Empire Building in Africa Chapter 6.2 Notes

West Africa Before 1880, Europe controlled very little of Africa Between 1880 and 1900, Great Britain (GB), France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain and Portugal began to compete for Africa

West Africa (continued) Europeans wanted peanuts, timber, hides and palm oil Decline of slave trade  Europe’s interest in other forms of trade

Central Africa David Livingstone – explorer to central Africa Livingstone disappeared – Henry Stanley sent to find him David Livingstone Stanley encouraged British to send settlers to Congo River basin British refused  King Leopold II of Belgium enthusiastically said okay Henry Stanley

Central Africa (continued) King Leopold II = worst treatment of African native people Enslaved Congolese people Cut down forests to build rubber plantations Slaughtered elephant herds for ivory Leopold “The Civilizer” stripped the Congo of its culture, its people and its resources

East Africa In 1885, GB and Germany became rivals in E. Africa GB wanted E. Africa because they controlled S. Africa and Egypt This was the land in between what they already owned But Portugal and Belgium were already claiming parts of E. Africa

East Africa (continued) Berlin Conference called in 1884-1885 GB and Germany got specific claims to parts of E. Africa Portugal received Mozambique Berlin Conference described steps to how a European country could claim an area of Africa No African delegates were present at the conference

South Africa European/white population grew the most in S. Africa Boers, or Afrikaners, were descendants of early Dutch settlers Did not like British rule Believed white superiority was given by God Put native people on reservations

South Africa (continued) Cecil Rhodes (British) Started diamond and gold companies in S. Africa Wanted British expansion “I think that what [God] would like me to do is to paint as much of Africa British red as possible.”

The Boer War 1899 – 1902 Boer resistance angered the British British burned crops, forced 120,000 Boer women and children into detention camps (20,000 died) British won Created a self-governing nation within British Empire Only whites and very few Africans who owned property could vote

Colonial Rule in Africa British Colonial Rule French Colonial Rule Indirect Rule Direct Rule Relied on existing rulers to enforce British rules/laws French official was at top, appointed from Paris Assimilated Africans into French culture, didn’t preserve local culture Allowed local customs British made all decisions Africans could run for office and serve in Paris Old African elite in power

Rise of African Nationalism New class of Africans – educated in colonial schools or in Western nations Admired Western culture and sometimes disliked ways of their own country Also resented the foreigners and their disregard for African peoples Where were ideas of freedom, democracy and equality?

Rise of African Nationalism (continued) Native Africans could only obtain low-paying jobs in colonial rule of their own country Middle class Africans often paid less than European counterparts European superiority expressed Segregation in schools, clubs & churches Children called Africans by first names or as “boy”