Transcript Imperialism: The Scramble for Africa

Age of Imperialism
1875-1914
The Age of Imperialism
• Imperialism =
a policy of
conquering
and ruling
other lands
British power from its industrialization
… and competition
• The Industrial Revolution made Britain most
powerful nation in the world in 1800s.
• By late 1800s, U.S. challenging its economic
leadership.
• So Britain looked increasingly to its colonies
for markets and resources.
Nations competed for overseas empires
• Increasingly, Europeans viewed an empire as
a measure of a nation’s importance, prestige:
• Competition for colonies was not just for
economic gain, but for power and influence.
• So the race for colonies grew out of a strong
sense of national pride and desire for power
and influence in the world, as well as from
economic competition.
European Motives for Imperialism: 3 Main
1. Economic

Raw materials in interior Africa:
Gold, diamonds, rubber, copper, tin, oil …

Markets: Sell goods to Africans,
others
Rubber tree
In Liberia
2. Political -- National pride

Power in the world

Measure of nation’s superiority
3.
Social – Religious, Moral
Some wanted to spread Christianity
throughout the world …

… and to spread Western ideas and
customs of white, Anglo-Saxons, to “civilize”
“savages” in other areas of the world.
Some said this was a moral “duty,” a
“white man’s burden” -- phrase written by
British poet Rudyard Kipling: A racist belief,
that some races superior to others.

