Imperialism in Africa. The “Scramble for Africa” During the 19 th century, France, Britain and other European colonial powers fought for the acquisition.

Imperialism in Africa

Imperialism in Africa

The “Scramble for Africa”

During the 19During the 19thth century, France, century, France, Britain and other European Britain and other European colonial powers fought for the colonial powers fought for the acquisition of African territory. This acquisition of African territory. This feverish wave of interest in the feverish wave of interest in the African continent and its resources African continent and its resources came to be known as the came to be known as the ““Scramble for AfricaScramble for Africa”” 1880-1914 1880-1914

IndustrialRevolutionIndustrialRevolution

Source forRaw

Materials

Source forRaw

Materials

Markets forFinishedGoods

Markets forFinishedGoods

EuropeanNationalismEuropean

Nationalism

MissionaryActivity

MissionaryActivity

Military& NavalBases

Military& NavalBases

EuropeanMotives

For Imperialism

EuropeanMotives

For Imperialism

Places toSend Excess Population

Places toSend Excess Population

Social & Economic

Opportunities

Social & Economic

Opportunities

HumanitarianReasons

HumanitarianReasons

EuropeanRacism

EuropeanRacism

“WhiteMan’s

Burden”

“WhiteMan’s

Burden”

SocialDarwinism

SocialDarwinism

Africain the

1880s

Africain

1914

Exploration of Africa

Until 1880, Europeans maintained a Until 1880, Europeans maintained a limited presence in Africa (controlled 10% limited presence in Africa (controlled 10% of continent)of continent)

Adventurers began to excite merchants Adventurers began to excite merchants about business possibilities in Africaabout business possibilities in Africa

Quinine protects from MalariaQuinine protects from Malaria Machine gun = strong military advantageMachine gun = strong military advantage Rails, Steamships, Telegraphs make Rails, Steamships, Telegraphs make

logistcs possiblelogistcs possible

European Explorers in Africa

Dr. Livingstone & the Dark Continent

David Livingstone went to David Livingstone went to Africa as a missionary but was Africa as a missionary but was a combination of missionary, a combination of missionary, doctor, explorer, scientist and doctor, explorer, scientist and anti-slavery activist. anti-slavery activist.

Reached and named Victoria Reached and named Victoria Falls in 1855.Falls in 1855.

Remained in Africa, learning Remained in Africa, learning languages & customs, languages & customs, teaching & treating Africans teaching & treating Africans medically: well-received by the medically: well-received by the AfricansAfricans

Henry Stanley

British/American Journalist who went to Africa British/American Journalist who went to Africa in search of Livingstone when it appeared in search of Livingstone when it appeared that he had been lost. – Livingstone had that he had been lost. – Livingstone had traveled inland to find the source of the Niletraveled inland to find the source of the Nile

His discovery of Livingstone & newspaper His discovery of Livingstone & newspaper stories inspired widespread economic, stories inspired widespread economic, political and cultural interest in Africa.political and cultural interest in Africa.

Expeditions of Henry Stanley

In 1871 journalist Henry Stanley found him at Lake Tanganyika, greeting him with the famous words “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

Search for the Source of the Nile

John Speke Sir Richard Burton

The Congo In the 1870s King Leopold II

of Belgium employed Henry Stanley to help develop commercial ventures and establish a colony called Congo Free State in the basin of the Congo River

Leopold said the Congo Free State would be a free-trade zone open to all European merchants in order to forestall competition from his more powerful European neighbors

In reality, Leopold ran the Congo Free In reality, Leopold ran the Congo Free State as a personal colony and filled it State as a personal colony and filled it with lucrative rubber plantations run with lucrative rubber plantations run under brutal conditionsunder brutal conditions– Humanitarians protested LeopoldHumanitarians protested Leopold’’s colonial s colonial

regimeregime In 1908 the Belgium government took In 1908 the Belgium government took

control of the colony and it became control of the colony and it became known as Belgian Congoknown as Belgian Congo

It is blood-curdling to see them (the soldiers) returning with the hands of the slain, and to find the hands of young children amongst the bigger ones evidencing their bravery...The rubber from this district has cost hundreds of lives, and the scenes I have witnessed, while unable to help the oppressed, have been almost enough to make me wish I were dead... This rubber traffic is steeped in blood, and if the natives were to rise and sweep every white person on the Upper Congo into eternity, there would still be left a fearful balance to their credit.

-- Belgian Official

The Berlin Conference 1884-1885The Partition of Africa

Tensions among the European Tensions among the European powers seeking African colonies led powers seeking African colonies led to the Berlin Conference to the Berlin Conference

Otto von Bismarck presidedOtto von Bismarck presidedDelegates from 14 European states Delegates from 14 European states

and the US (no Africans were and the US (no Africans were present) devised the rules for the present) devised the rules for the colonization of Africacolonization of Africa

Berlin Conference ‘Rules’

The European power with holdings on The European power with holdings on the coastline had prior rights in the the coastline had prior rights in the ‘‘back countryback country’’

Occupation had to be real, i.e., settlers, Occupation had to be real, i.e., settlers, soldiers, administratorssoldiers, administrators

A European power was required to give A European power was required to give ‘‘proper noticeproper notice’’ of its intention to move of its intention to move into an areainto an area

The Berlin Conference gave European diplomats the justification they needed to draw lines on maps and carve Africa into colonies

By 1900, all of Africa was divided into European colonies except for Ethiopia, where native forces had fought off Italian efforts at colonization, and Liberia, a small republic populated by freed slaves that was effectively a dependency of the US

The invention of rigid tribal categories and the establishment of artificial tribal boundaries became one of the greatest obstacles to nation building and regional stability in much of Africa during the second half of the 20th Century (e.g. Rwandan genocide)

The arbitrary boundaries of the Berlin Conference did not take into consideration the natural divisions of the African people (religion, culture, language, ethnicity, etc)