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. 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. Expansion was a goal that all nations wanted to achieve. Prince Leopold, the heir of the Belgian Throne, in a conversation, explained that “since history teaches us that colonies are useful… let us strive to get on in our turn… to lead to progress in every sense.” Being a prince, Leopold must have had a pro imperialist point of view, because he wanted to keep Belgium strong and prosperous. Cecil Rhodes, in a speech at the chartering of the British South Africa company, said “Philanthropy is good, but philanthropy at 5 percent is even better.” Cecil Rhodes’s quote clearly illustrates a materialistic point of view, owing to the fact that he was the founder of De Beers Diamond Company. Being a businessman, a desire of profit was natural. However, there are other examples that show a condemnation of imperialism for economical reasons. According to William Clark, in The Genesis of Jingoism, “capitalism is international… and it will prove in the long run to be one of the leading factors in breaking down of nationalism.” Owing to the fact that this excerpt from “The... ... middle of paper ... ...er the coat, communicated with a band of ribbon which Passover the palm of the white brother’s hand, and when he gave the black brother a cordial grasp of the hand, the black brother was surprised to find his white brother so strong that he nearly knocked him off his feet. By such means as these and a few boxes of gin, whole villages had been signed away to your majesty.” This account explains the exploitation the Europeans used to get their lands. Williams’ point of view seems biased against imperialism. This may be because of the clerical background. He probably wrote the letter to show the king the atrocities that were being committed against the Africans. This cultural spread ultimately led to revolts against the Europeans. Many African ethnicities changed their culture to match their European contemporaries and, using the technology had revolutions of their own.
The first Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain. It led to a dramatic increase in factories, therefore a vast amount of manufactured goods. The demand for goods created by the Industrial Revolution helped clear the way for the Age of Imperialism because Great Britain and eventually all of Europe sought after more natural resources and raw materials. Imperialism is the policy in which a stronger country seeks to dominate a less developed country both politically and economically. Although the European imperialism of Africa was exploitive and self seeking, it was justified because it ultimately enhanced the growth and development of the African nations through new laws, government, well ordered finance and freedom form oppression.
In David Northrup’s Africa’s discover of Europe, he gives an overview of the encounter between Africans and Europeans from 140-1850. Africans played a huge role of the globalizing of cultural and economic transactions. The first encounters between the two continents were mutual. Both parties tried to gain from each other through their transactions. The purpose of this book is to inform readers that we shouldn’t look at Africans as the victim, rather as an active contributor in the African-European relation.
By 1885, little to no independent countries existed throughtout the whole African continent. This was due to the imperialism done by strong European countries. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Belgium, and Spain are to blame. There are many possible contributing factors as to why the European countries decided to completely carve up Africa, split it up, imperialize the whole of the continent. Because of the need for resources Africa could supply, the European desire for power, and the European's reaction to the White Man's burden, they took control of almost every square mile in Africa through imperialization.
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.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica Imperialism is the “state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas”. Some of the reasons why imperialism exist are: power, political opportunity, economic, and technology. In King Leopold’s Ghosts we can clearly see all these reasons which lead Leopold conquer part of Africa.
At a glance Imperialism is seen as a horrendous practice that many European nations practiced at the turn of the century. With Britain at the top and many other nations coming up behind them Imperialism seemed to be the way to go. But why would such a practice that involved exploiting the natives and harming both the land and people be so appealing to the public? The profits offered by Politicians and Officials hid the truth behind Imperialism, swaying the opinion in favor of money, goods, and a sense of moral duty. Imperialism was a great example of ‘a wolf in sheep’s clothing’, its promise of greatness for everyone involved outweighed the hardships many endured from it. The pros and cons of Imperialism
Imperialism promoted slavery and unfair economic growth and powerful rivalries between other European countries. The British created their own empire of colonized countries and landmarks. They named it the “British Empire”. They controlled so much of the world, that the sun never set on the British Empire. The British invaded, took the country's natural resources and took anything they could profit from. One thing the British did do when they invaded countries, is that they made sure things worked as intended, for example, the trains ran on time. Many people at that time had no power to fight the British, and they accepted the British and what they were doing.
In three decades after the Berlin Conference on Africa (1884-1885), European powers occupied and colonized areas in Africa, a process later termed the Scramble for Africa. One of the ways the Africans responded to the European occupation of Africa, was through their reactions in a resistant state of mind. Another way was by their actions in an aggressive and sometimes peaceful manner.
In this essay we'll examine the practice of imperialism throughout modern history. Specifically, the philosophies and doctrines that provided justification of its offenses. We'll allow the life of Cecil Rhodes to serve as an entry point for this topic. This is ideal, first because Rhode's ideas and doctrines provide an illustration of imperial doctrine as a whole. Secondly, because Rhode's life is a microcosm of historic imperialism, as we shall see.
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 imposition of colonialism on Africa drastically reconstructed the continent. All over, European powers attempted to “assimilate” countries into their own, all the while exploiting and victimizing their people, culture, and resources. However, if there was one aspect of colonialism that provided a fertile ground for conflict, it was the unknowingly insidious method of introducing religion, specifically Christianity, into African families. This is particularly exemplified in the novels Things Fall Apart, Houseboy, and Weep Not, Child. Throughout these novels, the assimilation of Christianity within the protagonists’ not only results in a destruction of their sacred and traditional values, but also their well-being and those around them.
There are many things that imperialism did to Africa. I will be talking about how and why the Belgium’s took control of Africa and the effects of them doing this. I will be diving into the causes and effects of Europe’s imperialism in Africa.
In 1850, only a small chunk of Africa was governed by foreign rulers. By 1914, almost all African land was owned by European powers. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a huge competition for land as European countries such as Britain, Germany, France, and Belgium competed to claim African land, and thus power and resources. After abolishing the slave trade, European countries continued to trade with Africa for various exotic resources. European businesses would often create treaties with African leaders to gain exclusive trading rights in a region. Eventually, foreign governments began attempting to gain control over these regions. Over time, disputes over land between European powers occurred, leading up to the Berlin Conference
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’s struggle to maintain their sovereignty amidst the encroaching Europeans is as much a psychological battle as it is an economic and political one. The spillover effects the system of racial superiority had on the African continent fractured ...