Imperialism in Africa

What did Europeans think of imperialism after the 1880s? Why?

"Scramble for Africa": a period of competition between European powers to acquire land in Africa (1880-1914) - Many European countries had an immense desire to take control of African territories as a result of EMPIRES

What were the "benefits" of British rule?

- Africa was "opened up" to the rest of the world - Modernization (ex: first modern hospitals)

How was the cash crop, cotton, the center of poverty and hunger for Africans?

- Africans were forced into growing cotton through brutal methods and the cotton they grew had to be sold to Europeans at a very low, fixed price and was then sold back to Africans at a higher price, causing Africans to become very poor (economically), which led to starvation. - Additionally, they were forced to grow cotton, which meant that there were not enough people to tend their crops to feed themselves, resulting in numerous famines.

How were the Europeans able to easily put down African rebellions?

- Africans were not able to combat modern weaponry - Europeans gained external support from the rival African kings and chiefs of other tribes - Lack of unification among uprisers (unorganized rebellions)

Economic

- As a result of industrialism, there was an increased demand for necessary resources (among European countries). Therefore, many of them wanted resourceful territories, which were present throughout Africa. - They wanted to establish new markets where they could sell industrialized-made goods.

Military

- By conquering foreign territories throughout the world, this would allow nations in Europe to station military bases which would protect the flow of trade and serve as refueling stations for ships.

Exploration

- Countries wanted to acquire African territories to gain prominence, develop maps, research geographic features of the territory, etc.

What enabled European countries to began imperializing territories in Africa?

- European Medicine: new medicines eliminated the potential danger of contracting Malaria which allowed merchants, soldiers, missionaries, and explorers to survive on the continent. - Weaponry: new and advanced weapons such as long-range artillery, steamships, exploding shells, etc were developed as a result of industrialism, allowing European countries to easily conquer other territories. - Telegraph: this technological achievement allowed European forces to have a strategic advantage.

Religious

- European missionaries wanted to spread Christianity throughout Africa

What did Africans think of Direct Rule?

- Europeans demanded cash crops (made them specialize in the growing of cash crops) - Europeans controlled all their resources - Africans lacked of self-determination - Took tax money - Europeans tried to assimilate Africans

What did Africans think of Indirect Rule?

- Europeans received tax money from Africans - Minimal self-rule for local chiefs as they had to rule under British policies (lack of self-determination)

What is direct colonial rule?

- Europeans took total, central control of the African territory by directly controlling it. - Controlled territories that had economic significance (abundance of resources) - European colonizer received taxes - No self-rule for Africans whatsoever - More European influence in that territory as opposed to indirect rule - Goal: assimilation and to take control of resources

Social

- Europeans wanted their citizens to settle in newly acquired territories within Africa to diffuse the population. This was because it would prevent any revolts from issues that arise from overpopulation (such as unemployment).

Political (power)

- Europeans were competing for power as they sought to become the strongest country and get atop of the balance of power/get a competitive edge by means of gaining economic strength and by legitimizing their status in Europe. - Various issues such as poverty, labor strikes, business downturns resulted from industrialism and created political fragmentation. Therefore, in response, countries in Europe decided to dominate territories because it gave their citizens a sense of prestige and superiority, which created nationalism and ultimately political unity.

What colonial policies had the effect of forcing Africans to work on European-owned farms?

- Exploration: after conquering territory in Africa, Europeans encouraged their people to settle in those territories - Pacification: In the process of pacification, Africans were killed and forced off their land. - Taxation: Europeans began to tax Africans in the form of European currency, which was foreign to them. As a result, the only way they could obtain European currency was by working on European-owned farms.

What were working conditions like for Africans in gold mines?

- Forced labor - Many Africans died (from disease/hazards) - Paid very low wages - 20 African miners died on average each week - Lack of safety precautions were given - Brutally treated by white, coal-mine owners - Non-existent health-care - Child labor was very common

How was Menelik able to defeat the Italians?

- He industrialized Ethiopia by acquiring up-to-date weaponry for his sizable army through clever methods of convincing Europeans to give his military those weapons. - At the Battle of Adowa, the emperor sent out a force of some 100,000 troops, most of them well-armed to defeat the Italian army.

What did Africans think of Protectorates?

- In exchange for protection, much of their self-determination was lost in return (control of resources, trade agreements, etc)

Ideology

- Social Darwinism: European countries were bound by the concept of conquering or be conquered. In order to continue their way of life and maintain superiority, they believed that they would need to conquer other territories. - White Man's Burden: Europeans believed that it was their responsibility/duty to civilize Africans who were inferior to them.

What were the effects of the migrant labor system on indigenous African societies?

- Strong men were chosen to abandon their villages and go far away to work in colonial mines or plantations. Migrant labor undermined African societies: - Undermined the protection of communities - Undermined culture/tradition (men required for certain African ceremonies/traditions)

What was the result of defeating the Italians?

- The Italian's were destroyed in battle - They gave up their goal of conquest and rather accepted Ethiopia as a sovereign and independent nation.

What is indirect colonial rule?

- The process in which a country ruled a territory through local chiefs under the direction of their colonizer's policies. - Limited self-rule for Africans - Under the indirect colonial rule, the African kings imposed taxes on their people and gave the tax money to their colonizer in exchange for protection. - Involved less European influence in the territory - Goal: to develop future (civilized) leaders and trade partners as well as to get tax money

What was the Berlin Conference?

