Imperialism and Colonization in Africa The expansion of a nation has almost always been necessary for its survival. The colonization of America, Africa, the Middle East, India, and East Asia are such examples. While the colonization of one place generally means the continued prosperous life of another, such an idea is lost when the act becomes a violent struggle of deception and power. This loss of humanity is clearly seen in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”. Imperialism and colonization led to a complete disruption to the inhabitants of the Congo and resulted in retaliation by the natives and the suffering of many people. As a generalized idea, the purpose of colonization was to gain resources. Raw materials, economic expansion, …show more content…
The colonies of Europe spread to many other parts of Africa led to political involvement and eventually caused the establishment of the African Resistance due to the exponential growth of the colonies. With the spread of imperialism gaining momentum due to the ever increasing need for resources such as raw materials and slave labor, the African government soon got involved which soon created a great political issue between the Africa and the European nations that were colonizing Africa. The deception of the African governments led to a rise in military organization in Africa. For instance, many European nations, during or after colonizing an area, would issue treaties to the leaders or chiefs of the city states, towns, or nations that inhabited that area.to the natives the treaties would signify cooperation between the European nations and the inhabitants of the area. To the colonists, the treaties would symbolize a complete surrender to the will of the …show more content…
Though the colonization of another nation has many benefits to the colonials’ home, its costs are much greater rather than not, and the benefits of colonization could not be reaped due to the disagreements between the colonists and natives, as is in the case of Africa and the African Congo. As such, the colonization of Africa proved to be a great feat than originally planned ;colonization led to deception, which led to great violence, which ended in an abundance of death and no a complete waste of resources. Why then, was it so important to build oneself
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 for a land grab in 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 economical, political, and socio–cultural, and there were countless attitudes towards this expansion into Africa, some of approval and some of condemnation.
In history, Europeans have been known to colonize many parts of the world. The Europeans were so spanned across the globe that the notion that the “sun never sets on the British Empire” was inevitably true. However, this leads to the questioning, what motivated the Europeans to colonize such a vast amount of countries? In the documentary video, “First Contact,” three white men stumble across thousands of natives in a foreign land and eventually colonize the native’s land. This concept of white men colonizing natives is the foundation for colonialism. But the question remains, why were these men compelled to colonize these natives? In the two articles, “Body Rituals of Nacirema” by Miner Horace and “Geographical Basis of World History” by Hegel
When the Age of Imperialism began in 1875, it effected Africa in many ways. Nowhere was the competition for colonies more intense than in Africa. Europeans went after North and South Africa splitting up the continent. Egypt and Sudan were taken over by Britain to obtain the Suez Canal. Imperialism helped to develop Africa’s economy and turned it into a continent of colonies.
The most prominent response to European Imperialism by Africans was the formation of allies as an attempt to stand together and make decisions that benefit the same goal of maintaining a stable society along with freedom and other civil rights. As seen in Document #1, the Chiefs of several African groups come together to sign a document that affects their society in a positive way by “extending the territory” and areas like the Niger River Delta. All the leaders pledged to “NOT” go to war with others as they need to work together for a better future. Signing a contract intended for the Royal Niger Company sets rules and regulations for Africans and the Royal Niger Company to follow so that there aren’t any disagreements in the future that can
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.
Although the only explanation we were presented regarding the reasoning or motives of this colonization was the vague answer of Gold, God and Glory. Which from a general perspective is correct, although similar to various topics in history, there is much more then what we have originally thought. Likewise, Taylor explains how, “until the 1960s, most American historians assumed that the “the colonists” mean English-speaking men confined to the Atlantic seaboard.” Overall, after much research and information from various sources, I will explain the overall motives these countries had and how they intertwine with one another.
Although imperialism helped the colonized people by improving the economy and the lives of the people, for the most part imperialism hurt the colonized people because the people were forced to grow cash crops which led to death by starvation.
In conclusion, the motives concerning imperialism in Africa are a matter of expanding empires, helping natives, and natural resources. Europeans countries constantly tried to compete with their neighbors in fair ways to become the most dominating country. Just as much as they took possession of Africa, their will was also to assist Africa on their right path and put an end to any dilemmas they may be
A true saying is “Colonization often does more damage than contribution.” Colonialism encouraged Africa’s development in some areas, but in many others it severely damaged the natural progress of the continent. If colonialism was never imposed on Africa, Africa’s developments would be significantly different and many of the problems that the continent faces now would not exist today. In conclusion, at first it seems that colonialism has both positive and negative effects, but the truth is it only damages the colonized nation.
Another reason for Europeans to colonize Africa was to become even more powerful than they already were.... ... middle of paper ... ... Works Cited The DBQ Project. Chart.
Exploration led to colonization and was carried out for many reasons but the main reasons include religion, status, economic purposes, resources and militarily tactical purposes. Much of early colonization was for trading of raw materials between continents and countries. Dominant religions sought to spread gospel and “civilize” the indigenous people by making them conform to Western beliefs and ways. Status and recognition was also pursued by country leaders w...
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.
Africa has had a long and tumultuous road of colonization and decolonization the rush to colonize Africa started in the 17th century with the discovery of the vast amounts of gold, diamonds, and rubber with colonization hitting a fever pitch during World War I. However, the repercussions of colonization have left deep wounds that still remain unhealed in the 21st century. Early on, European nations such as Britain, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium scrambled for territories. Countries wanted land so they could harvest the resources, increase trade, and gain power. The European colonization of Africa brought racism, civil unrest, and insatiable greed; all of which have had lasting impacts on Africa.
There is no doubt that European colonialism has left a grave impact on Africa. Many of Africa’s current and recent issues can trace their roots back to the poor decisions made during the European colonial era. Some good has resulted however, like modern medicine, education, and infrastructure. Africa’s history and culture have also been transformed. It will take many years for the scars left by colonization to fade, but some things may never truly disappear. The fate of the continent may be unclear, but its past provides us with information on why the present is the way it is.