The Partitioning of Africa

Africa: The Dark Continent Africa’s diverse land: There were diverse cultures, hundreds of languages, varied governments. Some lived in large centralized states, others in village communities, others were herding or food-gathering societies.

North Africa: had close ties to the Muslim world. Once ruled by the Ottoman Empire, but Ottoman power was weakening. West Africa: Muslim leader (Usman dan Fodio) preached jihad and several Muslim states arose.

The Asante Kingdom Large but weak. Tributary states had little loyalty for the central government, choosing instead any state that would help them. European imperialists would exploit their lack of unity.

Asante Kingdom

East Africa has strong ties to Islam, and they traded in Human Cargo, Ivory, and Copper Slave Trade Three groups traded in slaves: Europeans, Arabs, Africans Beginning in the early 1800’s, Europeans began outlawing slavery.

Britain and the U.S., returned slaves to Africa where two states were created:Sierra Leone-Britain-Liberia-US The slave trade was kept alive into the 1800’s because Arab and African slave traders continued to sell humans to work in the Middle East and Asia as slaves.

Sierra Leone Britain Liberia – U.S.

Explorers and Missionaries Explorers and Missionaries went to Africa. Explorers went for adventure, while Missionaries were sincere. They built schools and medical clinics, churches, and they focused attention on the evils of the slave trade.

Explorers and Missionaries Still, the Missionaries saw the natives as children in need of guidance. Social Darwinism at work again. They urged the natives to reject their culture and embrace western culture instead.

Explorers and Missionaries The most famous explorer was Dr. Livingstone. He crisscrossed Africa for 30 years and wrote about the people he met. He opposed the slave trade. The only way to end the slave trade, he believed, was to open the interior of Africa to Christianity and Trade.

Explorers and Missionaries King Leopold II of Belgium sent Stanley into the Congo region of central Africa to establish trade treaties with African leaders. Stanley believed that he was bringing light to a dark and barbarous people, but dreamed of conquest and profit.

Leopold set off a mad scramble for territory. Other Europeans raced to grab the land. Berlin Conference: Europeans decided how to divide up Africa peacefully. Isn’t that nice? European powers partitioned almost all of Africa. Ethiopia and Liberia remained independent.

The Dark Continent The problem with dividing up Africa was that no one knew what was in Africa! No white man had ever seen, let alone, mapped the vast interior. Belgians: regarded the Congo as property to be exploited for their own riches.

Natives They were savagely beaten and had their hands and ears cut off if they didn’t help. They were forced to work for almost nothing and had no role in government or the economy. Social Darwinism was again implemented, and millions were treated like uncivilized dogs.

The French spent tens of thousands of French lives conquering parts of North Africa. In the end, their holdings in Africa were as large as the continental United States! The British had a smaller, more scattered share of Africa, but their holdings were very rich in resources.

The Partitioning of Africa The Dutch Cape Colony in southern Africa was taken over by the British. The Dutch moved north and founded several small republics. When gold and diamonds were discovered in the Dutch colonies, the Boer (boor) War ensued. The British won, but at a heavy price.

Dutch and English Colony - S. Africa

The Union of South Africa The British united the Dutch colonies. The new constitution set up a white government with a system of complete racial segregation. This would last until 1993.

Portuguese and Italian conquerors pushed into Africa, but the Italians got smacked down when they tried to take Ethiopia. United German Empire pushed into Africa saying, “We don’t want to put anyone in the shade, but we also demand our place in the sun.”

Ethiopia

The Partitioning of Africa European powers conquered lands in Africa to further their economic growth, influence, and prestige. Social Darwinism told them they were superior, and that they had a right to dominate.

The Partitioning of Africa Ethiopia withstood European aggression because they imported western ways of building infrastructure, western schools, and studying western military tactics. Remember Japan?

The Partitioning of Africa The greatest impact of imperialism on the African people was to create nationalistic feelings that would lead to countless wars and rebellions, and the loss of thousands of lives. Remember Napoleon?

Spain