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Impact of European imperialism in Africa
Effects of European imperialism on Africa
Impact of European colonialism on Africa
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What was the driving force behind European imperialism in Africa? Between 1500 and 1800, European nations had traded slaves, gold, and ivory along the west coast of Africa. In the 1800’s this had changed as European Explorers pushed their way into the interiors of western and central Africa. European presence in Africa was mostly about buying and selling slaves from local chiefs. Slave ships would arrive, trade their pots, cloth and guns for West African slaves, then set sail for the Americas. European countries were known to have held seven African colonies, which were Germany, Portugal, Italy, Great Britain, France, Spain, and Belgium. Britain and France were the two countries, exactly, that were the biggest winners in the race to seize African colonies. Many of these countries have there own dreaming plans for success, one of them being Britain. Britain had a dream of building a railroad from the Mediterranean Sea to South Africa but worried that German East Africa would intrude from this taking place. Later on, the German East Africa did so intrude from Britain's doing. By 1085, the only two african countries that had remained independent was ethopia and liberia. John Ruskin was a well regarded english …show more content…
Exports in Great Britain and Africa had both increased between 1854 to 1900. Africa was a valuable country to the Europeans, as Africa was a source for marketing products. A writer named Rudyard Kipling had written a poem called “The White Man’s Burden” explaining British Imperialism. The title “White Man’s Burden” means it is the Europeans duty to help civilization. Kipling talks to the British citizens saying “send forth the best ye breed” meaning send off to foreign lands your best young people. Kipling then says “Your new-caught, sullen peoples,/Half-devil and half-child”, when saying this he tries to encourage the british to help others live a healthy
Politics is the science that guides or influencing governmental policies. Politics plays important role in the daily life of everyone’s decision making all over history. The political leaders of Europe viewed the world as a stomping ground they took powers into their hand to take control over unconquered land. They believed that once they take over less advanced places they will be able to get richer by exploiting the uneducated and weaker people. According to an to an article from Africana Age called “The Colonization of Africa” by Ehiedu E. G. Iweriebor, “By 1900 much of Africa had been colonized by seven European powers—Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. After the conquest of African decentralized and centralized
Europe, in the late 1800’s, was starting a land grab on the African continent. Around 1878, most of Africa was unexplored, but by 1914, most of Africa, with the lucky exception of Liberia and Ethiopia, was carved up between European powers. There were countless motivations that spurred the European powers to carve Africa, like economic, political, and socio–cultural, and there were countless attitudes towards this expansion into Africa, some of approval and some of condemnation. Europe in this period was a world of competing countries. Britain had a global empire to lead, France had competition with Britain for wealth and so did other nations like Germany and Russia.
Until well into the 1800’s Africa was relatively unknown to Europeans. They controlled less than ten percent of the continent. By 1882 Britain, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain were all claiming parts of Africa. In 1900, they had divided ninety percent of Africa into colonies. Although European ships had for centuries traded at ports along the coast, they brought back little knowledge of Africa’s interior. Later Europeans started exploring the continent. The best known of these explorers was David Livingstone. This Scottish missionary spent thirty years in central Africa, and gave Europeans their first detailed information about Africa and its people.
Conquest and colonization has always played a role in the history of European powers. Throughout the centuries many different European empires have attempted to make their mark on multiple different continents. Some have found success, while others have failed. One case in particular, in which European nations could not quite find stability, was in North America. Factors such as the American Revolution, U.S. westward expansion, and the Monroe Doctrine pushed European nations out of North America. Afterwards, the late 19th century marked the beginning of New Imperialism. As New Imperialism began, Africa became important to European nations in their “Scramble for Africa”.
Nationalistic ideas made European countries want to take action in the colonization of Africa. In Document B, the English John Ruskin says, “…seizing every piece of fruitful waste ground she can set her foot on, and there teaching these her colonists … that their first aim is to be to advance the power of England by land and by sea.” This quote shows how the Europeans were proud of their countries and wanted to spread their territories in order to be the best. It can be seen in Document A how the Europeans had already colonized a lot of Africa by the 20th century, with seven countries holding territories by 1914. The idea of nationalism helped push European countries into colonizing Africa, which led to more land for resources and ultimately helped Europe economically.
Introduction: The epoch of imperialism cannot be defined simply as a proliferation of inflated egos tied to the hardened opinions of nationalists, but also a multi-faceted global rivalry with roots of philosophies tainted with racism and social Darwinism. The technique of each imperialist was specific to the motivations and desires of each combative, predominantly Western power and subsequently impacted the success of each imperialist and its colonies. Driven by industrialization, Europeans are aware of the urgent need for raw materials and new markets to maintain a constant rate of expansion and wealth. Imperialism became a competition; in general, the European countries led with fervor while the non-Western regions deemed likely to be stepped on.
