Europe Takes Control of Africa
How did European nations gain control of Africa?
David Livingstone came from Britain to Africa in 1841. Livingstone was a
missionary-a person who is sent to do religious work in a territory or foreign country.
Through his work, Livingstone came to know many African people. He developed a deep
respect for their cultures. As Livingstone's fascination with the land and people of Africa
grew, he began to journey into the African interior. Soon he was heading into regions no
other white person had ever seen.
In 1849, Livingstone became the first white person to cross the vast Kalahari
Desert and see Lake Ngami. Two years later, he journeyed with his wife and children into
the Africa interior. Together they reached the Zambezi River. On another trip in 1855, he
came to a great waterfall that he named Victoria Falls. Livingstone's writings about the
African continent made him the most famous European explorer of Africa.
David Livingstone was a Scottish doctor who volunteered for missionary work in
Africa. His explorations opened the African interior to Europeans. In 1866, Livingstone set
out on his most ambitious trip. He wanted to find the source of the Nile River. He began
his journey at Cape Town at the southern tip of Africa and traveled slowly northward. For
several years, little was heard from or about him. Many feared that Livingstone had died
or had gotten lost.
Then, in 1869, U.S-British newspaper reporter Henry Stanley was given the
following assignment: "Find Livingstone." Stanley reached Africa in 1871 and traveled for
126 days in search of the doctor. One day he reached the town of Ujiji on Lake
Tanganyika. Stanley's newspaper account describes what happened next. The expedition
at last comes to a halt. . . . As I come nearer I see the white face of an old man. . . . We
raise our hats and I say: "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?" and he says, 'Yes.” Stanley had
found Livingstone. He had also decided that he wanted to continue exploring the
continent of Africa.
Exploring Africa
Livingstone and Stanley were among the first Europeans to venture into the African
interior. Their journeys sparked European interest in the continent. Before explorers
opened the interior, Europeans were familiar only with North Africa and the areas along
the African coast. North Africa is located close to southern Europe and the Middle East.
(See the map below.) For hundreds of years, European and Arab traders had exchanged
goods and slaves. European explorers had also established trading posts along the
coast. Few attempts had been made to explore the vast interior of Africa. In Europeans'
imaginations the continent was a dark mystery.
There were several geographical reasons why the interior remained, unexplored.
One reason was that the deserts made travel by land difficult. Another reason was that
the many rivers that cross Africa are nearly impossible to navigate because of their many
rapids and waterfalls. Sea travel was also difficult. The coasts of Africa have few large
harbors in which ships can dock.
European Interest Builds
During the 1800s, several developments encouraged Europeans to brave the
elements and explore Africa's interior. The most important development was the Industrial
Revolution. During the Industrial Revolution, European nations built new industries based
D:\106747067.doc
on new technology and work methods. Raw materials, such as coal, iron ore, gold, silver,
tin, and copper, were needed to fuel new European factories. Many of these raw
materials could be found in Africa. As the Europeans saw it, Africa was a huge treasure
box-theirs for the taking. The Europeans cared little for African cultures that were
hundreds or thousands of years old.
Shipping routes were another reason Europeans became interested in Africa. In
1869, a French company built the Suez Canal in Egypt. The canal connects the
Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean by way, of the Red Sea. The opening of the canal
revolutionized world shipping. Ships no longer had to travel around the tip of South Africa
to reach Asia. The trip from London, England, to Bombay, India, was shortened by more
than 4,000 miles.
In 1875, the British government bought controlling interest in the Suez Canal
company. At the time, the British also controlled India. The British became concerned
about losing control of the canal, so they sent an army into Egypt. A few years later, the
British made Egypt a protectorate. As a protectorate, Egypt stayed independent, but its
foreign policy was controlled by Britain.
The Scramble for Africa
The policy of conquering and ruling other lands is called imperialism. Generally,
imperialism means a powerful nation controls a weaker one. There were many reasons
for the rise of imperialism in Africa and elsewhere. Again, one reason was the Industrial
Revolution. European countries wanted unlimited access to the raw materials they
needed to fuel their factories at home. They took colonies in Africa that had those raw
materials. Colonialism is a term for the policy of taking over foreign lands in order to
exploit them economically.
