Warmup 5/2 Review from yesterday: What did the Berlin Conference decide? What is the scramble for Africa? How did Ethiopia defeat Italy? What was life like in Leopold’s Congo?

Notes: The Congo Free State The worst of all the colonies in Africa was in the Congo Free State Today we will look at it as a case study into the treatment of Africans during imperialism.

Notes: The Congo Free State During the Berlin conference, there were also more noble concerns than territory and wealth. Two main objectives: End the last remnants of the slave trade. Help those living in poverty. This was mostly advocated by missionaries

Notes: The Congo Free State The Congo was given to a charitable organization. Their mission was: To develop the Congo To spread Christianity To end slavery To bring peace and prosperity to Africa

Notes: The Congo Free State King Leopold II of Belgium owned that charity. Therefore, he owned the Congo as an independent citizen. It was not part of Belgium but his personal property. To the world, he pretended to uphold the mission of his charity

Notes: Rubber The Congo was one of the world’s only sources of natural rubber. In the 1880s, the worldwide price of rubber skyrocketed. To make money, Leopold basically turned the Congo into a rubber plantation.

Notes: Rubber Every man in a rubber-producing region was given a quota of rubber they had to meet. These quotas were unrealistic and few met their quotas. The colonial administration made it punishable by death to fall below the quota.

Notes: Force Publique To enforce their rule, the colonial administration created a standing army This “Force Publique” was run by Belgian officers but mostly hired Congolese recruits. They were forgiven from the rubber quota and paid a small salary. They were tasked with enforcing the will of the colonial government

Assignment: Congo Free State You will read about some of the atrocities committed by the colonial government. You will walk around to 6 stations, filling out the questions on the front of your worksheet. We will discuss one more slide before you finish the back.

Leopold’s Legacy Leopold made enormous amounts of money from the Congo. When the crimes were finally revealed, Belgium forced him to surrender the Congo to the Belgian government. He was paid $95 million for all the land he surrendered. He kept his throne. Before he turned over the territory, he had all colonial records destroyed.