Transcript French West Africa - Great Valley School District

Forms of Imperial Control
Forms of Imperialism
• Direct military intervention total control of the
country
• Protectorate - own govt. but “guided” by mother
country
• Sphere of influence - imperialist hold exclusive
economic interests
• But overall aim was to gain the most at the least
expense
Forms of Colonial Control
Forms of
Imperialism
Characteristics
African Example
Colony
Country governed
internally by a
foreign power
Somaliland by
France
Protectorate
Country with its own Niger River Delta by
internal government Britain
but under the control
of an outside power
Sphere of Influence
Area in which an
outside power
claims exclusive
investment or
trading privileges
Liberia by the United
States
New Patterns of Government
Direct
Rule
Indirect
Rule
• European Governments controls
everything
• European officials make
decisions and native leaders
enforce them
Colonization under Direct Rule
• Direct rule- Under direct rule, colonies
featured administrative districts headed by
European personnel who assumed
responsibility for tax collection, labor and
military recruitment, and the maintenance of
law and order.
• Administrative boundaries intentionally cut
across existing African political and ethnic
boundaries in order to divide and weaken
potentially powerful indigenous (native)
groups.
Difficulties Under Direct Rule
• Constant shortage of European personnel
– Ex. In French West Africa some thirty-six hundred
Europeans tried to rule over an African population of
more than nine million.
• The combination of long distances and
slow transport limited effective
communication between regional
authorities and officials in remote areas.
• An inability to speak local languages and a
limited understanding of local customs among
European officials further undermined their
effective administration.
Colonization under Indirect Rule
• A British colonial administrator Frederick D.
Lugard was the driving force behind the
doctrine of indirect rule, which the British
employed in many of its African colonies.
• Lugard wrote The Dual Mandate in British
Tropical Africa.
• In this he stressed the moral and financial
advantages of exercising control over subject
populations through indigenous (native)
institutions.
Frederick D. Lugard
Indirect Control
• Lugard thought that by using tribal and
customary laws Europeans could establish a
strong foundation for colonial rule.
• Forms of indirect rule worked in regions
where Africans had already established
strong and highly organized states
• Often this plan was not effective, especially
in the regions that were not well organized
under the control of its colonial leaders.
Difficulties Under Indirect Rule
• Many colonial leaders were confused by the
complexity of tribal laws and boundaries and
imposed their own idea of what they thought was
tribal boundaries and tribal laws.
• This was done with little regard to the differences
between tribes and these tribes were split up into
what Europeans thought was acceptable boundaries.
• These colonial boundaries divided ethnic groups or
grouped traditional enemies.
• Some groups were even given limited access to
water in their newly drawn up lines of tribal
territories.
Results of Indirect Rule
• As a result of colonial rule with little
regard to African’s tribal boundaries and
practices many African nations today are
fighting tribal wars
• Ex.(Rwandan genocide) and still having
disputes over land for reasons such as
ethnic dominance and control over
natural resources.
Management Methods
Indirect Control
Direct Control
Characteristics
-Local officials were used
-Limited self-rule
-Goal to develop future
leaders
-Govt’s based on European
styles, but may have local
rulers
Characteristics
-Foreign officials brought into
rule
- No self-rule
-Goal assimilation---adopt the
White Way
-Govt’s institutions based only
on European styles
Examples
-British colonies such as
Nigeria, India, Burma
-U.S. colonies on Pacific
Examples
-French colonies such as
Somaliland, Vietnam
-German colonies such as
Forms of Imperialism
Examples of Differences Between
French and British
• The French used their colonial officials to
govern, spread French culture, and make
territories overseas extensions of France
• The British focused strictly on administration
and were less apt to convert colonial peoples
to British ways
• The British often allowed local rulers to govern
territories as their representatives
Berlin Conference
The Division of Africa
• Diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) were discovered
in South Africa.
• Berlin Conference (1884-85):
• 14 European nations agreed to lay down rules for
the division of Africa.
• No African ruler was invited to this conference.
• Demand of Raw Materials: Africa was rich in
mineral resources like copper and tin in the Congo
and gold and diamonds in South Africa.
• Cash crop plantations for peanuts, palm oil, cocoa,
and rubber were also developed.
Berlin Conference 1884
 GOALS: to promote
the three c’s
 Commerce
 Christianity
 civilization
 Ensure Free trade
 Ensure free
navigation on Niger
River
 Agree to rules to
divide up Africa
Also, there was the question of how to
divvy up Africa in an orderly manner…
• Of course, no one asked the native
Africans.
