Imperialism Ask students to describe what they see in this cartoon. What might the “snake” represent? Why would it have a human head? Who is it coiling around? What do you think it means? In the rubber coils of the Congo `Free' State, a 1906 British cartoon criticizing the abuses of Leopold II's rule of the Congo Free State. By selling off large tracts of the Congo to the highest bidder, Leopold opened the door to the rapacious exploitation of people and resources by short-term business profiteers. Reports of atrocities reaching Europe sparked reactions, as shown here, contributing to the decision by the Belgian government to take over formal administration of the Congo in 1908

10 Minutes Introduction to Scramble For Africa To Civilize 10 Minutes Introduction to Scramble For Africa

The “OPENING UP” OF AFRICA Mid-1800s Missionaries and explorers sparked foreign interest in Africa

Africa (1880)

DAVID LIVINGSTONE (1813-1873) Scottish missionary 1841-1873 – lived in central Africa Explored Africa Named Lake Victoria after the British queen Converted many Africans to Christianity Wrote books on Africa which piqued foreign interest 1871 – reported “lost” “Found” by Henry Stanley “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” Video Song

Exploration Dr. Livingstone, I Presume?” David Livingstone Doctor/Missionary Mapping the “Dark Continent” Open the interior of Africa for commerce & Christianity British missionary and explorer David Livingstone (1813–1873) was one of the first Europeans to travel across the continent of Africa. His explorations paved the way for Europeans to chart the interior of the “Dark Continent.” By the second half of the 1800s, Europeans had a good idea of the vast natural resources that Africa harbored. In 1869, Henry Morton Stanley, acting as a journalist, was sent to find David Livingstone, a missionary and explorer who was said to be traveling in Africa but no one knew if he was dead or alive. Stanley met up with Livingstone in November of 1871, greeting him by saying, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” David Livingstone

The Scramble for Africa # 1. Colonization of Africa by Europeans 1880-1914 #3 Great Britain, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Belgium King Leopold II of Belgium believed that the acquisition of overseas colonies was essential in his quest to define his country’s future, yet he was never quite able to get the support of his government or his citizens to participate in colony building. Thus, in 1876 he established his own holding company and hired Henry Morton Stanley to establish a colony in the Congo. King Leopold II of Belgium

Imperialism is very similar to colonialism, with one major difference: colonial powers settle the countries of which they gain control, while imperial powers do not. The term “imperialism” does not seem to exist prior to the 1800s. Nineteenth-century imperialism was spurred in large part by the Industrial Revolution. The development of new industrial economies in the 1700s and 1800s necessitated the acquisition of raw materials and the desire to gain control of marketplaces; thus, by the mid-1800s, imperialistic actions of strong nations (most notably European nations) started to become policy. 1 Definition is from America: Pathways to the Present (New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005, p. 981). Imperialism: The policy by a stronger nation to attempt to create an empire by dominating weaker nations economically, politically, culturally, or militarily.

How Did Imperialism Begin? What brought about imperialism during this particular time period? A coaling station for steamships, Cape Town, South Africa

Economic Motives #1 Industrialized nations sought: Raw materials Natural resources A cheap labor supply New marketplaces for manufactured goods Control means of production Economic motives provided perhaps the strongest impetus for imperialism. Nations strove to control weaker nations because they hoped to expand their own economies, acquire raw materials, possibly obtain new sources of labor, and/or gain new marketplaces for their products. Africa became one of the main sources of raw materials for industrializing nations.

The Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain in the mid-18th century Britain’s advantages The spread of industrialization Throughout most of the 19th century, Great Britain experienced unprecedented power resulting from its position as the world’s first industrialized nation. It also soon became the world’s wealthiest nation. Britain earned the nickname “the workshop of the world” due to its ability to manufacture finished products quickly, efficiently, and cheaply. By the middle of the 19th century, industrialization had spread across Europe and the United States, aided by the development of railroad links that brought resources to new factories and transported their finished goods to world markets.

Technological Advances The steam engine Better transportation Increased exploration Improvements in communication Developments in technology influenced colonial expansion and exploration as well. The steam engine revolutionized transportation, powering both seagoing vessels and land vehicles, such as trains. Advances in transportation and communication allowed for increased exploration of more remote regions of the world. Other innovations, such as the telegraph, provided vast improvements in long-distance communication. The steamboat Herald (with mounted machine guns) on the Zambezi river in Africa One of the first steam engines

Cecil Rhodes #9 British imperialist who made huge profits from Africa’s natural resources Founder of the state of Rhodesia in Africa Rhodes was the Prime Minister of the British Cape Colony in South Africa. While in South Africa, he formed his own mining company, De Beers Consolidated Mines. Today, De Beers is perhaps best known for its diamonds.

