What is Colonization?
• Colonization is the process in which one
country takes control of a piece of foreign
land, and declares that land to be their
own.
• Examples:
• Canada- colonized by English and French
• United States- Colonized by English
• India colonized by English
What do colonizers do?
• Colonizers attempt to make the colony an
extension of their country.
• They bring their own money, religion,
government, clothes, food, animals,
everything!
• The native peoples’ culture often
disappears.
What’s the point?
• Money, Money, Money!-Colonizers create
new colonies as a way to get valuable
resources that are worth lots of money.
• Religion (Missionaries)-Colonizers often
went to spread their religion to natives
• Racism- Colonizers believed themselves
to be superior to the natives that they
conquered
African Trade [15c-17c]
• Africa has
a large
source of
Natural
Resources
desired by
Europeans
Pre-19c (1800s) European Trade
with Africa
• Before the 1800s, Europeans colonized very
little of Africa
Africa
1890
Before
European
Colonization
Partitioning of Africa
• A Partition is
something that is
used to divide one
space from another,
hence the partitioning
of Africa is when
Europeans divided up
Africa for themselves
Europeans Fought with themselves
over the continent
Africa in
1914
After
Colonization,
Europeans
had taken
over
ALL
of the
African
Continent
(almost)
The Congo Free State
or
The Belgian Congo
King Leopold II:
(r. 1865 – 1909)
Harvesting Rubber
Colonization in the Congo
• Belgium controlled the Congo.
• King Leopold II of Belgium wanted to get
as many natural resources as possible out
of the Congo---Like Ivory and Rubber
• Leopold did not care how many people
might die in the process!
Belgium’s Stranglehold on the Congo
Berlin Conference of 1884-1885
Another point of view?
The Berlin Conference is
where all the European
powers divided up
Africa, each taking what
they wanted.
No Africans were invited
The Berlin Conference cut up
Africa like a cake
Berlin Conference 1884-1885
Shaka Zulu
(1785 – 1828)
Battle of Isandlwana
• The Zulu Tribe fought the British and the
British LOST
• This was Very Humiliating to the British
who was suppose to have the strongest
military in the world.
Diamond Mines, were South
Africa’s great natural
resource
Raw Diamonds
The Struggle for South Africa
Europeans often grouped opposing tribes
into one big country
Cecil Rhodes
(1853-1902)
• Cecil Rhodes
started a diamond
company in South
Africa.
• The company
started by Rhodes
still controls 60 % of
the worlds
diamonds today
“The Colossus of Rhodes”
Apartheid
• South Africa used a form of extreme
segregation known as Apartheid.
• Apartheid allowed for white (Europeans) to
get many opportunities that non-whites did
not get.
Nelson Mandela
• Nelson Mandela
protested apartheid,
and was in jail for
over 20 years.
• After he was released
from jail he went on to
become the first
African Prime Minister
of South Africa
Source for
Raw
Materials
Industrial
Revolution
Markets for
Finished
Goods
European
Nationalism
Missionary
Activity
European
Motives
For Colonization
Military
& Naval
Bases
Social
Darwinism
Places to
Dump
Unwanted/
Excess Popul.
European
Racism
“White
Man’s
Burden”
Humanitarian
Reasons
Soc. & Eco.
Opportunities
European Explorers in Africa
19c  Europeans Map the Interior of Africa
5-8 Million Victims Died!
(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