A legacy that lives on.
The big question is, once you have conquered the indigenous people, and secured the resources, how to you, the King, stop your conquistadors from stealing the rug from under you? You make them fabulously rich, then they should be happy, and you do this by giving them immense stretches of the best land, and power over the natives to work it. He then does the same to the people under him, and so on. This is the patronage, latifundia system that prevails to this day.
On this c19 map of Africa, the interior is largely left blank because the interest of the Europeans was entirely coastal, picking up slaves and en route for the Indies.
The slave trade (abolished 1807) Phase 1 “Scramble for Africa” phase 2 UK: The role of the “Chartered Company” Gold and diamonds Agricultural exports and industrial raw materials (“cash crops”) Settlers where appropriate Late-phase colonialism
In fact, the European Powers sat down and carved the whole continent up. There was a rush to establish prior claims.
In Latin America, immigrants basically displaced the indigenous population from the best land. Costa Rica, for instance, has no indigenous population. In Africa, settlers were introduced, starting with the Dutch in South Africa, into selected “healthy” areas such as Kenya, parts of Algeria, Zimbabwe.
Algeria: the pieds noirs Eastern Congo: Belgian plantation owners Kenya: White Highlands Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe South Africa: Boers and British Many “poor whites” settled in the Portuguese colonies. Elsewhere, Africans were brought into the cash economy by means of tax. The pattern of small farmers growing cash crops was established. Plantations were rare. Colonials provided infrastructure and market.
In settler countries, the Whites have left, or been forced out (Algeria, Zimbabwe). What will happen to South Africa? The forcing of natives onto “Reserves” led to heavy pressure and erosion of land. This continues with rapid population growth. Lots of small countries all trying to do the same thing. Political instability.
Here, the main players are, once again the British and the French, but with the addition of the Dutch in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) China was never formally colonized but was subject to “informal” or “invisible” imperialism through Western arms and control of trade.
The “Chartered Companies” dominated in the period from 1600 to around These had little interest in land or farming—they were traders. However, they would encourage the cultivation of the things they knew they could trade, e.g. tea plantations.