1. African Economic Development Spring 2007 Pre-colonial and colonial periods Lecture by Dr R. Serra

3. First European contacts 15 th C.: Portuguese pioneers venture along the coasts 16 th -17 th C: English, Dutch and French outposts 1652: the Dutch establish the “Cape colony” First interest in Africa initially was from: traders missionaries explorers Traders became more and more interested in slaves as main export from Africa

4. Atlantic slave trade Slave trade existed already in Africa Uniqueness of Atlantic slave trade due to: numbers involved (over 12 millions) human suffering demographic effects (halved 1850 African population) socio-economic impact (European merchants and American economy thrived, most of Africa declined) cultural consequences: notion of the African ‘savage’ political effects: import of firearms increased conflicts Africa integrated into the “triangular trade” system, but got the weakest share

5. Triangular Trade Route

6. Critical dates 1440s: first slaves were taken to Portugal 1518: first slaves dispatched across the Atlantic. Britain, the Netherlands and France started to compete with Spain and Portugal for a share of the profits of slavery 1770s: opposition to slavery begins in Britain 1807: Britain declared buying, transporting and selling of slaves illegal 1833: illegal to own slaves under-6 children were freed, all others became ‘apprentices’ working for free for 6 years 1838: apprenticeships outlawed as exploitative 1865: end of slavery with the end of the Civil War

7. Exploration and conquest EXPLORATION: Mungo Park’s first expedition to the Niger (1795) David Livingstone explores central Africa (1850s) and reaches Victoria falls HM Stanley travels to central Africa and helps king Leopold II Christian missionaries, African Americans and former slaves follow with their missions, trade activities, and new settlements BUT the Europeans were then still hugely ignorant of the continent CONQUEST: Portuguese, British and French colonies limited to the coast 1884: Berlin conference: the ‘scramble for Africa’ begins Principle of “effective occupation” led to conquest Conquest was not easy, due to local oppositions By 1905 most of Africa was under European rule

8. European presence up to 1884

9. Reasons for conquest End of slavery required changes in world trade Need to sustain European industrialization: Demand for cheap raw materials Need for a large market for industrial products Political competition among European powers Cultural factors: the myth of the “white superiority” and the “civilizing mission” Evangelization

10. African colonies: evolution

11. Africa in the early 20 th century

12. Modes of colonial governance British Indirect rule (especially in West Africa) Areas for permanent English settlers (as in Kenya and Zimbabwe) French Direct rule through French prefects The politics of ‘assimilation’

13. Political effects of colonization Artificial boundaries and political units Destruction of the normal course of institutional evolution Creation of divisions among Africans Weakening of the power and authority of local chiefs both in direct and indirect rule modes Weak political states and institutions

14. Economic effects Taxation People forced to work for wage to pay taxes Conversion from food to cash crops Exploitation of mineral and environmental resources Transformation of the rural economy, social structure, labor and gender relations, and migration patterns Specialization in primary products The ‘White settlers’: many Africans experience landlessness Foreign companies penetrate the mining sector Creation of uneven progress within Africa

15. Social effects Exacerbations of ethnic divisions Racial tensions Gulf between African elites and the rest Tension between European and African cultures, manners, habits Ex: formal (‘white’ or ‘mission’) education and traditional education Africans’ lack of self-confidence

16. Africa and the World War II Africans fought the war in all major continents: many died or were prisoners Compensation afterwards was limited African economies were further squeezed and their dependence on primary exports deepened But import-substituting industries were established Trade unions became very important People’s political consciousness was raised European rule came under closer questioning Africans joined with progressive voices, in Europe and USA, in putting pressure on Europeans to end colonization

17. Towards independence The Pan-African movement from DuBois to nationalism Resistance to colonial powers deepens and becomes less episodic after WWII Organized political liberation movements African elites in Europe and North America

18. Independence 1956: Sudan 1957: Ghana 1958: Guinea 1960: 14 French colonies + Nigeria 1963: The Organization of African Unity created to end colonialism and promote unity and cooperation The great challenge: “create nations where there were only states”