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European colonists who first saw the Great
Zimbabwe could not believe the Africans, who
were considered inferior, could have built
these great structures.
Video Clip
Zimbabwe Ruins Through Racist Eyes
Zimbabwe__Lost_City_of_Africa_.asf
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Imperialism means to create an empire
between many countries or regions.
In order to create an empire, one country
must take over another country and make it
apart of their country.
Usually, countries try to create empires to
A. gain more land
B. gain more or better resources
C. gain new people or to gain slaves
Take a look at the
map, What 2
continents is
Northern Africa
closest too?
Who do you think
their most likely trade
partners would be?
Why wouldn’t they be
as likely to trade with
North and South
America?
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A civilization is a society with cities, a
government, social classes and usually
include architecture, writing, and art.
The earliest civilizations in Africa rose up
along the major rivers such as the Nile and
the Niger rivers.
These were powerful kingdoms complete with
armies and they had trade routes across the
deserts.
Ever heard of Timbuktu? It was a
real kingdom on the Niger River.
The power of the North African kingdoms was based on trading across the
Sinai Peninsula with Asia and across the Med. With Europe.
The power of the West African kingdoms was based on gold and salt.
Have you ever heard the expression, “he is worth his salt?” or “He is worth
his weight in gold?”
That’s how you would get paid back then, based on your weight and your
worth.
Until the 1400’s,
the Europeans
and the Asians
traded fairly with
the African
kingdoms.
But, in 1492,
something
happened that
changed the
world.
A man named
Christopher
Columbus
“discovered” the
Americas.
After that, the
Europeans began
colonizing and
taking over
Africa.
The Europeans
were looking for
3 things in
Africa:
1. Land to
expand their
empires
2. Natural
Resources
such as gold,
salt, and
timber
3. Slaves for
their new
plantations in
the Americas
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European colonialism in Africa
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The_Scramble_for_African_Colonies_.asf
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In a very short time Europe took over a large
portion of Africa. They used the spread of
their advanced society to justify the taking of
the resources available in Africa.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NI1k5EKi
-74
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1. What were the Europeans looking for in
Africa?
2. Why did the Europeans go from being
merchants to being colonizers?
3. What does it mean to colonize another
country?
4. Why did the European colonizing of Africa
cause problems?
1.
2.
3.
The Europeans took natural resources out of
Africa and didn’t pay the people for these
resources.
The Europeans favored some ethnic groups
more than others which led to more
resentment.
The Europeans did some positive things such
as establish hospitals, schools, roads, and
railroads.
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Rival ethnic groups
forced to live together
causing conflicts and
wars.
Lost many resources
without equal return.
Lost their freedom to
govern themselves.
Africans were forced to
work on plantations
and in mines for very
little money.
Children as young as 10 are
recruited for civil wars in Africa
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Improved roads and
railroads
Improved medical
centers
Improved schools
Improved economies –
jobs and technology
Democracies allow
freedom for many people
(except in countries
where corruption leads
to dictatorships)
Hospitals in South Africa are heavily
burdened by HIV- infected children—
a leading health issue in Africa.
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Some of the worst oppression at the hands of
the Europeans occurred in the Congo. Natives
of the Congo were forced to harvest ivory and
rubber for European profit.
Video Clip
The_Congo_and_The_Heart_of_Darkness.asf
1.
Wars in Europe caused major damage and
money had to go to repairs.
a. World War I 1914-1918
b. World War II 1938-1945
2.
3.
After world war II, many European countries
could not afford to keep their colonies.
Nationalism – A fierce belief in and devotion
to one’s country
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1. Beginning in the early 1900’s many
African leaders were educated in Europe.
2. These leaders saw the way that things
could be done and they wanted these things
for Africa.
3. These leaders took these ideas back to
Africa and began several nationalist
movements.
Pan African movement – Nationalism
1. The Pan African movement called for all
Africans to come together and demand their
independence.
2. Their hope was that the people of Africa would
rise up and overcome the Europeans.
3. Beginning in the 1950’s and lasting until the
1970’s, African nations slowly began gaining
their independence.
The Road to post colonization hasn’t always been
easy.
1. There was ethnic conflict due to long standing
rivalries between ethnic groups.
2. Different ethnic groups competed with one another
to control their new countries.
3. This sometimes led to genocide – the mass killing
of people from one ethnic, political, or religious
group.
4.
5.
6.
7.
In some countries, this led to civil war.
In other countries, governments put into
place policies of segregation.
In South Africa, a policy of segregation
called apartheid or apartness was put
into place.
Apartheid separated ethnic groups into
3 categories: white, black, and colored.
GENOCIDE in RWANDA
1994
A civil war created by European colonization
Genocide in Rwanda
RWANDA
CONTINUED
1.
2.
3.
4.
Blacks and whites did not interact with one
another unless it was servant to employer.
The best jobs and best education went to the
white South Africans.
Persons of color (both black and colored) were
not allowed to hold office.
In 1951, the Bantu Authorities Act assigned
blacks to a homeland according to their record
of origin.
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5. In order for a black to leave their homeland
a pass book was required - like a passport.
(citizens of these townships could not enter
their own country without a pass book)
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6. If caught without passbooks, they could go to
jail.
7. Life was very hard for the non-whites in South
Africa.
8. Apartheid lasted from the 1920’s until 1990.
9. Nelson Mandela lead peaceful protests against
the South African government.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
Mandela started to doubt that this approach would
work and started up an armed branch of the ANC.
He was classified as a terrorist by the S.A. gov’t
and sent to prison for inciting rebellion.
He was in jail for 27 years before being released in
1990 by President F. W. DeKlerk.
In 1994, Mandela was elected as the first black
president of South Africa.
Although apartheid ended, South Africa is still
struggling to improve their economy for all
groups.