The Scramble for Africa

The scramble for Africa represents the most thorough and systematic process of colonialism in world history. The European colonial powers managed to conquer and control almost the entire continent of Africa in a short, twenty-five year period from about 1875 to 1900. Some of the European states involved were already well-established global powers; the others were up and coming nations that desired to emulate and compete with the dominant imperial states. Various factors allowed for and contributed to the conquering of the whole of Africa by European states. The slow, but ever-growing European presence on the perimeter and the completion for dominance between the major European states acted as the platform for the inevitable quest for the middle. The obstacles brought on by indigenous resistance were no match for the European military might and technological superiority. The idea that indigenous territories were in need of Western intervention aided by scientific racism served to legitimize colonialism, especially in the face opposition within the imperial powers. The spark that set off the chain reaction of conquest was the Belgian occupation of the Congo by King Leopold II. Scramble for Africa was bloody and eventful end to the Long 19th century that was brought on by colonialism and that left the continent of Africa in a state of shambles up unto the present day.

Beginning in 1750 with the British occupation of India and culminating in 1914 with the Great War, The "Long 19th century" was a period that was bound by a theme of confrontation caused by colonialism and imperialism. Imperialism can be looked at as one nation's economic and political control of a territory. Colonialism would include the tenets of imperial...

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...new anthropological science of phrenology furthered the legitimacy of imperialism because it categorized the colonizers as more advanced humans who had a responsibility to civilize the lesser indigenous people. This philosophy was outlined in Kipling's The White Man's Burden.

The legacy of the Long 19th century is apparent. Presently, European cultural influences are prevalent in Africa. Many civilians speak European languages and have European names, or at least use European nomenclature regarding currency. Many of the same colonial boundaries are still in place, along with a culture of political dictatorship. The dominant colonial powers of the Long 19th century would become the key players in the global events of the next stage in history. The Scramble for Africa was not an accident; it was years in the making and the logical step toward the 20th century.