Another reason for imperialism was national pride. Some countries sought colonies
because they thought an empire would make them look important in the eyes of the
world. King Leopold of Belgium sent Henry Stanley to the Congo to make treaty
arrangements with the local leaders. Stanley was very successful. By 1884, Belgium, one
of the smallest countries in Europe, controlled an area in Africa that equaled the size of all
of Western Europe. Belgium gained much wealth and prestige from its colony.
A third cause of imperialism was a military build-up throughout Europe. Many
European countries were increasing the, size and power of their navies. Sea power was
vital for controlling important trade routes and protecting economic interests. Britain's
takeover of the Suez Canal is an example of this type of imperialism. Many other
European nations also used their colonies in Asia and Africa to provide and store supplies
for their navies.
Another cause of imperialism had nothing to do with wealth or power. It was the
belief that westerners were superior to other people. Many Europeans looked down on
traditional African culture. They believed that Africans were backward and uncivilized.
Europeans thought that it was their responsibility to bring Christianity and Western culture
to Africa.
Europeans Divide the Continent
In the mid to late 1800s, one European nation after another began to claim
portions of Africa. Then the nations of Europe began to squabble with one another over
lands they claimed. In 1884-85, the European powers attended a conference in Berlin,
Germany. The purpose of the Berlin Conference was to settle the disputes of European
nations that held territory in Africa. Although the nations of Europe were discussing the
D:\106747067.doc
fate of Africa, no representatives from Africa were invited to the conference. At the Berlin
Conference, the, European powers divided the African continent into colonies. By 1910,
only Liberia and Ethiopia remained independent.
During the 1800s, Ethiopia's leader, King Menelik II, had modernized his country
and its army. In 1896, Italy tried to conquer Ethiopia but lost in battle to the Ethiopian
army. After that battle, the European powers recognized Ethiopia's independence. Liberia
had been established by the American Colonization Society to resettle African Americans
who had won freedom from slavery. Due to its ties to the United States, Liberia's
independence was recognized by European nations.
D:\106747067.doc
How did the Zulus react
to European expansion
in Southern Africa?
"I hear the sound of the feet of
a great white people. They will
tread this land flat."
Shaka, king of the Zulus,
uttered these words on his
deathbed. The Zulus are a
people from Southern Africa,
Zululand, the area controlled
by Shaka and the Zulus, took
up most of what is today the
country of South Africa.
Shaka was a military genius
with a gift for organization. He was also a cruel and ruthless leader. By 1823, his empire
stretched over an area of 100,000 square miles. He had defeated all of the African tribes
that had opposed him. Just five years later, he lay dying, killed by his own brother,
Dingaan.
Zulus resisted Boer expansion into Zulu territory in the 1800s. They fought many wars,
but in the end were defeated. Pictured here are Zulu head men, or chiefs. Today, there
are about two million Zulus living in South Africa.
Europeans in Southern Africa
Like other Africans, the Zulus opposed European, expansion into their territories. A
small group of Dutch settlers had arrived in what is now Cape Town on the southern
coast of Africa in 1652. The Dutch farmers soon began claiming lands that belonged to
the African groups in the region, includin the San and the Khoi Khoi. There were constant
clashes. When the British captured Cape Town in 1806, many of the Dutch left and
headed northward. They called themselves Boers the Dutch word for "farmers."
During the 1830s and early 1840s, thousands of' Boers journeyed into the African
interior, on what is called the Great Trek. As the Boers trekked northward into Zulu
territory, conflict between the Boers and the Zulus became certain. In 1838, the landhungry Boers crossed the Mountains. They went to see the Zulu king to ask for
permission to settle there. The king was Shaka's brother Dingaan. Dingaan invited a
group of the Boers to a feast. There were many hours of dancing, eating, and drinking.
When the Boers got up to leave, they were attacked by Zulu warriors. All 70 Boers who
attended the feast were killed. In the next days and weeks, Zulu raiders attacked the
many Boer families that had settled on the land.
The Boers refused to leave the land and decided to seek revenge on the Zulu king.
With 500 soldiers, the Boers arrived on the banks of the Buffalo River where they waited
for the Zulus to attack. On December 16, 1838, thousands of warriors attacked. The battle
raged for six hours. But the Zulu spears and courage was no match for the Boers' guns.
