Tiny bites . . .
 Ports of convenience:
landings established by
European nations along
the coast of Africa to
resupply ships on the
way to the Pacific.
 Ports expanded into
colonies.
Advantages of Colonies
 More land, more
prestige, more power
 Natural resources
 Military bases
 Tax revenues, built-in
market
Royal Niger Company Standard
Treaty
 Read treaty & answer questions.
Royal Niger Company Standard
Treaty
 By accepting this treaty, what were the chieftains
giving up?
 What benefits were the Africans to receive by signing
the treaty?
 What does use of the standard treaty signify about
English attitudes toward and knowledge of the
Africans?
 What does the treaty indicate about the motives of the
British in Africa?
By accepting this treaty, what were
the chieftains giving up?
 Their territory, forever.
 Power to settle internal disputes
 The ability to wage war without permission of the
Royal Niger Company
 The right to mine, farm, and build in any portion of
their country
 No business dealings with other countries or
companies without permission of the Royal Niger
Company
What benefits were the Africans to
receive by signing the treaty?
 Royal Niger Company will not interfere with existing
laws or customs except to maintain order and good
government
 Will be paid a “reasonable amount”
 British will protect them from neighboring tribes
 Will pay “native value”
What does use of the standard treaty signify
about English attitudes toward and
knowledge of the Africans?
 They were interchangeable
 They were only important for the land and resources
they could provide the British
 They were not considered capable of managing their
own affairs
 They could be “bought”
What does the treaty indicate about the
motives of the British in Africa?
 They were there to acquire the maximum amount of
land and resources for the minimum investment
 They would do just about anything to acquire the land
 They wanted to control the land after the treaty