3.
Social, cont’d – Social Darwinism
► Some
believed it was natural for the
wealthier, stronger Western nations to
control and lead people in weaker nations,
using Darwin’s evolutionary theory – Social
Darwinism
 “Only the strong survive”
 People in non-industrialized areas “wasting”
natural resources
The “scramble
for
Africa”.
Africa
• Continent – not a country
• Three times larger than Europe
• Northern Africa: desert;
other areas diverse climates,
topography
Africa populated by
diverse groups of
people, with own
cultures, languages,
religions. 700+
ethnic groups
The many
languages, ethnic
conflicts, and low
level of technology,
made resistance to
European moves
difficult.
Distribution of African language families
The Berlin Conference (1884).
Germany hosted meeting of Western
countries to decide on ways to divide up
Africa among them without fighting each
other.
The Berlin Conference
• But had said main focus was to control
end of the slave trade and promote
humanitarian work.
Berlin Conference agreements
1. Any nation that got control of an
African coast had to inform others.
2. “Sphere of influence” doctrine: A
nation’s control of an African coast
would include control far into the
distance from that coast.
Berlin Conference agreements,
cont’d
3. “Effective occupation” doctrine: A
nation occupying a coastal area had to
prove it had enough control to protect
existing rights – freedom of trade and
transit.
The nations did not make any
considerations for the people of Africa.
In just 36
years …
Europeanna
tions gained
control of
most of
Africa
*(Ethiopia
independent
– fought off
Italy)*
1914
British Imperialism: 19th-20th C.
The Suez Canal
British Egypt
• Egypt gave control
of the Suez Canal to
Britain in 1882, in
return for Britain
forgiving debt
(loans) Egypt owed.
• Britain controlled
Egypt for about 40
years.
The Suez Canal opened in 1869.
Britain’s benefits from the Suez Canal
1. “Lifeline of the
British
Empire”
2. Fast access to
colonies.
3. Saved 4,000
miles; 2
weeks time.
The Suez Canal
Cecil Rhodes
► British
businessman a
major promoter of
British imperialism in
South Africa
► Made
fortune from
African diamond mines
► Believer
in Social
Darwinism.
British South Africa
“I think what God would like me to
do is to paint as much of Africa British
red as possible.”
- Cecil Rhodes, 1896.
Boer War
(1899-1902)
War sparked by
discovery of gold and
diamonds
British beat the Boers
(Dutch settlers),
created union of
South Africa.
Diamond Mining, South Africa 1872
Warm up
■ Which countries had the most control of
territories in Africa by 1914?
■ How did Britain gain control of key areas in
Northern Africa and Southern Africa?
■ -----------------------------------------------------■ HW: 1. Write responses to reading questions
in text p 348 & 349 … in 2-4 complete
sentences. 2. Write 3 writing prompts for
questions that you consider the most
important for Ch. 6 Sec 3 (British rule in India)
First European to explore Africa’s interior
David Livingstone, Scottish minister (1860s)
Goals to bring “Christianity, commerce, and
civilization” to the continent
The Congo: Belgium
Henry Stanley, American explorer of central
Africa, helped King Leopold get control of
Congo River Valley (1882) – signed
treaties with local chiefs
* This set off European scramble for
colonies in interior Africa.
“Found” David Livingstone in 1871.
“Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” - Henry Stanley
Belgian Congo
► “Belgium is a small country, with a small
people” and needs a colony to boost
its image… King Leopold II
► Forced native people to labor …
collecting sap from rubber plants
French Colonies
►
France colonized much of
North & West Africa, including
Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and
French W. Africa.
►
Most people living there were
Arab Muslims.
►
French used direct control
over colonies, used policy of
paternalism in ruling.
French wanted colonial
peoples to assimilate to
French culture.
►
European Military Advantage
Hiram Maxim, an American, invents
“Maxim Gun” in 1889 …
The 1st automatic machine gun.
How Were Europeans Able to
Conquer?
European Advantages:
 Maxim gun made it
easier to keep people
from resisting
 Steam engine made it
possible explore and
colonize deep into Africa.
African Disadvantages:
 Ethnic diversity of
population, conflicts of
made it difficult to unite
to fight.
 Low technology against
Europe’s advanced
weaponry.
African Resistance: Ethiopia
Ethopia’s Menelik II
was the only African
leader to defeat
Europeans. Defeated
Italians in 1896, using
modern military
technology supplied
by France and
Russia.
► By
1914, Ethiopia and Liberia were the only
two African countries that remained
independent.
Types of Imperialist Control
Indirect Rule: (Britain)
Used customary law.
2. Sometimes allowed local person to rule, while
accepting British authority. But British made all
major decisions.
3. Relied on traditional elites, chiefs. Few chances for
other Africans to become new leaders
4. Belief: in time, local population would govern itself
1.
Types of Imperialist Control
Direct Rule: (France)
1.
A French official led government. Might allow African leaders
who spoke French to serve in government … helped put
down rebellion
2.
Policy of “assimilation”: Goal to have people accept French
culture, not traditional ways.
3.
Provided legal, political rights. Schools, government modeled
after French.
African Nationalism
Over time, some Africans educated in Western schools
admired Western ways more than those of their
own countries.
But Africans weren’t allowed leading roles or good
jobs, were expected to accept colonists as
superior. Segregation, racism by colonists fed
resentment.
Some Africans began to organize to end foreign rule –
beginnings of nationalist movement.
Why were many African intellectuals frustrated by
colonial policy? -- Western colonizers praised,
preached democracy, equality, political freedom,
but didn’t apply these values in the colonies
The Legacy of Imperialism
NEGATIVE EFFECTS
Africans lost control of their land &
independence.
► Thousands died resisting Europeans.
► Deaths from resistance to new diseases
(smallpox, for example)
► Famines resulted in switching to cash crops.
► Breakdown of traditional culture.
► European establishment of boundaries.
►
The Legacy of Imperialism
POSITIVE EFFECTS
► Reduced
local warfare
► Improved
sanitation; built hospitals, schools
► Built
infrastructure: Railroads, dams, telephone
lines, roads…
► Life
spans, literacy rates improved
Sphere of Influence: Nations gain exclusive
Forms
of Imperialism
trading rights
in territory,
dominate all trade,
but allow the local gov’t to make other
decisions
Colony: Europeans seize a
territory & rule it directly by
sending governors to the
colony
Protectorate: Local gov’t exists,
but Europeans make all real
decisions in order to protect their
trade
Why did the industrialized nations
of the world imperialize?
Nationalism in Europe
meant that each nation
wanted to become the
most powerful
Having a lot of overseas
colonies showed power
This turned into an
all-out race for the best
& most numerous
colonies in Africa & Asia
The Industrial Revolution
led to a huge demand for
raw materials so countries
could make more
factory-produced goods
The Industrial Revolution
caused a huge demand
for new overseas markets
to sell their finished goods
Having numerous
colonies in Africa & Asia
helped fuel the Industrial
Revolution
Christian missionaries
wanted
to convert the “uncivilized”
natives in the world by
creating churches, schools, &
Europeans
believed in an
hospitals
idea called “Social
Darwinism” that argued that
whites were the most
evolved & superior race
Europeans believed in the
“white man’s burden” that
they had a responsibility to
civilize the world