1884-1885: A conference in which European forces met together to discuss the appropriate "rules" for establishing their authority throughout the continent of Africa. Specifically, they drew lines throughout a map of Africa marking the territories in which a certain country would receive.

What were the detrimental effects of forced-labor on Africans?

Africans were trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty and hunger as they were forced into working on European owned plantations, where they were being cheated by their colonial governments.

Scramble for Africa: Political Cartoon

All the European forces were eager to get their hands on Africa and acquire territory as evident in the political cartoon

What were the issues/flaws with these benefits for Africa?

Although the European made claims of bringing several developments and advances to Africa, much of these were negatively attributed-narrow mined, bias perspective from Europeans. - Money to support these projects and developments came from the minimal amount of money, in which poor Africans had, not from Europeans.

Who was King Menelik II?

An Ethiopian emperor who modernized his government and successfully defeated the Italians during their attempt to imperialize Ethiopia

Describe how Europeans pursued assimilation:

Assimilation: the process in which Europeans would get African people to adapt to European culture-because of white man's burden - Africans were educated to learn French as well as French culture in schools - French teachers served as a "civilized" example for their students - French built European-inspired architecture

Why did the British take control of Egypt?

Britain and France had invested heavily in Egypt to keep it stable. Moreover, Britain recognized the Suez Canal's strategic importance as the gateway to India. As a result, they had eventually taken financial control of the country, which set of protests by Egyptian nationalists. To protect their access to the canal, the British put down the rebellion and took control of Egypt. Rather than joining Britain in this situation, France undertook its own expansion from Algeria east into Tunisia. To conclude, Egypt's instability also helped trigger the scramble for Africa.

How did Europeans create conflict among Africans?

By dividing up territories among Africa during the Berlin Conference, they split up many territories in such a way that it split cultures and forced rival factions together.

How were African farmers (who were forced to grow cash crops )living in European colonies being cheated?

Colonies in Africa under European rule harvested various cash crops such as nuts and cocoa, which were then sold to the colonial government at a low price and had to be bought by Africans for a higher price. In other words, they were being cheated by Europeans as they had to pay for their exported goods.

What were the costs and benefits of the new railroads which were built?

Costs/detriments: - Built at the expense of Africans lives, as many were severally injured or killed - Forced labor: forced into working in railroad construction because of European policies as well as the food crisis Benefits: - Improved trade/travel and made travel comfortable for Europeans

What were the motives/justifications of European countries, which led to the start of new imperialism?

E.M.P.I.R.E.S: - Economic - Military - Political (power) - Ideology - Religious - Exploration - Social

What was the result of Menelik's success?

Ethiopia was the only African country that had not been imperialized by Europeans

How were cash crops linked to food shortages in Africa?

European colonizers forced African farmers to specialize in the production of certain cash crops, which resulted in them giving up farmland for the purpose of that cash crop. This led to numerous famines in Africa because of the minimal agricultural activity.

What did Europeans think of imperialism pre 1880s? Why?

European governments were not in favor of it: - Doctrine of free trade guaranteed manufacturers/merchants everything they needed from the non-western world - They did not want to deal with potential revolts/rebellions - Very dangerous/hazardous to go through the hassle of conquering a tropical territory due to Europe's lack of developed medicine/modern technology

Describe King Leopold II's treatment of African people in his colony of Congo:

If the rubber production was very low in quantity, he would order his authorities to punish people by chopping their hands or legs off. Moreover, this had a moral effect on many people as it instilled fear. Additionally, it negatively impacted African farmers as some of them could no longer work (economic detriment).

When would a country rule a territory under indirect rule?

If the territory, which they controlled was economically invaluable but rather politically significant

What economic development resulted in South Africa having the largest number of white settlers on the continent?

Immense mineral deposits were found in South Africa, which attracted many British companies to obtain those materials. Subsequently, this caused a major surge in South Africa's economy. Ultimately, their success influenced European countries such as France to invest their time/money in acquiring African territories. The result was that many European farmers, traders, etc settled there. This was also a main contributor to the scramble for Africa.

Describe the people who lived in the Cape Colony. Who were the different groups that lived there?

In 1814, Britain took control of the Cape Colony. Eventually, several thousand British settlers arrived. By then a number of its earlier white settlers, known as Boers or Afrikaners, had migrated away from the coast in search of land to farm as well as slaves.

What is the importance of the Suez canal?

It linked the Mediterranean and Red Seas, which brought India (Britain's most valuable colony) 4,500 miles closer.

Why did the Berlin Conference occur?

Purpose: to prevent the growing competition for acquiring African territory (scramble for Africa) from leading to a major conflict and eventually war among European forces

Describe the conflict between Boers and British:

The Boers clashed with their new British overlords, who tried to restrain their expansion.

Describe the conflict between Boers and Natives:

Their quest for land and slave labor brought the Boers into continual conflict with indigenous, or native, African peoples.

How did Africans perceive Europeans' goal of assimilation?

They felt as though it was undermining their culture, customs, and traditional beliefs. As a result, they perceived it as a rather negative/invasive act.

How did Africans respond to European Imperialism?

Through violent, (primarily) unsuccessful rebellions

New imperialism

a period of time after the 1880s in which European countries demonstrated an immense drive/eagerness to acquire African territory for numerous motives/justifications

Before New Imperialism, what was the main purpose of imperializing territories throughout the world?

main purpose: to support overseas trade

Imperialism

the process by which a strong territory takes control over a weaker territory and controls it economically, politically, and/or socially; the process of creating colonies, protectorates, and spheres of influence