The Zulus were defeated and the Boers took the land. For a while, an uneasy peace
settled over the land, but trouble soon began again. Europeans had little respect for or
D:\106747067.doc
knowledge of Zulu customs and culture. A new Zulu king said that he wished to be friends
with the Boers. However, the king believed that the European settlers had no right to tell
him how he should rule his people. Tensions between the Zulus and the Boers increased.
The British Defeat the Zulus
In December 1878, the British, who were taking control of more of South Africa,
demanded that the Zulu army be disbanded. The British knew the Zulus would not accept
this demand. On the morning of January 11, 1879, the British forces crossed into
Zululand. The British commander had an army of nearly 18,000 officers and men. Each
carried a single-shot rifle. They faced a Zulu army of about 25,000 men. Their chief
weapon was a short stabbing spear.
On January 22, 1879, Zulu warriors wiped out a British regiment, killing over 1,000
soldiers. It was the biggest defeat ever suffered by a European force in South Africa.
Despite this success, the final outcome was never in doubt. For all their bravery, the Zulu
warriors could not hold off the British army. In July, the British captured and burned the
Zulu capital. The Zulu leader was brought to England and punished. As Shaka predicted,
the Zulu nation had been crushed by "the feet of a great white people."
The Effects of European Rule
The Zulu war represents one of the worst effects of imperialism. The Zulus tried to
defend their land from foreign invaders. The Europeans viewed and treated African
people as inferior, as people of little importance or value. They had little respect for
African cultures or customs. Africans were often treated as second-class citizens in their
own countries. In almost every African colony, some form of discrimination existed.
Another negative effect of imperialism was economic exploitation. This means that the
Europeans used the African people to make a profit for themselves. The purpose of
colonialism was to produce wealth for the colonizing power. Natural resources such as
minerals, lumber, and rubber were exported from Africa to Europe. Large plantations in
Africa produced cotton and other cash crops.
Africans worked hard, but received none of the profit. The traditional subsistence
system of farming was practically destroyed. African workers were also taken advantage
of by their European bosses. Working conditions were very harsh. Workers were
sometimes treated like slaves. They were not allowed to leave their jobs and were
severely punished if they broke the rules.
Another way the Europeans exploited Africans was by forcing them to pay taxes.
The people of European countries did not want to pay taxes to help support their African
colonies. Africans who did not pay the taxes could be fined or arrested. Often the only
way to earn enough money to pay the taxes was to work as a farmhand, servant, or miner
for the Europeans. Sometimes, the jobs were far from workers' homes and villages. The
distance separated family members and weakened traditional family values.
African family and village life.
The family and village were not the only institutions that changed as a result of
imperialism. Africa's traditional political and religious systems were also affected. The
chiefs lost the power and respect they had once had. In the past, it was believed that the
chiefs held power through their connection with the tribe's ancestors. Under European
rule, many Africans became Christians. They no longer believed in the chief's power.
European-style governments replaced traditional African rule.
D:\106747067.doc
Improvements in Africa European rule did bring some improvements to the
colonies. However, few of the improvements' were made because they were good for
Africans. Most were carried out because they made the colonies more profitable and
easier to manage. Using African labor, the colonial powers built a network of roads and
railroads. The roads and railroads made the transport of natural resources from the
interior of Africa to the coast more efficient. From Africa these resources were shipped
around the world. Later, Europeans introduced telegraph and telephone service to
improve communication. After African nations won independence, these roads and
telephone lines helped African nations build their economies.
Europeans also brought modem medicine and health practices to Africa. The
primary reason for this was to help protect themselves from disease. Hospitals and clinics
did help bring some of the terrible diseases that had killed many Africans under control,
as well. Colonial governments sent a number of Africans to school in Europe. Again,
these educational programs were designed to help maintain colonial rule. Some Africans
were trained to fill minor positions in colonial governments. Others received training so
they could work in industries controlled by the colonial powers.
Questions to thoroughly answer on a separate piece of paper:
1. What was the “Scramble for Africa”, and why did it occur?
2. How did European rule change traditional African ways of life?
3. Why do you think the Europeans eventually granted their
colonies independence?
4. While the Europeans were all democracies when they granted
their former African colonies independence, what form of
government where the Africans actually trained in by the
Europeans?
D:\106747067.doc