• Over time, “warring” tribes would be
placed together
• Straight lines in Africa and the Middle
East clearly indicate “imperial” meddling.
The Berlin Conference laid down
certain rules--
• A European power with holdings on
the coast had prior rights
• Occupation must include
administrators or troops
• Each power must give notice to the
others of what territories it
considered its own
• THE REAL SCRAMBLE BEGAN!
African Colonization
• 1884 Berlin Conference: European
powers meet and agree on how to
divide Africa into colonies.
–Only Liberia and Ethiopia remain
independent.
Berlin Conference of 1884-1885
Another point of view? 
–England,
France, and
Germany take
the most
territory.
–France takes
most of the
Sahel.
British Colonies in Africa
Why would the British have the largest empire?
Industrial demands, need for navy
British
imperialism
Cartoon
Pro-England
or
Anti-England?
Suez Canal
• 1869, Suez Canal influenced Britain’s interest in Egypt
• Canal linked Mediterranean with Red Sea, shortened trip from Europe to
Indian Ocean; no need to sail around southern tip of Africa
• 1882, Egyptian government appeared unstable; British occupied Egypt to
protect British interests in Suez Canal; later established partial control as
protectorate to ensure British access to canal
Division in Africa
• European nations competed
aggressively for other territories
• 1884–1885, European leaders met
in Berlin to divide African territory
• Tried to prevent conflict between
European nations
No Regard for Tradition
• Berlin Conference—for European
nation to claim new African territory,
it had to prove it could control
territory
• No attention paid to ethnic
boundaries in dividing Africa
BRITISH IN NORTH AFRICA
• Egypt – in name ruled by Ottoman Turks,
but largely independent
• European capital investments
– Suez Canal opened in 1869
• Built by the Egyptians and French
• Taken over by the British (1875)
– British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli
» Bought shares in Suez Canal Company from Egypt
• Egypt was nearly bankrupt from the expense
of building the Suez Canal
» British government became largest shareholder
EUROPEANS IN EGYPT
• 1870s – with the Egyptian government
bankrupt, the British and French took
over financial control of the country
– Egyptian monarchs (technically Ottoman
viceroys) ruled as puppet leaders
• 1882 – Egyptian nationalist rebellion
– France withdrew its troops
– Great Britain left in control of Egypt
• Lord Cromer introduced reforms
– De facto British protectorate
• Made official in 1914
• Independence came in 1922
Suez Canal
BRITISH COLONIES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
• Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe)
– Named for Cecil Rhodes
– North of Union of South Africa
• Bechuanaland (now Botswana)
– 1885 – became a British protectorate
• Kenya
– 1888 – became a British protectorate
BRITISH IN NORTHERN AFRICA
• Sudan
–
–
–
–
Area south of Egypt
Under Anglo-Egyptian control
Cotton needed for British textile mills
Entente Cordiale (1904)
• Great Britain controlled Sudan
• France controlled Morocco
• Cape-to-Cairo Railroad
– Idea of Cecil Rhodes
– Would secure Great Britain’s dominance in Africa
– Never completed – sections missing through
modern Sudan and Uganda
Cape-to-Cairo Railway: Crossing over Victoria Falls
South Africa
• Cecil Rhodes
Kimberley
• Dr Jameson
Jameson Raid, unsuccessful attempt to take over
Boer regions.
• Boer War (1899-1902) British eventually won a
war of attrition
Soon after that, the British got involved in
the Boer War—The Germans supported the
Boers, while the British were ultimately
victorious.
South Africa
• By 1880 European nations only controlled 10% of Africa
• The British took the Dutch settlement of Cape Town
after the Napoleonic Wars
• Boers - Dutch descendents moved northward to avoid
the British. Vortrekkers - The Great Trek created two
independent states:
Orange Free State and Transvaal
• After 1853 the Boers proclaimed political independence
and fought the British
• By 1880 British and Boer settlers controlled much of
South Africa
Second Boer War
• The Second Boer War was In 1899,
the Boers end up taking up arms
against the British.
• This is the first “total war”. The
Boers use commando raids and
guerilla tactics against the British.
• The British burn Boer farms and
imprison women and children in
concentration camps.
• The British finally won this war.
• In 1910 the Boer Republic joins
the Union of South Africa.
