Western Europeans Divide Africa (Ch.11 Sec. 1)

Africa Before Imperialism Africa was divided into hundreds of ethnic groups (over 1,000 different languages) Some were Christian or Muslim (mostly in the North), but most believed in indigenous African religions

Keeping Euros Out 1450s-1850s Powerful African armies were able to keep Europeans out from 1450’s-1850’s by 1800 Euros only controlled 10% of Africa (on the coast)

Keeping Euros Out up to 1800 Euros did not travel into the interior of Africa (they could not navigate Africa’s rivers until the steamboat engine) large African trade networks kept Euros from controlling trade in Africa up to 1850

Euros Compete for Overseas Empires ● David Livingstone late 1860’s: Scottish minister traveled deep into Africa in search of the source of the Nile River: Euros read of his African adventures in books: this sparks interest in Africa

Belgium Colonizes Congo African Congo

Belgium Colonizes Congo King Leopold II (Belgium) 1882 signed treaties with Congo chiefs that gave King Leopold II (Belgium) personal control of Tanzania and Lake Tanganyika

Belgian Congo Tanzania Lake Tanganyika

Belgian Congo ● King Leopold II allowed companies to brutalize local Africans by forcing them to collect sap from rubber plants ● Belgians treated Tanzanians and Congolese so bad that humanitarians demanded changes

Belgian Congo Belgian Congo (colony) was 80 times bigger than Belgium!!!

Other Euros Join In 1882 France took control of the Congo River (near Belgian Congo) Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain felt left out

Racism the belief that your ethnic group, nationality, and/or race is better than another racism was how Euros justified their imperialism

Greed Imperialism: The takeover of a country by a stronger nation with the intent of dominating the political, economic, and social life of the people Euros searched for new places to take raw materials from and new places to sell their finished products (made with raw materials)

Pursuit of National Greatness Euros viewed an empire as national greatness Euro nations used this attitude to justify taking over much of the globe

Social Darwinism the belief in survival of the fittest, or “only the strong survive” – adapted from Charles Darwin’s theories in nature

Social Darwinism many Western Euros saw people of color as inferior because they were not as technologically advanced “…..since weaker people can’t defend themselves, it’s our duty to take them over”

European Advantages Maxim Machine Gun (1889) Africans had outdated weapons

European Advantages Steam Engine Allowed Euros to quickly navigate African rivers to set up bases of colonial control in Africa

European Advantages Railroads, Telegraphs made communication and travel easy between colonies and the mother nation (made control easier)

European Advantages Drug Quinine ● gave Euros immunity to Malaria ● allowed Euros to colonize the interior of Africa (not just coasts) ● gave Euros immunity to Malaria ● disease cause by African mosquitoes

Internal Problems in Africa Africa has huge variety of languages and cultures made unity against European imperialism difficult

Internal Wars and Resentment many wars between African cultural groups Wars over land, trade, water rights: led to lasting resentment amongst different groups made unity difficult Europeans knew this: they learned to play groups against each other while colonizing them all

Berlin Conference 1884-1885: 14 European nations met to prevent war for African colonies laid down the rules for carving up Africa like a pizza!

Berlin Conference no African rulers were allowed to attend the meeting divided up Africa and sealed its fate

Berlin Conference by World War I (1914) only Liberia and Ethiopia were independent African nations

Cash Crops Europeans developed cash-crop plantations in Africa: crops grown just for making money not for food peanuts, palm oil, cocoa, rubber, coffee Africans then became dependent on Europeans for food as well

African Resources Belgian Congo: rich in copper and tin South Africa: rich in gold and diamonds

South Africa ● Native Africans, Dutch, British continually clashed over land and resources in South Africa

South Africa 1816 Shaka Zulu used disciplined military to organize a centralized state (Zulus: African tribe in S. Africa) 1887 Zulu lands were conquered by British (after Shaka’s death)

South Africa 1652: Dutch first colonized Cape of Good Hope (South Africa) a stopping point between Asia and The Netherlands (Dutch homeland)

The Boers Dutch settlers in South Africa Dutch for “farmers” took over South Africans’ land and established large farms

Great Trek 1830’s Boers moved farther north into South Africa to escape British Boers fought wars with Zulu tribe and others whose land they were taking

The Boer War (1899-1902) 1860’s British wanted gold/diamonds from South Africa Boers rebelled against the British in S. Africa 1899

The Boer War (1899-1902) Boers used guerilla tactics (hit and run/hide and seek) against the British British responded by burning Boer farms and imprisoning women and children in concentration camps

The Boer War (1899-1902) 1902 Britain won Britain allowed Boers to have some self-government in S. Africa but Britain owned the colony of South Africa

The Boer War (1899-1902) Western Europeans fought the Boer War for South Africa Native South Africans had no control over the fate of their country

Apartheid Boers (Dutch) left in South Africa established a system of separate facilities for whites and blacks in South Africa Black South Africans were second class citizens in their own country until 1991

Class Assignment Read Pages 310-311 Complete Skill Builder Questions on 310 & 311. Stamp at the end of the period

Class Assignment Page 315, questions 1-3 Stamp at the end of the period