wangari Maathai, explores the legacy of colonialism and oppression in her native country through her moving 2006 memoir, Unbowed. Maathai explains that over the course of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Africa experienced a massive influx of white settlers. In an effort to solidify control over recently acquired colonies, many European powers had encouraged large numbers of their ethnically white citizens to make a new home on the African continent. As a result, thousands of native Africans were displaced. Maathai’s ancestors, the Kikuyu and Maasai peoples were among them. The majority of these forced dislocations took
“African Perspectives on Colonialism” is a book written by A. Adu Boahen. This book classifies the African responses to European colonialism in the 19th century. Boahen begins with the status of Africa in the last quarter of the 19th century and follows through the first years of African independence. This book deals with a twenty year time period between 1880 and 1900. Boahen talks about when Africa was seized and occupied by the Imperial Powers of Europe. Eurocentric points of view dominated the study of this era but Boahen gives us the African perspective. There are always two sides of the story and Boehen tells us the side less talked about informing us of what he knows.
The European colonization of Africa, also known as the Scramble for Africa, Partition of Africa, or Conquest of Africa, occurred between the 1870s and 1900s, and was the invasion, occupation, colonization, and annexation of African territory by European powers during a period of New Imperialism. European control of the continent increased from 10 percent (1870) to 90 percent (1914), with only three territories, Saguia el-Hamra, which was later integrated into Spanish Sahara, Ethiopia and Liberia remaining independent of Europe’s control. There were many reasons for the European colonization of Africa, including economic and political motives, with the Berlin Conference serving as a catalyst. Africans resisted the European invasions of their lands, with the two main methods of opposition were guerilla warfare and direct military engagement. European influence on Africa still remains today, though these influences are generally negative and hurt Africa’s overall development.
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.
While the motives of colonists in the Americas were various- to build a new society, to promote Christianity, to acquire riches, or, as early colonists in New England expressed it, to secure a ‘competencie’ ; they all faced the same challenges of establishing themselves in an alien environment that would require them readjust and respond to new circumstances. It would be justifiable to submit that the main consequences of colonialism were largely detrimental for the native population. The colonisation of the Americas throughout the early modern period resulted in the decimation of the native population as they increasingly lost their traditional lands to white settlers. This can be attributed to
In history, colonization was a truly popular tradition practiced by great and powerful empires in order to extract and retrieve all materials necessary to support their homeland. However, in order to achieve such sense of commerce and well-being, those colonists who had the power, had to colonize weaker and far less advanced societies. Great powers such as Britain and France would then travel to these societies and implement their rule in order to gain prosperity. Some, those who benefited from colonization, felt that the practice of colonization was an obligation to better the “uncivilized,” societies and help them advance, but the emotional and physical hurt that came from colonizing outweighed the positive aspects. The intention was good, but the manner in which colonization was carried out was poor. This topic is immensely controversial that pieces such as Kipling’s poem, “A White Man’s Burden,” and Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart,” have been written in order to support or go against colonization. But despite much debate, colonization has been a tradition that has caused those regions being colonized much struggle and negativity.
When European imperialists moved into a colony, many did not pay attention to the Indigenous peoples of the land and their needs, especially those that were centered around their relationship with the land. As a result, when Europeans needed land for settlements, railways, lumbering, mining, and large plantations, the Europeans displaced Indigenous peoples from their home and they ended up damaging a lot of their traditions and cultures, something that is still noticeable today. Additionally, when the European government made boundaries in a foreign country, they completely ignored the pre-existing boundaries of the indigenous people and their communities. The colonizer’s disregard for the Indigenous people’s lives, beliefs, and traditions left legacies of civil war, poverty, and starvation. Cultures and communities were also destroyed by the displacement.
Imperialism in Africa began in the late 19th century. It began when King Leopold II began the Scramble for Africa. All of the major colonial powers went after Africa. Their goal was to gain the most wealth and to have the most territory. Having more territory and claiming valuable parts of the continent was a symbol of power. Imperialism in Africa had negative and positive consequences on both the Europeans and Africans, these can be shown through human rights issues, new industry and advancements, and wealth and influence.
diplomacy or military force. In the 20th century many European countries attempted to colonize the great continent of Africa. Europeans saw Africa as an area they would be able to profit from, as it had a great climate, good size, and some phenomenal natural resources. While the Europeans divided the continent of Africa they failed to see the possible negative effects on themselves, and the indigenous people of Africa. Their foresight was limited to only the positive outcomes.
Colonization was one of the widest spread means of adding new territories throughout human history. The right of the strongest determined the roles in this new society. As the result, entire peoples and nations were oppressed and developed for centuries under the rule of the colonizer. It is evident that such political situations had a serious impact on the development of the oppressed society and their culture. These colonizers were almost always exploitative by their very nature.
This story will reflect on my own relationship to colonialism as a native of Ghana that of family and ancestors, and how colonialism had impacted my family and ancestors in multiple ways and finally, consider how my own experiences of colonialism had influenced my learning about historical backdrop of Indigenous Peoples in Canada. Just to give a little bit background of myself; I am Kofi as I preferred to be called, Kofi an Akan name given to a male infant born on a Friday, originating in Republic of Ghana. The name and its variations which include Koffi are similarly ordinary in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Togo.
Modern African states have several problems ranging from corruption, to armed conflict, to stunted structural development. The effects of colonialism have been offered as a starting point for much of the analysis on African states, but the question of why African states are particularly dysfunctional needs to be examined, given the extent to which they have lagged behind other former European colonies in many aspects. In the first section, I will consider the problems with African states from the level of the state. That is, the nature of the states' inceptions and the underlying flaws may explain some of the issues that have been associated with African states today. Next I examine the development of, or lack of, civil