Transcript Imperialists Divide Africa

Imperialists Divide Africa
KEY IDEA Ignoring the claims of
African ethnic groups, kingdoms, and
city-states, Europeans established
colonial claims.
Industrialization Leads to Imperialism
 Industrialism
stirred the ambitions of the
Europeans. They wanted more resources to fuel
their industrial production.
 They
looked to Africa and Asia as sources for raw
materials and as markets for their products.
Africa Before Imperialism

Before the Europeans arrived in Africa, the African people
were divided into hundreds of ethnic and linguistic
groups.

Many continued to follow their traditional cultural
traditions while others converted to Christianity and Islam.

There were over 1,000 different languages spoken
throughout the continent.

The largest African kingdom was in the west and had a
population that exceeded 10 million people.
African Defend their Homeland

For nearly 400 years, since the first European explorers
had reached Africa, the African were able to keep
European from getting to deep within the interior.

Africans had powerful armies to keep Europeans out.

Geography was also important. Africa had very few
navigable rivers because of the many waterfalls and
cataracts.
Europeans Overcome Obstacles
 The
invention of the steam powered boats made
river travel possible into the interior of Africa.
Nations Compete for Overseas
Empires

In the mid-1800s, Europeans had renewed
interest in Africa. This rose, in part, from a desire
to create overseas empires, a movement called
imperialism. European nations wanted to control
lands that had raw materials they needed for
their industrial economies.

They also wanted to open up markets for the
goods they made. Nationalism fed the drive for
empires as well.
 Europeans
learned about the mysterious African
continent through books and newspaper articles
that were written by explorers and missionaries.
 The
disappearance of Dr. David Livingstone
spurred many Americans and Europeans to embark
on their own adventures to Africa.
Dr. Livingstone- I Presume!

The disappearance of Dr. David
Livingstone, a minister from
Scotland, spurred many Americans
and Europeans to embark on their
own adventures to Africa.

A reporter, Henry Stanley was hired
to find Livingstone.

Stanley found Dr. Livingstone alive
and well on the shore of Lake
Tanganika in South Eastern Africa.
Stanley Signs a Treaty with the Chiefs

Henry Stanley returned to the Congo
River Valley and convinced the tribal
chiefs to sign a treaty offered by
Belgium’s king Leopold II.

Leopold promised that if they would
agree to allow Belgium to establish
colonies, he would put a quick end to
the slave trade.
The Natives Suffer
 Leopold
did not keep his word. The natives were
exploited and forced to work. They were terribly
abused by their Belgium overlords.
 In
1908, the Belgium government took its final
step towards total control and declared the area to
be a possession of Belgium and renamed the area
the Belgium Congo.
Europeans Embrace Imperialism
 The
Europeans believed that empire building was a
measure of national greatness.
 They
believed that it was their duty as civilized
nations to “civilize” barbarian lands.
Racism and Imperialism

The Europeans had strong racist ideas believing that
Europeans were superior to the native Africans.

The Europeans twisted Charles Darwin’s theory of
evolution to justify their domination of the African people.
This was called Social Darwinism.

This idea was coined as “Survival of the fittest” which
was never written by Darwin.
Missionaries Support Imperialism
 The
missionaries viewed
European expansion into Africa
as an opportunity to
“Christianize” the heathen
natives.
 They
also believed that
European rule would bring an
end to the immoral slave trade.
Technology Wins the Day
 Europeans
had several technological advantages
over the natives.
 The
Maxin gun (first machine gun)
 Steam engine
 The discovery of Quinine (a protective treatment
against malaria)
African Internal Weaknesses

The large number of
languages and cultures made
it nearly impossible for the
Africans to unite against
their colonial overlords.

The Europeans used this
weakness to their advantage
often pitting one group
against another.
Diamonds and Gold
 After
the discovery of
gold and diamonds in
Africa, the European’s
interest in Africa
increased. No
European power was
going to be left out.
The Berlin Conference

European countries begin to scramble to make their
claim on Africa.

A conference of European nations was held in Berlin
with the sole purpose of dividing Africa and avoiding
conflict among the competing European nations.

At this conference, they agreed that any European
country could claim land in Africa by simply notifying
the other nations of their claim. No natives attended this
conference and the Africans were given no voice in the
matter.
European Countries Respond
 After
Belgium
declared its claim
on the Congo,
other European
nations quickly
began to claim
other regions of
Africa.
Creation of New Markets?

One of the colonial goals of
Europe was that one the
Europeans were firmly in
control in Africa, the
African people would want
to begin buying European
goods and opening up a
whole new market.

This did not happen. The
Africans had no interest in
European goods.
Three Groups Clash Over South
Africa
 Africans,
the Dutch
and the British clash
over control of South
Africa.
Shaka- Zulu King

In 1816, Shaka a Zulu king had
taken control over most of South
Africa. He built a strong army and
pushed many of the Europeans out
of the region.

His successors however were not
able to compete against the new
European weapons brought into
the region. The British eventually
defeated the Zulus.
The Boers
 The
Boers were Dutch settlers who took over the
native lands and established large farms.
 When
the British took over the Cape Colony area
in the 1800s, the British and Boers clashed over
the British policy regarding land and slaves.
The Great Trek

The Dutch farmers
began to flee from
the area of Cape
Town to escape the
oppression of the
British. They soon
found themselves
up against the Zulu
and other native
groups.
The Boer War

When diamonds and gold were
discovered in South Africa in the
1880s, people began coming to the
area from all over the world.

The Boers feared that they would
lose their political rights as the
British would have to control the
activity in South Africa.

The Boers started a rebellion
against the British.
The First Modern War

The Boer war is significant
in that it was the first war to
employ the use of
commando raids and guerilla
tactics.

The British countered the
Boer’s guerilla tactics by
taking women and children
as prisoners of war and
placing them in filthy
concentration camps.
The Brits Win

The British won the war in 1902. At this time the Boer
republics were joined into a self-governing Union of
South Africa, controlled by the British.

The establishment of these African colonies signaled a
change in the way of life for the Africans. It would not be
until the late 1950s that the Africans gained their
independence.

Many African nations are still struggling to create a
national identity.