European Colonization of Africa October 27, 2014

History Europeans discovered areas south of the Sahara Desert in the early 1400s They began traveling there regularly to meet with and trade with native Africans Europeans began seriously exploring the African continent in the 1830s They eventually decided to begin colonizing the land there – they would control it no matter who lived there

Main Causes of Colonialism There were 3 main reasons why European countries wanted to take over as much land as they could in Africa Resources: Controlling the source of valuable resources unavailable in Europe. Strategy: guarding of trade routes, etc. National Prestige: Who can have the most territory?

The Berlin Conference European powers met in Berlin, Germany beginning in 1884 They laid out rules for taking control of land in Africa Countries must administer and defend the area to claim it Many leaders began claiming land immediately

“Scramble for Africa” “Scramble for Africa” European leaders divided the continent as if it were a cake, with little regard for religion, ethnicity, tribal lands, etc. “Grabbed” land, even if it wasn’t inhabitable

The Territories Britain controlled parts of East and South Africa and Nigeria France controlled large parts of West Africa Belgium controlled the Congo Basin Other countries controlled small parts across the continent

Positive Effects of Colonization Native Africans did receive some benefits from being colonized by European countries Better transportation with the building of railroads Better weapons Better healthcare

Negative Effects of Colonization New diseases killed many native Africans since they did not have immunity to things like the flu Many natives were forced off of land that they had lived on for generations and others were forced into slavery Colonization also caused long-lasting effects, such as bad governments, poverty, civil wars, and large debt. Many of these issues are still problematic for Africa today.

Questions 1. When did Europeans discover areas south of the Sahara Desert? 2. When did Europeans begin exploring the African continent? 3. What are the 3 main causes of European colonization? 4. Where did European leaders lay out the rules for colonizing Africa? 5. Which parts of Africa were controlled by Britain? 6. Which parts of Africa were controlled by France?

Questions 7. What were the 3 positive effects of colonization? 8. How did new diseases effect native Africans? 9. What are the 4 long-lasting effects of colonization?