In the 19th century Europeans believed that more land meant more power this was the idea behind the imperialism of Africa which took place from 1880 to 1900. Before the Europeans imperialism and colonisation in Africa only about 10% of Africa's land was controlled by Europeans however after only the countries Liberia and Ethiopia were not under European control. Other then the idea that more land makes you appear more powerful there were some other reasons people believe that the Europeans colonized Africa such as the Europeans need for raw materials, because of the large population in Europe many of their natural resources had been used up however the need for these resources was still very alive. The Europeans thought they had found an answer to this issue in Africa's rich materials. Some other reasons that the Europeans claim to have had to colonize Africa were to spread the belief in the Christian faith and to have a safe place for their militaries to stop on the way back from foreign affairs. Most …show more content…
Hobson, a british scholar wrote about the imperialism in Africa in his book Imperialism in the excerpt from the book he points out the wrongdoings in European imperialism from a British perspective, he points out that most of the fighting during this time is caused by the white races who are forcefully taking land from the natives. Hobson also brings up that the natives are not living as equals with the colonist in their own land. Hobson also points out that the natives are forced to do laborious work for these colonist supplying them with the raw materials and other resources from their land and giving them to the colonist without any reward. This analysis of the colonization in Africa gives us an unbiased look into the injustices that the natives of Africa went through, they were forced to work for and give the colonist resources that they did nothing to deserve all because they were seen as less important then the colonist because of their
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.
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.
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.
A major cause regarding Africa being colonized by Europe is the need to have a powerful country and economy. According to the Partition of Africa Map, Africa has no major independence except a small piece of land below the Sahara Desert. The
The results of European colonialism shows that the aim of colonialism is to exploit the human and economic resources of an area to benefit the colonizing nation. As a result, the nation that is colonized is affected negatively. In reality, how Europe really affected Africa as a whole is much
The "DBQ Project" What Is the Driving Force Behind European Imperialism in Africa? (2012): 257. pp. 177-177. Print.
When the Europeans arrived in Africa, many would of thought that imperialism wasn?t fied because the Europeans were enslaving the Africans. As stated in David Diop's An Anthology of West African Verse, "And in the Conqueror's voice said, 'Boy! A chair, a napkin, a drink.'" Stated blatantly, the "conqueror" is a European, and he is commanding an African to serve him. Forcing Africans into slavery certainly doesn?t justify European imperialism in Africa, however, there are many reasons as to why imperialism actually was justified.
The two factors that led to the formal occupation of North Africa in 1882 was economic and political factors. Britain wanted to protect their economic interests such as their investment in The Suez Canal. In 1875 Prime Minister Disraeli bought a 44% share in the Suez Canal- this was ultimately beneficial for Britain as this was a cheaper way to export goods into Egypt whilst simultaneously protecting the route to India. Robinson and Gallagher argue that the driving force that led to Britain expanding its empire to Egypt was because it would protect the ‘trade between the British and the Jewel of the crown’. Disraeli’s shares led to considerable business investment in Egypt, for example Egyptian cotton became popular amongst British entrepreneurs.
During the 19th century, Europe found a way to use Africa for its 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. As the Europeans started to invade Africa and split up the land, they paid no attention to the already existing natural boundaries. Over time, villages with different cultures had set these boundaries.
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.
In the early 1880’s, the powers of Europe started to take control of regions in Africa and set up colonies there. In the beginning, colonization caused the Africans little harm, but before long, the Europeans started to take complete control of wherever they went. The Europeans used their advanced knowledge and technology to easily maneuver through the vast African landscape and used advanced weapons to take control of the African people and their land. The countries that claimed the most land and had the most significant effect on Africa were France, England, Belgium, and Germany. There were many reasons for the European countries to be competing against each other to gain colonies in Africa. One of the main reasons was that the Europeans believed that the more territory a country was able to control, the more powerful it could become and the more powerful it would be seen as by other countries. Other reasons for the desire to control African land included the many natural resources that could only be found in Africa, such as diamonds, gold, and as time progressed, rubber. It also provided new markets in surrounding places so that manufactured goods could be sold for a larger profit. The Europeans had many motives for imperialism in Africa. Yet the true motives were often shielded as they tried tom present themselves as humanitarians when in reality they were making Africa a terrible place to live with brutality and harsh treatment of the African natives. The ways of the Europeans had many physical and emotional costs for the people of Africa. The imperialism process also took a toll on the people of Europe. The European imperialistic colonization in Africa was motivated by the desire to control the abundant natural resources an...
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.