How Some African Countries
Were Colonized by Europe
By Jacob Weinstein
Egypt
Nigeria
Overview:
Effect of
African
Colonization
Dem. Rep. of
the Congo
Democratic
Republic of the
Congo
Credits
By Jacob Weinstein
.
Nigeria
Nigeria was colonized by Great Britain in 1914. Previously, Great Britain had participated in the slave trade at
Nigeria with the native Yoruba and Benin tribes. The slave trade was abolished in Great Britain in 1807. In an
effort to stop slavery, the British promoted trading palm oil for guns. This had the opposite effect: The Yoruba
fought each other, and realized that they could get guns from the British. They enslaved prisoners of war and
forced them to gather palm fruits for palm oil, which they traded for guns. They used the guns to win wars.
That meant that the defeated tribe would trade palm oil for guns, so the number of wars increased.
In 1861, Great Britain declared Lagos a crown colony. As the British moved to colonize more of
Nigeria, they met with resistance. The North and South Protectorates of Nigeria were united in 1914 to form
the Colony and Protectorate of Nigeria.
As a colony, Nigeria was governed by tribal chiefs that took orders from British officials. This was the
trademark of British colonial rule in Africa: British officials gave orders to native tribal leaders under the banner
of “native administration.”
Back
Egypt
Egypt borders the Mediterranean Sea, and the Middle East. Because of that, it was colonized by the
Macedonians, Greeks, Romans, Persian, Libyans, and the Ottoman Empire before the modern countries of
Europe even existed.
As Macedonia was what would now be northern Greece, the Macedonians were the first Europeans
to colonize Egypt. The Macedonians were at the time lead by Alexander the Great, the famous strategist. He
captured Egypt without a single battle from the Persians (from modern-day Iran) in 332 B.C.E. The Egyptians
viewed Alexander the Great as a liberator, eliminating the possibilities of revolts.
During the 19th century, France and Great Britain competed for influence over Egypt. France’s
Napoleon Bonaparte had invaded in 1798, but was pushed out by the British. In 1914, Great Britain made
Egypt a protectorate.
Back
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was colonized by Belgium in 1884. Belgium's leader, Leopold
II, formed a company to take advantage of the Congo’s natural resources. The Congo was called the Congo Free
State, and was in effect the personal property of Leopold II. He enslaved the people living in what was now his
domain. His treatment of the Congo Free State raised international protest, and the Belgian parliament
confiscated it in 1908. It was renamed Belgian Congo.
The Belgian government insisted that their attitude towards Africa was that of a purely paternalistic
one. Africans were supposedly treated as children; learning and being trained. But their situation was very
different: Belgium simply refused to believe that the Africans were people. The Africans had no representation
in the Belgian Congo’s government. Traditional African leaders were used as puppets and agents for Belgium.
They were the mouth of Belgium’s government, collecting taxes and recruiting workers. Leaders that would not
obey were deposed.
The Congo Free State’s primary source of wealth for Belgium was rubber. Africans were whipped and
kidnapped if their villages failed to make the rubber quotas. Sometimes, the rubber collectors, when faced
with a village that didn’t fulfill its rubber quota was told to bring back the hand of an African. Such
punishments were very cruel and ultimately hurt the village’s rubber production (as there would be one less
hand to collect rubber).
Back
Overview: Effect of African Colonization
Africa was set back tremendously by colonization. However, some Africans set themselves back by dwelling in
anger and wishing for vengeance against Western civilization. Europe did attempt to convert Africans to
Christianity, and they did steal Africa’s resources, and they did enslave Africans, but some Africans are dwelling
in the past. One such African is Dr. Motsoko Pheko. He has served on South Africa’s parliament, and is a former
representative of South Africa to United Nations. But he is filled with hate for Western civilization. A supporter
of dictators Robert Mugabe and Muammar Gaddafi, he claims that the U.S. is trying to set Africa back.
“
Africa demonstrates that any true leaders, who the imperialists [Western civilization] perceive as a threat to their economic
interests, are targeted…Some of these were Kwame Nkrumah, Patrice Lumumba, Chief Moshodi Abiola and recently Muammar Gaddafi.
So far, imperialists have found Robert Mugabe a hard nut to crack. Two British Prime Ministers…and President George Bush of
America have become despicable casualties in the battle field of “regime change” in Zimbabwe against Robert Mugabe…Mugabe is still
standing. He is still in command. Africa needs more leaders like Robert Mugabe.”
That is a hatemonger talking. Robert Mugabe has hung on to his title as president through violence and
intimidation. Africans like Dr. Motsoko Pheko can not move out of the past. This is partly why some parts of
Africa are so undeveloped: Some people can’t move on.
Back
Credits
Sources:
“Africa: Effects of Colonialism On Africa’s Past and Present”. Motsoko Pheko. allAfrica.com, AllAfrica Global Media. Fahamu,
2012. Web. 31 May 2012.
"Belgian Congo". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2013
“Congo Free State". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2013
"Congo-Kinshasa." CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest, 2013. Web. 10 Dec 2013.
"Egypt." CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest, 2013. Web. 10 Dec 2013.
“Freedom from Empire: An Assessment of Postcolonial Africa: Year In Review 2010" Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web.
10 Dec. 2013
"Nigeria." CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest, 2013. Web. 10 Dec 2013.
"Belgian Congo". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013. Web. 10 Dec. 2013
Images:
Map of Africa:
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/africa/afoutl.htm
Map of Nigeria:
http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcnigeria.htm
Map of Egypt:
http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcnigeria.htm
Map of the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/africa/democratic-republic-of-congo/
Back