Dead British soldiers lying in trenches after
the Battle of Spion Kop, near Ladysmith,
Natal
French and German Colonies in
Africa
French and Germans
French West Africa
• West Africa, leader of Malinke peoples, Samory Touré, formed army to fight
against French rule; fought for 15 years; proclaimed self king of Guinea
• 1898, French defeated Touré, ended resistance to French rule in West Africa
German East Africa
• Africans called on gods, ancestors for spiritual guidance in resistance
• 1905, several African peoples united to rebel against Germans’ order to grow
cotton for export to Germany
Rebellion Put Down
• To combat Germans, spiritual leader encouraged followers to sprinkle magic
water over bodies to protect selves from German bullets; did not work
• Rebellion quickly put down; Germans killed tens of thousands of Africans
FRENCH IN AFRICA
• Algeria
– 1830 – invasion
– 1831 – annexation
• Tunis
– 1881 – controlled by France
• Led Italy to join the Triple Alliance with Austria-Hungary and
Germany
• Morocco
– 1881 – large part under French control
– 1905 and 1911 – nearly sparked a European war
between France and Germany
• 1906 – Algeciras Conference – Germany recognized French
rights in Morocco
• 1911 – Agadir Crisis – Germany recognized French protectorate
over Morocco in exchange for part of France’s territory in the
Congo
FRENCH IN AFRICA
• Madagascar
– 1896 – controlled by France
• Somaliland
– 1880s – partly under French control
• West Africa
– Late 1800s – largely under French control
• Sudan
– 1898 – met Britain’s area of control and
nearly went to war
– Entente Cordiale settled British-French
disputes in Africa
FRENCH IN AFRICA
• By World War I – 1914
– France controlled 3,250,000 square miles
in Africa
• 14 times the area of France
– France ruled 30,000,000 Africans
• 75% of the population of France
GERMANS IN AFRICA
• Togoland (now Togo and Ghana)
• Cameroons (now Cameroon and
Nigeria)
• Southwest Africa (now Namibia)
• East Africa (now Burundi, Rwanda, and
Tanzania)
Belgian Colonies in Africa
The Congo
"I do not want to risk...losing a fine chance to secure for ourselves a slice of this
magnificent African cake.”--Leopold II
Belgian
Congo
BELGIANS IN AFRICA
• 1908
– Belgium gained control of Congo (Congo Free State)
from King Leopold II
– Leopold was infamous for the cruelty of his rule in the
Congo
• Congo Free State (today’s Democratic Republic of
Congo)
– 80 times the size of Belgium
– Source of uranium
KING LEOPOLD II OF BELGIUM
(1835-1909)
• Took over land in central Africa
• Berlin Conference (1885)
– Leopold’s control over Congo Free State
recognized by major powers
• Belgian Congo (1908)
– Leopold criticized for the cruelty of his rule
in the Congo
– Leopold forced to sell Congo Free State to
Belgian government
– Renamed Belgian Congo
• Created European race for African
colonies – “Scramble for Africa”
– Diamonds, foodstuffs, gold, ivory, rubber
The Congo Free State: Leopold’s False
Promises
• European countries recognized Leopold’s claim to the territory
in 1885 because of:
– Stanley’s treaties for Leopold
– Leopold’s assurances that he would end slavery
– Leopold’s promise that the Congo would remain a free trade area.

The colony
“belonged” to
Leopold personally.
Leopold waged a skillful public relations campaign to
promote his “Congo Free State” as an effort to stop the
Arabs from running a slave trade in Africa. This, of
course, was a ruse.
Slave raids such as this one
carried out by the kingdom of
Dahomey in return for European
muskets and money provided
Leopold II with his
“humanitarian” excuse for going
into the Congo.
The Congo Free State :
“The Profit Imperative”
• Leopold drove slave traders out and
portrayed it as humanitarian act.
• Reality: he did it to gain control of region.
• Leopold paid his ‘agents’ in the Congo a
percentage of profits, encouraging them
to make the trade more and more
profitable.
• Also authorized the use of as much force
as was deemed necessary.
The Congo Sparks Interest
• Stanley set out to
explore Africa and trace
the Congo.
• King Leopold II of
Belgium commissioned
Stanley to help him
obtain land in the
Congo.
• Stanley signed treaties
with local chiefs who
gave Leopold II control
over these lands.
Role of Stanley in Congo
• Leopold sent the
famous explorer of
Africa, Henry Morton
Stanley, to negotiate
treaties with the
natives.
• Native chiefs were
offered trinkets or
cloth if they would
place an X on a
document in foreign
tongue.
Role of Stanley in Congo
• Henry Stanley was hired to find Dr.
