1. The Scramble for Africa
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The Scramble for Africa
The Berlin Conference and the Colonization of Africa

2. “Imperialism and Colonialism in Africa”
Phase I: :
The partition of Africa by
European powers

3. European Powers involved in the conquest of Africa
France and Britain were the largest two
countries involved in the conquest for Africa.
Britain and France ended up controlling about
two thirds of the African continent.
The other major European powers who
contended for African territory were
Belgium, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.

4. Reasons for Europeans to explore the African continent
Scientific interest
The spread of Christianity
Imperialism
The nineteenth century in Europe was
an age of curiosity for unknown
lands, in particular Asia and Africa

5. Exploring and Science David Livingstone
Technological advancements: Scientists were learning knew ways to promote good health for missionaries and explorers as they traveled throughout the world.
Medical advances were developed to fight tropical diseases. The development of quinine, an effective treatment for malaria, enabled vast expanses of the tropics to be penetrated.
Technological advancements were made in transportation. Improved railroad, and stream navigation encourage overseas expansion
The telegraph was a great advancement in communication
Exploring new areas brought possibilities of new discoveries
David Livingstone

6. The Spread of Christianity
Many Europeans felt like it was their duty to “civilize” the Africans ,
and hence they felt like it was their right to take over Africa.
This belief goes hand-in-hand with the idea of spreading Christianity
throughout Africa and converting the Africans in the process. This
process of Christianization of the Africans was, in fact, part of the
Europeanology of “civilizing” them. The Christian missionaries
set up schools and churches, teaching them the English language and
Christian ways.
Colonial officials believed that Christianity would provide support
for colonial rule. That is, they believed that Africans who converted
to Christianity would be likely to see the value of colonial rule and
would not oppose European rule.

7. Missionaries Originally did their work near Africa’s coast Why?
Easy transportation
Support from other European settlers
Unfamiliar with Africa’s interior

8. Ethnocentrism
The late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries also brought
about the rise of a new belief, called ethnocentrism, among
the European people.
It is the belief that one group of people feels superior to other
groups of people, due primarily to cultural differences.
This belief was prevalent among the Europeans who believed that the
Africans were inferior and “uncivilized,” because they were not
technologically advanced and still lived in “primitive” way.

9. Imperialism Imperialism: the exercise of power by a state beyond
Its boundaries
Colonialism: a form of imperialism: the administrative
Control by a state over other people.

10. Facts
Imperialism
An Agreement was reached among all European powers in
at the Berlin Conference. At the conference, all the European
powers met and partitioned Africa with the purpose to avoid future
conflict among the European Powers.
Politically, the European powers wanted power and
prestige. Wealth in terms of territorial gains meant
power, and the more territory a country controlled,
the more powerful it was.
Economically, Africa was rich in resources and cheap
labor.
The Africans themselves were so dependent on the
Europeans for overseas trade that they had not thought to create a
resistance, nor did they know of the consequences it might create.

11. Facts
Imperialism
* The colonial governments took much of the land away from the Africans
for personal or commercial use.
* The Europeans took the best land to call their own.
* Since the European powers needed the manpower to manage their farms and
mining companies, they used Africans as cheap labor. The Africans,
either having lost their lands or not able to live off their lands, began to
move to towns, farms, or mines in search of work.
The colonial governments also needed money to pay for running their overseas governments and for services for settler communities. Their mother countries in Europe gave the colonial governments little financial help, and so they needed to increase their capital by taxing the local Africans. Taxes had to be paid in European currency.
Because of the loss of manpower after the two world wars, the European colonial powers started a new policy of forced labor, in the 1920s. African men were separated from their families, villages lacked the manpower for food production
, which led to famine.

12. Imperialism: Colonial governments
Colonialism: system of political, economic, & cultural control imposed by foreign, mother country
Colonies grow out of mercantilism

13. Mercantilism: World’s wealth is like a pie.
Wealth based in real things (gold, land, etc.).
Africa rich in natural resources.
“Any piece that’s not mine belongs to my European enemy.”

14. Europeans want colonies around the world.
Colonies export raw materials to mother country.
Mother country sells factory goods to
colonies.
Why is this good for Europe?
Colonies often forced to trade only with mother country.
Industrial Revolution

15. Imperialism Colonial governments
Europeans worry about
“balance of power”
Europeans compete with Europeans over Africa.
Germany suggests Africa
is not worth “fighting” over.
Germany suggests Europeans carve up Africa through negotiations, not war.
Europeans agree to negotiate
in Berlin, Germany.

16. Imperialism: Colonial governments
Conference of Berlin ( )
Rules
No slavery
No interference with other colonies
Europeans must occupy a colony to keep ownership.

17. Imperialism: Colonial governments
Europeans divided Africa along borders reflecting European interests.
Divided African ethnic groups.
Even today, many Africans care more for their ethnic group than their nation, leading to many civil wars.
Europeans tried to gain parts of Africa that reflected each European nation’s natural advantages over other Europeans (trade, farming, pre-existing colony, etc.)

18. Imperialism: Colonial governments
“White Man’s Burden”
Rudyard Kipling’s poem
Racist idea during colonial era
Social Darwinism
Darwin’s theory of evolution incorrectly applied to society
Rich and powerful must be “the fittest.”
Europeans see Africans as “children” that benefit from exposure to Europeans.
Common among missionaries and colonial governments.