Reinventing Africa's Impact Of Colonialism In The Late 19th Century

Colonialism by European countries in the late 19th century has had a large impact on the culture of those colonized countries and how they are perceived around the world. In Reinventing Africa: Museums, Material Culture and Popular Imagination in late Victorian and Edwardian England, author Annie E. Coombes explores these effects, specifically in Africa, through thorough research. Coombes’ main argument is that the original views held by Europeans towards African civilizations still have a major influence on attitudes today.

African people and their culture were often portrayed as savage and undeveloped, especially in comparison to Europe. One of the most notable examples of this would be the Benin Expedition, which led to the city of Benin

Pinnock’s account tells of a young slave that was gifted to him and who under his servitude was very popular and “Europeanized.” When this boy was returned to the Chief’s sons, however, Pinnock relayed that he quickly reverted back to savagery. Pinnock therefore believed that Europe could only hope to westernize Africa with a constant presence, else they return to their uncivilized ways. Pinnock’s account did challenge the commonly held belief that Africans were inherently lazy, saying Africa could be turned into a good source of labor if capitalism, and the many wants accompanying it, were brought to them and they were given incentive to behave competitively like their European counterparts. He believed investment in African labor and resources was owed to Africans in recompense for British participation in the slave trade. This train of thought can still be seen today with factories built in Africa to give Western-valued jobs to people who are otherwise considered “unskilled” to westerners. It is also very evidently present when investing in African products and companies is oftentimes seen as more an act of charity than it is a business