Livingstone and he became famous
with his saying, “Dr. Livingstone, I
presume?”
• This new fame encouraged King
Leopold of Belgium to hire Stanley
• Stanley surveyed the basin of the
Upper Congo River and traced the
course of the Congo River
• To control land in the Congo, Leopold
founded the International Association
of the Congo
Role of Stanley in Congo
• Stanley began to sign treaties with over 450
native chiefs from the Congo
• As a result, Leopold gained rule of these
lands given up by the chiefs
• In 1885, after the Berlin Conference,
Leopold was given personal rule over the
newly declared Congo Free State
• Leopold had what he wanted because other
European powers recognized his hold over
Congo
Chiefs of Ngombi & Mafela, in return for "one piece of cloth per month to each of
the undersigned chiefs, besides present of cloth in hand," they promised to
"freely of their own accord, for themselves and their heirs and successors for
ever...give up to the said Association the sovereignty and all sovereign and
governing rights to all their territories...and to assist by labour or otherwise, any
works, improvements or expeditions which the said Association shall cause at
any time to be carried out in any part of these territories....All roads and
waterways running through this country, the right of collecting tolls on the same,
and all game, fishing, mining and forest rights, are to be the absolute property of
the said Association.”
--Treaty handing over land to Leopold II
Harvesting Rubber
The Congo Free State :
“The Profit Imperative”
• Colony not profitable in first few years.
• Soon the idea of free trade was
abandoned; natives could only trade with
Leopold’s representatives, with 50% of
profits going to Leopold himself.
• Profit required cheap labor (gathering
rubber is very labor intensive).
• Belgian soldiers
enforcing rubber sap
quotas
Leopold’s Abuse of the Congo
• Agents ‘encouraged’ young men to work by holding their
wives and children captive until each man’s quota was met.
• Many who resisted were killed on the spot.
• Others were beaten with whips made from dried hippo hide
with sharp edges.
– 20 lashes resulted in unconsciousness
– 100 lashes resulted in death.
Women kept hostage to force their
husbands to go and gather rubber.
Rubber was harvested by climbing
the rubber tree, tapping into it and
letting the sap run all over the
slave’s body, where it would
congeal. Later he would peel the
rubber off his body, taking any
body hair with it. Rubber
harvesters were given impossible
quotas to fill each month. In
addition to enduring the hardships
of gathering rubber in the jungle,
many of them were killed by wild
animals.
Belgian
Congo
"The station chief selects the victims....Trembling, haggard, they lie face down on the
ground...two of their companions, sometimes four, seize them by the feet and hands,
and remove their cotton drawers....Each time that the torturer lifts up the chicotte, a
reddish stripe appears on the skin of the pitiful victims, who, however firmly held,
gasp in frightful contortions....At the first blows the unhappy victims let out horrible
cries which soon become faint groans....In a refinement of evil, some officers, and
I've witnessed this, demand that when the sufferer gets up, panting, he must
graciously give the military salute.”
-- Stanislas Lefranc, Belgian prosecutor
The chicotte, a particularly vicious type
of whip made from rhinoceros hide.
Belgian
Congo
Punishing “Lazy” Workers
Two victims (l.) who
lost their hands, one
because his wrists were
tied too tightly, the
other because company
militia cut it off to
claim him as killed and
get a reward. Below, a Belgian
Congo
father looks at the
severed hand and foot
of his daughter
Mutilated People in the Congo Free
State
The men in this photo are holding human hands.
sun.menloschool.org
5-8 Million Victims!
(50% of Popul.)
It is blood-curdling to see them (the
soldiers) returning with the hands of
the slain, and to find the hands of
young children amongst the bigger
ones evidencing their bravery...The
rubber from this district has cost
hundreds of lives, and the scenes I
have witnessed, while unable to help
the oppressed, have been almost
enough to make me wish I were
dead... This rubber traffic is steeped
in blood, and if the natives were to
rise and sweep every white person on
the Upper Congo into eternity, there
would still be left a fearful balance to
their credit.
-- Belgian Official
Leopold’s Abuse of the Congo
• Revolt broke out. Leopold sent troops into villages to
exterminate the young men.
• To make sure bullets weren’t wasted, soldiers were expected
to return with the severed right hands of those they killed.
• Soldiers who couldn’t meet quotas or spent bullets hunting
would cut hands off of living women and children.
Between 1895-1908 an
estimated 8-10 million
people died due to
murder, mistreatment and
starvation.
