In the late nineteenth century during the period of New Imperialism, a singular event which has since been known as ‘the scramble for Africa’ took place. The European powers, most notably Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Portugal rather suddenly and competitively began their colonization of Africa. Together they colonized almost the entire continent; all but Ethiopia and Liberia were taken control of. Historians have continuously debated the causes of this event, and many theories have come to light, however presently there is still no definitive answer. The part Britain played in the scramble is, in particular, an interesting case. Britain in fact colonized the highest number of African territories, and therefore gained the most power. …show more content…
Due to these reasons there was a great pressure on the British government to expand, and consequently they gave their support to Scottish businessman and shipowner, William Mackinnon, and allowed him to establish and lead the Imperial British East Africa Company. Mackinnon himself believed that the Eastern area held great economic potential, and he was a significant factor in the eventual decision to expand. The East did in fact have trade opportunities in many resources such as ivory, gum copal, India rubber, tobacco, and more. However, the primary reason for Britain’s change of attitude in regards to expansion in the East was in fact not for trade interests, but to counter Germany, and prevent them from taking control of the area. Another important factor is that the east coast also had close links to India, where Britain had vital empire - there were East ports lying on the Cape route to India, which could potentially be very beneficial, such as in times of crisis. Although a similar situation to the West, the expansion of the East was significantly more politically driven. This corresponds with Robinson and Gallagher’s theory, who argued that since trade in the west surpassed that in the east, Britain’s concern with the east …show more content…
They did so both for the economic benefits, and as yet another political move in order to protect their interests from the other European powers. Taking control of the Cape Colony allowed them to more accurately control the seas to India, in order to prevent the French from reaching it. Britain had reason to perceive the French as a threat as they had very recently acquired the Seven Provinces of the Netherlands, the mother country of the Dutch East India Company. As for the economic benefits, the most important of these was in the form of gold, which was discovered in the Transvaal in 1886, which naturally drew the attention of the other European powers, and thus exacerbating Britain’s concern of protecting their interests in the area. Cecil Rhodes, a member of Parliament in the Cape Colony, played a significant role in the further expansion in the south. He was determined for Britain to expand their empire all throughout Africa. He firmly believed that the British were superior to all other ethnicities, all therefore it was their duty, and further God’s will that they should not only expand in Africa for their own gain, but also in order to “protect” and “civilise” Africa and its natives. As like with Mackinnon in the East, the British government
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.
Through the use of the documents and events during two major-expansion time periods (1776-1880) and 1880-1914), I will display both the continuation and departure trends of United States expansionism. The departure from previous expansionism (up to 1880) developed alongside the tremendous changes and amplifications of United States power (in government, economics, and military.) The growth in strength and size of the United States' navy gave the country many more opportunities to grow, explore, and expand both in size and money. The better range and build of ships allowed the U.S. to enter the far-east "trade and money" lands of the Philippines (eventually a territory) and China. Because of the huge production of agricultural goods and the need for outputs and markets for these goods, the United States needed to find other places for shipping, trading, buying, and sellingand the far east was just the place.... ...
Great Britain had economic interests in the Atlantic colonies since the 16th century. Through many laws, acts and conquests, Britain sought to control and influence the colonies. Britain ultimately failed in this endeavor. Though the British government could divide and allot the land as they pleased, they could not control it effectively. By the end of the French and Indian War, they had lost all of their ability to control the Atlantic colonies.
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”.
Throughout the 19th century, European Imperialism had a major effect on Africa. As countries expanded in terms of wealth, resources, and innovation, more territory and workers were needed. The first solution to solve these problems was to begin colonizing in Africa. The driving force for imperialism in Europe and Africa was mainly economical. This economical approach was established through many ways including cultural and nationalistic ideas.
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.
The British had a triangle of trade with Africa. They would go to Africa trade finished goods and bring them to
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.
Before the Europeans began the New Imperialism in Africa, very little was known about the inner parts of the continent. However, after some explorers delved deeper into the heart of Africa, the Europeans soon realized how economically important this area was, and how much they could profit from it. At the time, Britain had only small occupations of land in Africa, but after they realized that they could make money from the rich resources from the inner regions of Africa, they wanted to invade the African countries and take over. This led to the scramble and ultimately, the partition of Africa. During the Age of Imperialism, from 1870-1914, Britain was a major country, which proved to be true in the “carving up” and division of Africa. Britain was one of the strongest of the European countries, and had the power to take over much of the most valuable lands with the most rich and abundant supplies of raw materials and other resources. There were five main reasons for their imperialism. They were political and military interests, humanitarian and religious goals, ideological, exploratory, and lastly, but most importantly, economic interests.
The "DBQ Project" What Is the Driving Force Behind European Imperialism in Africa? (2012): 257. pp. 177-177. Print.
“The sun never sets on the British Empire,” Great Britain often bragged. By 1914, about 85% of the earth’s surface was colonized by Europe. Between 1884 and 1885, The Berlin Conference took place to carve up the African continent (Background Essay). Europeans saw high potential in Africa and thought the continent was empty, even though it was not. It was roughly “untouched” and they thought they could do anything they wanted (Doc.1). Great Britain’s colonization in Kenya affected the country’s religion and culture, education, and government.
The Web. November 22, 2010 http://web.ebscohost.com>. Hargreaves, John. The. “The Scramble for Africa.”
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.
The New Imperialism and the Scramble for Africa 1880-1914. Jeff Taylor, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.