The Partition of Africa Andrew Gibson

On the Eve of the Scramble  North Africa: Northern Africa has had longstanding ties with the Muslim world. From before the 1400s, however, it has been ruled by the Ottoman Empire.  West Africa: Western Africa was made up of the regions grassy plains. It contained many Muslim states under the leadership of Islamic reformation leaders. In the forest regions, numerous stronger states arose. One of these states is the Asante kingdom. This kingdom traded with Europeans, and controlled a number of smaller states.  East Africa: Eastern Africa has been influenced by Islam for a long time. Port cities in this region sent trading ships containing slaves to the Middle East.  South Africa: Southern Africa was in disorder in the early 1800s. Shaka united the Zulu nation, but caused mass migrations and wars.

European Contacts Increase  In the 1500s and 1600s Europeans could not explore Africa effectively due to difficult terrain and diseases such as malaria. In the 1800s, however, new medical breakthroughs and the steamship allowed for new exploration opportunities.  Starting in the early 1800s, abolitionists supported the idea of returning former slaves to Africa. The freed African Americans settled near Liberia, and after a few decades, it became its own republic.  Explorers started discovering new things about the interior of Africa in the 1800s. Soon after, missionaries found their way into these areas to spread Christianity.  One of the most famous missionary-explorers was Dr. David Livingston. He resented the slave trade and wanted to introduce trade and Christianity to Africans.

The Great Scramble Begins  After a short time, King Leopold II of Belgium asked journalist Henry Stanley to explore the Congo River and surrounding area. Although he spoke of civilizing the native Africans, he privately dreamed of conquest and riches.  In 1884, European countries met at an international conference in Berlin Germany. The various powers divided up the African region into their own colonies.  Leopold was discovered later on to be torturing and abusing the natives. After an international outrage, Leopold gave up control of the colony and gave it to the Belgian government.

Carving up a Continent  During this partition of Africa, France took a large share of the land. In the 1830s it conquered Algeria, and later conquered colonies in West and Central Africa.

Africans Fight Back