The “Hand” Tax
 Hands cut off as proof of
killing or punishment:
received payment for
hands and “proved” that
supervisors were not
“wasting” bullets on game
hunting
Leopold’s men then proceeded to rape the land of its riches, especially ivory and
rubber, ruthlessly using forced labor to get the job done.
"It was most interesting, lying in the bush, watching the natives quietly at their
day's work. Some women ...were making banana flour by pounding up dried
bananas. Men we could see building huts and engaged in other work, boys &
girls running about, singing.... I opened the game by shooting one chap through
the chest. He fell like a stone....Immediately a volley was poured into the
village.”
"Six shots & four deaths were sufficient to quiet the mocking.”--Henry Stanley
The village of Baringa before and after it was burned & converted into a rubber plantation, it being easier
to clear a village than a deeply rooted jungle
Belgian
Congo
Belgium’s Stranglehold on the Congo
Leopold’s Conscience??
Negative press about
what the Belgians
were doing in the
Congo
The Belgian King Leopold II says to the USA " I'll give you enough
rubber to make you an elastic conscience"
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41766098@N03/3965951238/
Marlow’s & Conrad’s
1889-90 journey into
“Heart of
Darkness”
Joseph
Conrad
(1857-1914)
The First Modern Genocide?
From 1885-1908 the Congolese population declines by
one-half to 10 million due to
1) murder
2) starvation/exhaustion
3) disease
4) low birth rate
An estimated 10 million people died during this
time
Effects of Imperialism on
Congolese Continued
• They were forced to collect sap from rubber plants
by European Companies that King Leopold II issued.
• A near 10 million Congolese died from the brutality
of Leopold’s rule.
• Humanitarians all around the world wanted big
changes because of the horrible acts of Leopold.
• The Belgium Government took control in 1908, away
from the vicious Leopold.
• There was slavery throughout Africa and they were
beaten and forced to work but that would soon be
over because they were going to gain independence
from Belgium soon.
Effect on the Congo: The Human
Rights Movement
• Public pressure eventually forced Leopold to sell the Congo Free
State to the Belgian government. It became The Belgian Congo in
1908
• The Belgian Government
ended the worst of the
atrocities, but still
controlled the fate of the
African natives “For their
own good.”
• The African natives were
never consulted about
their future
Imperial Power Removed In Congo
• In 1908 the Congo was surrendered by King
Leopold II to Belgium.
• It was renamed the Belgium Congo.
• Working conditions were harsh but the
Belgium rule improved them significantly.
• People began to demand self rule.
• The Belgium government agreed to give their
political power to the people because they
were so confident that they would later regain
control.
• The Belgium Government was wrong, on June
30,1960, Congo gained their independence.
• Joseph Kasavubu and Patrick Lumumba were
the new president and prime minister of the
Belgium Congo.
Italian Colonies in Africa
ITALIANS IN AFRICA
• 1882-1896
– Eritrea (along the Red Sea)
– Somaliland (along the Indian Ocean, part
of today’s Somalia)
• 1896
– Defeated in attempt to conquer Abyssinia
(Ethiopia)
• 1912
– Won Tripoli from Ottoman Turks
Portuguese Colonies in Africa
PORTUGUESE IN AFRICA
• Under “old imperialism” Portugal
gained African territory and led the
early trans-Atlantic African slave trade
• Angola
• Mozambique
Portuguese territory
in Africa, 1810
Spanish Colonies in Africa
SPANISH IN AFRICA
• Spain had
very few
possessions
in Africa
• Tip of
Morocco
• Rio de Oro
• Rio Muni
Modern boundaries, drawn by Europeans
Examples of African Resistance to
Imperialism
Primary Source…
• Nor is violent physical opposition to abuse and injustice
henceforth possible for the African in any part of Africa.
His chances of effective resistance have been steadily
dwindling with the increasing perfectibility in the killing
power of modern armament. Thus the African is really
helpless against the material gods of the white man, as
embodied in the trinity of imperialism, capitalistic
exploitation and militarism.
– Edward Morel, “The Black Man’s Burden”
• According to this statement, do you think the Africans could
overcome the challenges of Imperialism?
African Resistance
• Many Africans attempted to resist European
imperialism
• It was difficult for Africans to resist because
– Europeans had superior weapons
– More organized armies
– Unlimited money
Aim: What challenges did Africans face
in an attempt to resist European
imperialism?
African Resistance
Africans did not passively accept European claims to rule over them. As
European troops advanced on African territory, they met stiff resistance.
