Imperialism of
Africa
Imperialism is…
 …control
by one country of the political,
economic, or cultural life of another
country and/or region
 Think!...

Control
 Take
Over
 Colony
In Africa…
 In
the 1400’s European countries began to
set up trading stations along the coast
 1500’s
Europeans began the slave trade
Slave trade…
 Europeans
started to transport slaves to
the new world
 Why?
Triangle Trade
Slave Trade…
 The
slave trade reached its height in the
1700’s
 The
Middle Passage- Poor conditions
during the trip, many died
Effects of Slave Trade…
 Caused
 Entire
civil wars in Africa
communities lost
 Workforce
 **African
lost
Diaspora- the scattering of
Africans and spreading of African culture
Scramble for Africa…
 Due
to the smooth coastline and other
geographic features Africa was the last to
be explored
 “God, Gold, Glory”
 European countries started to claim parts
of Africa
Gold
•
Wealth- Slaves, gems, ivory
God
•
•
•
Spread Christianity
“White Man’s Burden”
Civilize the uncivilized
Glory
•
•
Fame,
Claim land for country
Berlin Conference
 14
European countries met to divide up
Africa
 Here’s the catch- NO AFRICAN WAS
INVITED!!!
Effects
 Created
new boundaries
 Divided tribal lands
 Separated cultures
Nationalism…
 …pride
be free
 Why
in one’s country and a desire to
would nationalism rise in Africa?
Nationalism…
 Most
independence movements began
after WWII
 Pan-Africanism- movement to unite Africa

“Africa for Africans”
Marcus Garvey
Nationalism…
Kwame Nkrumah
Jomo Kenyatta
Challenges…
 Creating
national unity
 People still felt more loyal to their
tribes
 Civil wars in the Congo and
Rwanda
 Poor economies
 Still relied on foreign countries for
manufactured goods
Boer War
 Boers
(Dutch) and British clash over
control of gold and diamonds
 British defeat the Dutch
 British granted “self-rule” to the “Union of
South Africa”
BUT!!!
 Government is controlled by the white
population
Apartheid
 Legal
separation of races
 16% European
 70% African
 11% Mixed race
 3% Asian
Who is the Majority? Who had
control?
Characteristics of Apartheid
Passbooks- record of
where Blacks could
live, work and
travel
Segregation of races
• Buses
• Beaches
• Restaurants
• Schools
Homelands- areas set
aside for ethnic groups
-dry, infertile land
To end Apartheid…
 Desmond
Tutu
 1960- Sharpsville Massacre- peaceful
demonstration, police opened fire killing
69



Martial law declared
Protest declared illegal
Any opponents jailed
Nelson Mandela
Led
the African National
Congress (ANC)- political party
to end Apartheid
1964- sentenced to life in prison
for plotting to overthrow the
government with violence
(served 26 years)
Apartheid finally ends
 1990-
South African President F.W. de Klerk
lifted ban on protests, released Mandela
 1994- New constitution written
 Free elections held
 Mandela elected 1st black president of
South Africa
Modern Issues
 Problems




Debt
Civil wars
Poverty
Diseases
United Nations- an intergovernmental
organization established to promote international
co-operation
UN Involvement
 Somalia-
warlords prevented
humanitarian aid from reaching peopleUS sent troops to restore supply lines
 Rwanda*- Hutu vs. Tutsis
 Sudan- Arab militants reportedly linked to
the Sudanese government were
attacking black Muslims- 1 million
refugees, 40,000 killed
*Rwanda
 Originally
imperialized by Belgium
 Belgians divided the country into
two groups
 Hutus, Tutsis
 Hutus are the majority
 When the Belgians left, they gave
the power to the Tutsis
Rwanda
 Elections
are held and a Hutu president is
elected
 But, Hutus still want revenge for years of
oppression
 President is killed


Suspected by his own Hutu people
Hutus use this to start killing Tutsis and other
political opponents
Rwanda
 500,000-1
Million Rwandans are killed
in 100 days
 Genocide- deliberate and planned
killing of an entire race or ethnic
group
 United Nations eventually sent
support
 Rwanda Political Front (RPF) takes
control of the country