Imperialism and colonization
Workbook
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Pre-colonial Africa
It is believed by many archeologists that Africa is the
birthplace of the human race. Early African peoples did not
usually leave a written record. Instead, they passed on their
histories through oral traditions and stories.
The first civilization to appear in northern Africa was that of the
Nubians. The Nubians lived in villages along the Nile River
just south of Egypt around 3000 B.C. The fertile soils and
endless fresh water from the Nile made Nubia the perfect
location to build a city. The city they built was one of the most
sophisticated of the time. Nubian kings, noblemen, and
merchants grew wealthy through trade with Egypt and other
peoples. Elaborate Nubian tombs have been found, showing
that the kings of the time were as wealthy as the Egyptian
kings of the same era.
The Kingdom of Kush
After a thousand years Nubia gradually evolved, becoming larger and
more powerful. By 2000 B.C., Nubia was known as the Kingdom of Kush.
The people of this kingdom traded ivory and other treasures from southern
Africa with the peoples who lived further north.
Axum
The Axums controlled a territory along the Red Sea that allowed them to
prosper from trade. After defeating the Kingdom of Kush, Axum was able
to control trade into and out of much of Africa. Cargo ships from Rome,
India, Persia, and Egypt brought goods in, and took ivory and other goods
out to the rest of the known world.
Around 330 A.D., the king of Axum was converted to Christianity by a pair
of shipwrecked missionaries. This king declared that Christianity was to be
the official religion of the nation.
The Christian nation of Axum thrived until the A.D. 600s when Muslim
raiders and bandits began seizing Axum goods and territory. Unable to
adequately fight back, the Kingdom of Axum became smaller and less
influential. Gradually, the people of Axum began calling their kingdom
Ethiopia.
International trade:
Today, countries need to get their hands on raw
materials to manufacture goods.
This is done through international trade.
These manufactured goods are then sold worldwide
for profit.
Unfortunately, not all countries benefit from World
trade
Poor countries are often exploited (taken advantage
of) by rich countries.
Richer countries make lots of profit by exploiting the
raw materials from poorer countries.
Poorer countries are desperate for business and are
not in a strong position to take a stand and demand
for better deals.
Nationalist movements (18th century)
Colonists living on colonies that were controlled by
imperialists eventually became fed up of being
occupied and started fighting for independence.
The U.S.A., which started off as 13 British colonies,
declared independence in 1776 from Great Britain and
became a nation in 1783.
South American colonies, such as Bolivia, Brazil,
Colombia, Argentina, Chile and Peru forced
Portugal and Spain to grant them independence in
the late 19th century.
The abolition of slavery
Africans were forced into slavery on the plantations in
America.
This violated human rights.
Christian values deemed slavery to be unjust and cruel.
As a result, European countries were pressured to put an
end to it.
By 1850…
Most plantation colonies had become nations.
Europeans stopped hunting and trading
Africans.
In 1848, the government of France ended slavery
in the French colonies.
French Laws Regarding Slavery
Article 1
 stated that slavery was abolished in all the
colonies.
Article 8
 forbade any Frenchman to possess, to buy and to
sell slaves etc.
Then…
Europe began colonizing Africa, Asia and the South Sea
Islands (1850s).
WHY?
1. Economic motive:
Europe had most of the world’s factories.
Europe, however, needed…
1. Raw materials to make things
2. More places to sell factory-made goods
3. To invest money in new companies
2. Political and social motives:
Controlling other countries gave them prestige.
Europe was overpopulated and needed more space
(encouraged emigration/exiled).
Nearly 50 million Europeans emigrated to the colonies
by the mid-19th century.
Colonialism: Sins of Europe in the Scramble for Africa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu6TLC0NRQ&feature=related
Age of Imperialism Scramble for Africa Vodcast #1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wllY_LJPv6o
Age of Imperialism Scramble for Africa Vodcast #2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD6UYneIeiI
How did Europeans colonize Africa?
By 1914, Europe had explored and taken almost
complete control of Africa
Africans were taken over by force
The main colonizers were: United Kingdom, France,
Belgium and Germany
Why explore Africa?
Continent had lots of natural resources
Excellent soil and climate for growing crops
After conquering the coast of Africa, the Europeans
began exploring the interior.
Unarmed Africans were no match for the aggressive
Europeans.
The Berlin Conference
Other Europeans hoped to have a share in Africa too.
Their race to take possession of it was called the
“scramble for Africa”.
The meeting was organised by German Chancellor Otto
von Bismarck and represented 15 countries.
The purpose of this meeting was to settle the
differences between European countries
competing for African colonies.
In 1914, Africa
was almost
entirely controlled
by European
colonial powers,
which had raced
one another to
acquire territory
in the so-called
“Scramble for
Africa.
Agreement included:
1. Everyone could use the Congo and Nile rivers for
shipping.
2. Slavery and the slave trade was prohibited.
3. Importing weapons into Africa was illegal.
4. In order to “possess” a region, a colonizing country
needed to occupy it.