The Zulu
Ethiopia
• Zulu people resisted colonialization
more than 50 years
• Only nation to retain independence
by matching European firepower
• Zulu leader Shaka built strong
kingdom by subduing several
neighboring peoples
• 1889, emperor Menelik II
modernized nation, army
• 1879, British invaded Zulu territory,
annexed kingdom as colony
• 1895, Italian forces invaded over
treaty dispute
• Menelik’s forces defeated Italians
Even without modern weapons, other Africans still fiercely resisted European
powers.
Ethiopia: Successful Resistance
• Only African nation that was successful in
resisting the Europeans
• Menelik II, leader, played the Italians, French
and British against each other.
– He built a large arsnal of weapons
– Learned that treaties were not always correct
• Defeated the Italians in the Battle of Adowa
Aim: What challenges did Africans face
in an attempt to resist European
imperialism?
Menelik II
Aim: What challenges did Africans face
in an attempt to resist European
imperialism?
Shaka Zulu
(1785 – 1828)
Three Groups Clash over South
Africa
• Zulus Fight the British
– Around 1816, Shaka, used
highly disciplined warriors
and good military
organization to create a
large centralized Zulu state.
Shaka’s Military Innovations
• Short spear was the principal weapon requiring close
combat. Large shield was introduced.
• Warriors went bare foot so that the soles of the feet
would be toughened.
• Constant drilling to keep warriors physically fit.
• Boys six and over were apprentice warriors who carried
rations. They were highly organized.
• Regiments were given various tasks based on the age
range of the men making up the regiment.
• “Buffalo horn formation” is credited to Shaka.
Boers Clash With the Xhosa
Tribes
Boer Farmer
Who Were The Boers?
– The first Europeans to settle South Africa were the
Dutch. They later became known as the Boers (also
called Afrikaners).
– British control of South Africa caused a clash
between the Boers and British.
– Boers move north on the Great Trek, but clash with
Zulus.
The Great Trek, 1836-38
Afrikaners
Anglo-Zulu War
– Shaka’s successors
could not keep
power against
superior British
arms.
– In 1879 the AngloZulu War broke
out.
vs.
Army of the United Kingdom
rifle
technology
Army of the Zulu Kingdom
shield and spear
close combat
Anglo-Zulu War
• On January 22,1879, Zulu
King Cetshwayo (pictured
right) attacked the British at
the Battle of Isandlwana
with an army of 20,000 Zulus
against 850 British soldiers
and 450 Africans in British
service.
• Only 50 enlisted British
soldiers and 5 officers
escaped.
Battle of Isandlwana
Rorke’s Drift
• The Battle of Rorke’s Drift mission
station occurred the same day and the
next (22-23 Jan 1879), immediately
following the British defeat at
Isandlwana.
• However, 139 British soldiers
successfully defended their garrison
against a force of 5,000 Zulus.
• The 1964 film Zulu is a depiction of
this battle.
Artists depiction of the Battle of Rorke’s
Drift, 22-23 January 1879.
Effects of Imperialism
Negative
Effects of
Imperialism
Traditional patterns of life
were destroyed
Positive
Effects of
Imperialism
Built roads, bridges,
and railroads
Exploited Africa’s natural
resources
Switched to farming cash
crops
Set up new schools
African villages were no
longer self-sufficient
Africans became
dependant on Europe
Introduced new
farming methods
Effects of Imperialism
• Positive
– Reduced Local Warfare
– The introduction of modern of transportation and
communication systems, such as telegraphs, railroads and
telephones.
– Improved Sanitation
– Introduction of medicine increased population
– Life Span and Literacy Rates Increased
• Negative
– Loss of land and independence
– Breakdown of traditional culture
– Division of Continent
Effects of Imperialism
• Positive For Europe: The imperialists profited from
the colonies by digging mines, starting plantations,
and building factories and ports
• Negative for Africans:
• Africans were used as cheap labor and abused in
many colonies.
• Europeans divided Africa and ignored the tribal,
ethnic, and cultural boundaries of the African
people.
• This has led to tribal conflicts in many African
nations that continue to this day.
Effects of Imperialism
• Positive/Negative Effects for Africa:
• Schools set up by Europeans taught Africans that
European ways were best
• A western-educated elite had emerged in many
European colonies in Africa
• These elite condemned imperialism
• They founded nationalist groups to push for self-rule
• By the end of the 20th Century Africa’s peoples had
won their political independence from European
rule