“The Rhodes Colossus” This cartoon depicts British imperial ambitions to control the entire African continent. The cartoon in this slide, titled “The Rhodes Colossus: striding from Cape Town to Cairo,” appeared in Punch magazine in December of 1892. Rhodes intended to build a railway from Cairo to Cape Town.

Religious: to spread the benefits of Christianity and Western Culture Motives #1 Religious: to spread the benefits of Christianity and Western Culture Political: competition fuel by Nationalism, Empire Building

Justification for Imperialism A desire to “civilize” non-Europeans also spurred the development of imperialism Social Darwinism All European nations who participated in imperialistic activities during this time period supported missionary activity in one way or another. In addition, a belief in the superiority of the white race produced the idea that whites had a responsibility to civilize non-whites. Although the term “survival of the fittest” was first used by Herbert Spencer in 1851, it gained greater fame when Charles Darwin used it in his discussion of natural selection in The Origin of Species. The late 19th century saw the rise of a philosophy known as “Social Darwinism,” which (among other things) used the principle of natural selection to explain the need for stronger countries to dominate weaker ones. Ideological motives both rationalized and provided a measure of justification for European imperialism. Darwin’s handwritten cover page for The Origin of Species Herbert Spencer

Christianity Civilization Describe 3 examples of European ethnocentrism in the political cartoon.

Imperialism Quote “If you woke up one morning and found that somebody had come to your house, and had declared that the house belonged to him, you would naturally be surprised, and you would like to know by what arrangement.” Jomo Kenyatta – 1st President of Kenya How does this quote show an African reaction to European Imperialism in Africa? Use 3 examples

Imperialism Quote Desmond Tutu … “when the missionaries came to Africa, they had the Bible and we had the land. They said ‘let us close our eyes and pray’. When we opened them, we had the Bible, and they had the land”. How does this quote show an African reaction to European Imperialism in Africa? Use 3 examples

The Berlin Conference 1884 #4 Rules to divide Africa among European powers to avoid conflict among European powers= Artificial Borders In 1884, German Prime Minister Otto Von Bismarck opened a conference in Berlin dedicated to “the Africa problem.” At the conference, European powers agreed on a set of rules governing imperial ambitions in Africa: The area along the Congo River was to remain under the control of Leopold II. No nation could stake a claim on the continent without notifying other nations. Territory could not be claimed unless it was occupied.

European Control of Africa By 1914, only two African nations remained independent Liberia and Ethiopia #2 By 1914, the British had control of close to 30% of the population of the continent of Africa, the French had 15%, Germany and Belgium each had just under 10%, and Italy had 1%.

The Maxim Gun #5 British troops fighting forces in Benin in 1897 Changes in weaponry gave European countries an advantage over native populations. In 1885, the Maxim gun was invented; it could fire 500 rounds per minute. The British army began using the guns in 1889. British troops fighting forces in Benin in 1897

Methods of Management Indirect Rule: This form relied on using the existing African political rulers. Britain sometimes asked local chiefs to accept British rule and legislative councils were formed and included colonial (European) officials and merchants. The idea was that these councils would train the Africans, and at some point in time, these territories would be able to rule themselves, much like Australia and Canada.

Methods of Management Direct Rule: The French and most other European countries preferred stronger control because they felt that Africans were not civilized enough to rule themselves. They adopted a policy of paternalism, in which the Europeans acted like the Africans’ parents in providing for their survival, but denying them rights. They avoided training locals, and instead, brought along Europeans to rule the Africans. The French also supported a policy of assimilation, in which the native population would take on French customs and culture and be like them. African customs and culture were looked at as inferior, or not as good as French culture.

Direct vs. Indirect Rule #6 European nations chose one of two different paths when it came to colonial rule: Indirect rule: colonies were ruled through existing traditional rulers Example: Nigeria Direct rule: the colony was directly administered by the colonizer Example: Senegal France tended to use direct rule the most often, while Britain usually relied on indirect rule. Result: loss of power and influence By Traditional rulers

Cash Crop/Money Economy #7 Africans sold labor to make money to pay taxes Problems Created dependence on Colonial rulers

#8 Purpose of the Railroads was to extract wealth

#9 Aim of Colonial Rulers To benefit Colonial economies accomplished by cash crop system and forced labor King Leopold II of Belgium Cecil Rhodes

5-8 Million Victims! (50% of Popul.) It is blood-curdling to see them (the soldiers) returning with the hands of the slain, and to find the hands of young children amongst the bigger ones evidencing their bravery...The rubber from this district has cost hundreds of lives, and the scenes I have witnessed, while unable to help the oppressed, have been almost enough to make me wish I were dead... This rubber traffic is steeped in blood, and if the natives were to rise and sweep every white person on the Upper Congo into eternity, there would still be left a fearful balance to their credit. -- Belgian Official

