Imperialism in Africa

The “Scramble for Africa” During the 19 th century, France, Britain and other European colonial powers fought for the acquisition of African territory. This feverish wave of interest in the African continent and its resources came to be known as the “Scramble for Africa”

Industrial Revolution Source for Raw Materials Markets for Finished Goods European Nationalism Missionary Activity Military & Naval Bases European Motives For Imperialism Places to Send Excess Population Social & Economic Opportunities Humanitarian Reasons European Racism “White Man’s Burden” Social Darwinism

Africa in the 1880s

Africa in 1914

Exploration of Africa Until 1880, Europeans maintained a limited presence in Africa (controlled 10% of continent) Until 1880, Europeans maintained a limited presence in Africa (controlled 10% of continent) Adventurers began to excite merchants about business possibilities in Africa Adventurers began to excite merchants about business possibilities in Africa Quinine protects from Malaria Quinine protects from Malaria Machine gun = strong military advantage Machine gun = strong military advantage Rails, Steamships, Telegraphs make logistcs possible Rails, Steamships, Telegraphs make logistcs possible

European Explorers in Africa

Dr. Livingstone & the Dark Continent David Livingstone went to Africa as a missionary but was a combination of missionary, doctor, explorer, scientist and anti-slavery activist. David Livingstone went to Africa as a missionary but was a combination of missionary, doctor, explorer, scientist and anti-slavery activist. Reached and named Victoria Falls in Reached and named Victoria Falls in Remained in Africa, learning languages & customs, teaching & treating Africans medically: well-received by the Africans Remained in Africa, learning languages & customs, teaching & treating Africans medically: well-received by the Africans

Henry Stanley British/American Journalist who went to Africa in search of Livingstone when it appeared that he had been lost. – Livingstone had traveled inland to find the source of the Nile British/American Journalist who went to Africa in search of Livingstone when it appeared that he had been lost. – Livingstone had traveled inland to find the source of the Nile His discovery of Livingstone & newspaper stories inspired widespread economic, political and cultural interest in Africa. His discovery of Livingstone & newspaper stories inspired widespread economic, political and cultural interest in Africa.

Expeditions of Henry Stanley

In 1871 journalist Henry Stanley found him at Lake Tanganyika, greeting him with the famous words “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

Search for the Source of the Nile John SpekeSir Richard Burton

The Congo In the 1870s King Leopold II of Belgium employed Henry Stanley to help develop commercial ventures and establish a colony called Congo Free State in the basin of the Congo River Leopold said the Congo Free State would be a free-trade zone open to all European merchants in order to forestall competition from his more powerful European neighbors

In reality, Leopold ran the Congo Free State as a personal colony and filled it with lucrative rubber plantations run under brutal conditions In reality, Leopold ran the Congo Free State as a personal colony and filled it with lucrative rubber plantations run under brutal conditions –Humanitarians protested Leopold’s colonial regime In 1908 the Belgium government took control of the colony and it became known as Belgian Congo In 1908 the Belgium government took control of the colony and it became known as Belgian Congo

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

The Berlin Conference The Partition of Africa Tensions among the European powers seeking African colonies led to the Berlin Conference Tensions among the European powers seeking African colonies led to the Berlin Conference Otto von Bismarck presided Otto von Bismarck presided Delegates from 14 European states and the US (no Africans were present) devised the rules for the colonization of Africa Delegates from 14 European states and the US (no Africans were present) devised the rules for the colonization of Africa

Berlin Conference ‘Rules’ The European power with holdings on the coastline had prior rights in the ‘back country’ The European power with holdings on the coastline had prior rights in the ‘back country’ Occupation had to be real, i.e., settlers, soldiers, administrators Occupation had to be real, i.e., settlers, soldiers, administrators A European power was required to give ‘proper notice’ of its intention to move into an area A European power was required to give ‘proper notice’ of its intention to move into an area

The Berlin Conference gave European diplomats the justification they needed to draw lines on maps and carve Africa into colonies By 1900, all of Africa was divided into European colonies except for Ethiopia, where native forces had fought off Italian efforts at colonization, and Liberia, a small republic populated by freed slaves that was effectively a dependency of the US

The invention of rigid tribal categories and the establishment of artificial tribal boundaries became one of the greatest obstacles to nation building and regional stability in much of Africa during the second half of the 20 th Century (e.g. Rwandan genocide) The arbitrary boundaries of the Berlin Conference did not take into consideration the natural divisions of the African people (religion, culture, language, ethnicity, etc)