The Scramble for Africa Chapter 11 Section 1 pp 338- 351

Setting the Stage

Setting the Stage In the 1800s, Africa was divided into thousands of ethnic groups Traditional beliefs, Islam, and Christianity were the main religions Africans had many different governments Empires (Kongo, Zulu, Sudanese) Independent villages Pastoralists

Setting the Stage Europe Needed raw materials for factories and markets for finished goods Had not been able to travel to the African interior Strong African armies kept them out Rivers were not navigable Tropical diseases (malaria, sleeping sickness, etc.) killed Europeans

Nations compete for overseas empires Europeans send missionaries, explorers, humanitarians to Africa Many opposed the slave trade Others want to spread Christianity David Livingstone, Scottish missionary/explorer Henry Stanley, American journalist/explorer

Forces Driving Imperialism Belief in European superiority Large empires were a source of pride Darwin’s ideas about evolution were being applied to humans Social Darwinism – the belief that certain humans were stronger, smarter, more suited to rule than others – “Survival of the fittest” Europeans believed their greater wealth and advanced technology proved they were better than other races

Cecil Rhodes on British superiority "I contend that we are the first race in the world, and that the more of the world we inhabit the better it is for the human race… It is our duty to seize every opportunity of acquiring more territory…” - Cecil Rhodes, 1877

What finally gave Europeans the advantage over Africans? Industrial Technology The Maxim gun Steam engines Railroads, cables, steamships quinine – a new medicine that helped Europeans survive malarial infection Lack of African unity Many languages, ethnic groups Europeans used African rivalries to their benefit

The Congo By the 1870s Henry Stanley had been hired by King Leopold II of Belgium to explore the Congo river and claim it for Belgium “I do not want to risk losing a fine chance to secure for ourselves a slice of this magnificent African cake …” - Leopold II, 1879

The Congo Free State

Congo Free State Established 1885 – King Leopold II was its king, Stanley was its first governor Leopold claimed he was helping Congolese by spreading Christianity and ending slavery Congo was a lucrative source of rubber

Abuses in the Congo

Abuses in the Congo Congolese were forced to work on rubber plantations Workers who didn’t meet quotas had hands and feet cut off, or were murdered 8-10 million Congolese died under Leopold’s rule By 1908, Belgian gov’t took the colony from Leopold, renamed it “Belgian Congo”

The Partition of Africa Discovery of diamonds and gold in South Africa in 1867 and 1886 Belgian claims on the Congo Europeans feared war over African territories Solution: The Berlin Conference

The Berlin Conference 14 European nations meet in Germany in 1884-1885 Goal: decide how to fairly divide Africa No African leaders were invited Decision: any European country could claim African land by: Notifying other European powers Showing they could control the area

By 1914, only 2 African nations are independent: Liberia Ethiopia

Effects of European colonization Colonial borders drawn without regard for ethnic/linguistic boundaries Africans forced to grow cash crops, not food crops Peanuts Rubber Palm oil Cocoa Mining for diamonds, gold, copper, tin

South Africa/Cape Colony Groups like the Xhosa and Zulu lived in South Africa Dutch and British fight for control of the area Dutch farmers (“Boers” or “Afrikaaners”) and English settlers claim land, leading to skirmishes w/ African tribes

The Great Trek 1806 – Britain annexes Cape Colony 1820s – Dutch Boers begin the Great Trek, a journey toward Zulu lands and away from British control Boers establish several republics

The Boer Wars (1899-1910) After 1886, more settlers come to Boer republics in search of gold, diamonds Boers resent new settlers, deny them political rights A rebellion against Boers fails Boers blame the British, start the Boer Wars By 1910, the British win and unite all of South Africa

Imperialism 4 main forms of imperialism Colony – a country or territory governed by a foreign power Protectorate – a country with its own gov’t, but controlled by an outside power Sphere of influence – an area in which an outside power claims exclusive rights to invest or trade Economic imperialism- a free country controlled by private business interests, rather than a gov’t

Methods of controlling colonies Indirect Control – local rulers accept the authority/direction of the stronger nation Direct Control – stronger nation brings in its own people to rule the colony Paternalism – ruling a colony in a “fatherly” way Assimiliation – forcing or encouraging a local population to adopt the stronger nation’s culture

African Resistance Only one successful resistance movement: Ethiopia

Menelik II Became Emperor of Ethiopia in 1889 Bought and stockpiled weapons from France, Russia Played Italy, France, Great Britain against each other

Ethiopian resistance Italy claimed Ethiopia as a protectorate; Menelik declared war on them Battle of Adowa – 1896 – Ethiopians use European weapons to defeat Italy and secure Ethiopian freedom