#10 African Resistance and failure Many Africans resisted European rule Millions of Africans died Europeans = superior military technology North Africa: Algerians fought French West Africa: Ibo and Fulani fought British Congo Free State: 20 years of fighting Ethiopia exception: European training preserved independence

African Resistance Africans Confront Imperialism Broad resistance, but Europeans have superior weapons Unsuccessful Movements Algeria fights the French for 50 years German East Africa resistance results in 75,000 deaths Successful Movements Ethiopia under Emperor Menelik II Plays Europeans against each other Stockpiles modern weapons Defeats Italy and remains independent

African Resistance Unsuccessful Attempts: Africans resisted Europeans in both military conflict, and through religious resistance. Algeria was able to resist French rule for 50 years. French West Africa held out for 16 years because it had a strong king named Samori Toure that had modernized his military. In the end, only famine could beat Toure.

Maji-Maji prisoners captured by Germans. African Resistance German East Africa: Natives in this region used religious faith as defense. German colonizers had forced them to grow cash crops, such as cotton, instead of food. Natives came to believe that if magic water called maji-maji were sprinkled on their bodies, they would be bullet-proof Furthermore, they believed that God had approved of their struggle, and that their dead ancestors would rise from the grave and help them against the Germans. As many as 75,000 were mowed down by German Maxim machine guns, and 150,000 more starved to death later. Maji-Maji prisoners captured by Germans.

African Resistance Ethiopia: A Successful Resistance: Ethiopia was the only country that successfully resisted Europeans. Its king, Menelik II, played all of the European countries off of each other (tricked them) as they tried to convince him to be under their sphere of influence, While he tricked them, he bought modern weapons from the French and Russians.

A Closer Look at Imperialism in Africa European quest to control natural resources Doing so led to drastic changes in the infrastructure of the continent Europeans sought colonies in large part to gain control of natural resources such as copper, rubber, and tin. This led to drastic changes in the infrastructure of the continent. Traditionally, African peoples had been subsistence farmers. The arrival of the Europeans marked a significant shift in this traditional way of life. Farmers were now forced to grow cash crops such as peanuts. The port of Zanzibar around 1900

Transportation, Communication, Education, Medical Care Europeans constructed roads and bridges and laid thousands of miles of railroad track in order to facilitate the movement of goods and people across the continent; they also built telegraph lines. These improvements in infrastructure not only helped Europeans better exploit Africa’s natural resources, but also allowed for greater political control over African peoples and countries.

Effects New political systems – New Economic pattern: Transportation Direct and Indirect Rule New Economic pattern: money economy, cash crops, taxes, dependence, lack of diversity Transportation Communication Education Sanitation and water systems Medical Care migrant workers, chibaro (forced labor) = breakdown of Family New attitude towards land = Land ownership

Effects Racism Christianity Artificial boundaries Educated African elite Nationalism Westernization Generalization: change and breakdown of traditional values and organizations

Economic Consequences Cash Crops depleted the soil and made it difficult to grow subsistence crops. undermine local industries because they sucked up most of the labor force. once colonies gained their independence, years of dependence on a single cash crop made it difficult to modernize and diversify their economies Long-term dependence on cash crops had a negative impact on the economies of imperial possessions. Most of these crops depleted the soil and made it difficult to grow subsistence crops. Cash crops also tended to undermine local industries because they sucked up most of the labor force. In addition, once colonies gained their independence, years of dependence on a single cash crop made it difficult to modernize and diversify their economies. Result: Slowed development and modernization

Effects of European Imperialism on Africa Directions: Using your answers from question #11 from Scramble for Africa sheet and pages 102-104 from the text, categorize the effects of European Imperialism on Africa an improvement or disruption to African culture. Improvement Disruption Was European Imperialism in Africa more disruptive or beneficial to the African culture and its people? Support your answer with evidence.

Improvement Material Improvements Educated African elite Nationalism Transportation and communication RR and Telegraphs Hospitals Sanitation and water systems Formal education system (western) Educated African elite Nationalism

Disruption Disruption of Traditional African Life New political systems New Economic pattern: money economy, cash crops, taxes, economic dependence, lack of diversity migrant workers, chibaro = breakdown of Family New attitude towards land Racism Christianity Artificial boundaries westernization Generalization: change and breakdown of traditional values and organizations

Material improvements: Transportation and communication Disruption Material improvements: Transportation and communication RR and Telegraphs Hospitals Sanitation and water systems Formal education system (western) Nationalism westernization Disruption of Traditional African Life New political systems New Economic pattern: money economy, cash crops, taxes, dependence, lack of diversity migrant workers, chibaro = breakdown of Family New attitude towards land Racism Christianity Artificial boundaries Educated African elite Generalization: change and breakdown of traditional values and organizations