Throughout the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, almost every country in Africa was imperialized by other countries in Europe. To imperialize is to conquer another country, whether it be in the means of politics, economics and/or culture, and control that land. The aftermath for the imperialized country was either beneficial or harmful. The amount of African countries that a European country imperialized varied. Great Britain imperialized fifteen countries in Africa, including Egypt in 1882, Sierra Leone in 1808, and the Union of South Africa in 1910. Although Great Britain’s reasons to imperialize were selfish, Britain helped each country progress afterwards.
As the 20th century approached, more and more countries grew desperate for land, resulting in an imperialistic activity known as the Scramble for Africa. The European imperialists were motivated by three main factors; economic, political, and social. These factors made countries compete for power and eventually led to the scramble for African territory. Although economic expansion at times was a positive outcome of European imperialism in Africa, these positive effects are outweighed by negative outcomes such as loss of culture and independence.
Prior to the arrival of European traders, the continent of Africa had developed sophisticated society as it demonstrated its ability to maintain advanced civilizations, withhold three major empires, and gain wealth through trade. Although European traders did advance organized society in Africa, it would be false to say that prior to their arrival Africa was underdeveloped.
By 1885, little to no independent countries existed throughtout the whole African continent. This was due to the imperialism done by strong European countries. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, and Spain are to blame. There are many possible contributing factors as to why the European countries decided to completely carve up Africa, split it up, imperialize the whole of the continent. Because of the need for resources Africa could supply, the European desire for power, and the European's reaction to the White Man's burden, they took control of almost every square mile in Africa through imperialization.
Imperialism is the domination by one country of political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region and occurred during the 1800’s in Africa. Imperialism in Africa was caused by four factors in Europe: economy, politics/military, humanitarian/religion, and Social Darwinism (Ellis). The Industrial Revolution in Europe caused the need for oversea expansion because the manufacturers needed things like: rubber, petroleum, and palm oil all of which Africa had. Europe moving into Africa was also caused by nationalism, when France went into Africa so did Britain (Ellis). The difference between France and Britain was the way of rule they used. There are four different methods of imperialism: direct, indirect, protectorate, and sphere of influence. The most popular were direct and indirect. The French used direct, they sent officials and soldiers from France to administer their colonies and their purpose was to inflict French culture on their colonies and make them into French provinces (Ellis). The British, however, used indirect, they used chiefs to oversee their colonies and encouraged the children in the colonies to get education in Britain. The British “Westernized” their colonies and only used military force when threatened (Ellis).
Throughout history, imperialism has led countries to extend their rule over weaker countries and then colonized those countries to expand their own power. Imperialism allows the ruling countries to use the weaker countries for their resources. Colonizing other countries would then lead to growth and a better reputation for the dominating country. There are many examples of imperialism throughout European history. When many European countries “scrambled” for Africa, it seemed as though Africa had no say in anything. During the 19th century, Europe found a way to use Africa for their own growth and power. Using Africa for their resources, the Europeans colonized Africa without a second thought. European imperialism in Africa had a negative impact because of social disarray, cultural loss, and death it caused.
The colonisation of Africa occurred in the late nineteenth century, when a small group of European powers became suddenly involved in a “territorial Partition of Africa”. In the time between 1880 and 1900, “90% of the territory of Africa was appropriated by a handful of European powers” . This event sparked an intense historical debate amongst historians as there have been multiple interpretations about the colonisation in Africa. The historical debate is between metropolitan theories (which focuses on the motivations of each European power), for example by Lenin and Hobson, the peripheral approach which looks at the African perspective. Also, what aspects of these African regions made the European powers want to colonise? Finally, an “international relations” approach – this is the main focus of my enquiry. Were the shifting global attitudes an influential force? This places the Partition of Africa in a global framework, rather than look at European powers individually. A well-known theory focused on international relations is A.J.P Taylor’s theory of “political and diplomatic aims”.
Only ten percent of the African continent was under the control of western nations at the beginning of the 1800s before the Europeans decided to expand and increase their influence into Africa. The economic potential of the European empire was insulated by keeping its markets open and exclusive through trade policies that increased revenues and natural resources and to maintain trade routes to Asia made the Horn of Africa, the southern tip of the continent as well as the West African coast the best strategic locations for world control. Great Britain aimed for a territory inside the continent to have dominance over the north and south by having Cairo linked with Cape Town as all the territory between Cairo in the north and Cape Town in the south have strategic value. The African continent was without fixed borders of any familiar types of government that was considered empty by the Europeans and therefore ripe for the imposition of their authority. The Europeans established themselves on most of n...
An overwhelming majority of African nations has reclaimed their independence from their European mother countries. This did not stop the Europeans from leaving a permanent mark on the continent however. European colonialism has shaped modern-day Africa, a considerable amount for the worse, but also some for the better. Including these positive and negative effects, colonialism has also touched much of Africa’s history and culture especially in recent years.