European imperialism in Africa
Imperialism is a system in which a rich and
powerful country controls other countries.
Racial discrimination based on racist mentality
Europeans felt superior t0 Africans.
They believed Africans were inferior to them.
The idea of superiority was promoted through
newspapers and school textbooks.
Economic exploitation
The merchants and entrepreneurs made their way
into Africa and built a transportation
infrastructure, including canals, roads, and
railway lines.
Mines were built and exploited too.
Africans worked at low wages and under horrible
work conditions.
Africa was solely used to exploit raw materials.
Raw materials were processed back in Europe.
Manufacturing jobs left to Europeans.
Suez Canal
The canal was strategically important to the British and
other European powers.
It was Britain's ocean link with her colonies.
The Suez Canal provided a vital trading route from the Mediterranean to the
Red Sea and beyond to Africa and Asia.
 Colonies could only trade
with their mother
countries (known as
“colonial pact”).
 Colonies provided raw
materials to their mother
countries at low cost.
 In turn, the mother
countries sold colonies
manufactured goods at a
profit.
 Europe used this system to
control the world.
 The colonies did not benefit
from this system.
Resistance to colonization
Some began to criticize Europe's domination over Africa
as early as the 1890’s.
Journalists and politicians began to criticize and
challenge Europe's presence in Africa.
Resistance and protests in the colonies were
unsuccessful and the African continent was colonized.
What were the 3 effects of European
imperialism
1. Economic effects
 Colonization led to economic inequality (the
economies in Europe were better off).
 Industrialized countries (wealthy countries
that had factories) were located in Europe.
 Non-industrialized countries (poor countries
without factories) were only allowed to extract
(remove) raw materials.
By the 1950's, Africa won their freedom from the
Europeans, but were left without any manufacturing
infrastructure (factories, roads etc.), no industry and
no capital (money in government banks).
2. Cultural effects
Africans adopted many aspects of European cultures,
at the expense of their own:
Many Africans converted to Christianity
Africans attended European-built schools and learned
their conqueror's language, history, and way of life
3. Human and political effects
Africans who resisted colonization were killed.
Others died because of harsh work conditions and cruel
punishments.
Europeans even passed discriminatory laws.
Blacks were not allowed to live in white neighbourhoods
in the Congo.
Europeans re-arranged
existing African
territories and
kingdoms.
By doing this, they
forced different ethnic
and religious groups to
co-exist in the same
regions.
This led to ongoing
conflicts and wars once
the Europeans left.
Effects of European Imperialism on
international relations
Europeans still fought over
the division of Africa in spite
of the agreement made at the
Berlin conference in 1885
Two (2) significant
conflicts:
 In 1898, the United Kingdom
and France fought over
Sudan…for control over the
Nile…it was ceded to the U.K.
From 1905-6 and 1911, France and Germany disputed
over Morocco.
In 1913, the arms race between the United Kingdom,
France, and Germany began to intensify!
World War One in 1914!
These 3 countries
were highly
industrialized and
had the means to
make large quantities
of weapons.
Germany is an
example of a high
industrialized country
in the early 20th
century.
The Krupp family, a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from
Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their
manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known
as Friedrich Krupp AG, was the largest company in Europe at the
beginning of the 20th century.
White King, Red Rubber, Black Death
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_ZH2_pjqLQ
King Leopold II of
Belgium
He is famous as one of the
most brutal colonial ruler of
the 19th century for his
policies in central Africa.
He was the founder and owner
of the Congo Free State and
used slave labor and torture
on the Africans to extract raw
materials (rubber, ivory,
minerals, etc.) to build his
personal fortune.
In 1908, criticism of his rule
forced his withdrawal as ruler.
Henry Morton Stanley
(1841-1904)
He was a British explorer who
went to Africa for the first time
as a journalist in search of
another explorer, David
Livingstone.
1885, he founded the Congo
Free State with King Leopold
ll.
Africans named him “stonebreaker” because of his
brutality towards them.
Henry Stanley is in charge of his
African men: "If you drop that, I will
shoot!". He must have been really
proud of himself as the drawing is from
Stanley's own book "How I found
Livingstone".
King Leopold II of Belgium
TIMELINE
 1870s: Begins his colonial project in
central Africa
 1885: Formally acquires Congo
territory as his own private property,
naming it Congo Free State
 1885-1908: Leopold and his army
terrorize inhabitants in pursuit of
resources (RUBBER). An estimated
10 million Congolese, half the
population, die
1908: Belgian parliament takes over Congo Free State from
Leopold, renaming it Belgian Congo
1959: Major nationalist riots in the capital threaten
Belgium's control over Belgian Congo territory
May 1960: Mouvement National Congolais (MNC) party
wins parliamentary elections. Patrice Lumumba becomes
prime minister. Joseph Kasavubu is elected President.
June 30, 1960: Belgian Congo gains independence,
becoming Republic of Congo
Patrice Lumumba became the first prime
minister of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo in 1960, and was killed in 1961.