AWP Unit 4
In 'Negro Race in America'
"For nearly 3 centuries Africa has been robbed of her sable sons. ...We, after learning your arts and sciences, might return to Egypt and deliver the rest of our brethren who are yet in the house of bondage"
The Partition of Africa
- African borders drawn from European desires - not naturally split borders - King Leopold responsible for bringing Europeans to the table in Africa
What did Stanley claim to the U.S.?
1. American citizens would be free to buy land in the Congo 2. The Congo would be a 'free trade' zone where American goods could be sold free of taxes 3. The Congo was 'discovered' by an American (Stanley) so Americans should be proud to see this discovery become recognized globally as the 'Congo Free State'
What did Senator John Tyler Morgan hope?
1. The 'shared race' of Africans and African Americans would help to secure American advantage in trading 2. That the Congo could become a market for America's cotton surplus When speaking in favor of American diplomatic recognition of the Congo he said: "The Congo was prepared for the Negro as certainly as the Garden of Eden was for Adam and Eve. In the Congo we find the best type of the Negro race and the American Negro can find a field for his efforts" (Hochschild, p. 80).
Rubber
1890 II. Industrial world rapidly develops a huge appetite for rubber products—hoses, tubing, gaskets, insulations for telegraph and telephone lines III. Rubber prices began rising steadily & rubber replaces ivory as the main source of revenue for Congo
What does Morel do?
1903: Morel quits his job and starts the West African Mail and soon becomes "the greatest British investigative journalist of his time" He eventually writes 3 books, hundreds of articles & letters to editor, dozens of pamphlets
Congo Reform Association
1904: At the urging of Roger Casement, Morel formed the Congo Reform Association which meets for the first time on March 23 Organization exerts relentless pressure on Belgian, British, and American governments Regularly speaks to crowds numbering 1,000 or more
Quinine
A drug used for fighting malaria and other fevers; allowed for the conquest of Africa by Europeans
The International Association of the Congo
A new organization that Leopold creates which, like its predecessor, is just a front
Why was Leopold able to completely control the Congo?
A. Weaponry 1. From Breech loading rifles to the Maxim Gun B. Medical knowledge 1. Quinine C. Steamboats 1. Carry goods as well as colonial officials 2. Vastly reduced the amount of time it took to travel from Europe down the African coast
George Washington Williams
African-American journalist who visited the Congo in 1890 and openly criticized Leopold II in a letter, but he died before he could expose him further - tried to make way in the world as a newly freed person - Wrote the book 'Negro Race in America' discussing the history of Africans and their lives as slaves
Chester A. Arthur
American republican president at time of Leopold's secrecy
Sir Travers Twiss
An Oxford university trained lawyer that Leopold consults to provide him with the legal justification for private companies to act like sovereign countries and make treaties with African rulers He instructs Stanley that "the treaties must be as brief as possible and grant us everything" (Hochschild: p. 71)
What did William Henry Sheppard do?
Arrives in the Congo in 1890 Was much loved and admired by the Congolese Was one of the first to discover the horror of severed hands Wrote many articles condemning Leopold's atrocities, but didn't get the international attention and outrage that they should have
Hezekiah A. Shanu
Born in Nigeria and became a schoolteacher In 1884 began working for Leopold recruiting soldiers for Force Publique In 1903 he began supplying direct evidence and photographs to Morel that provided crucial evidence of the horrors in the Congo
William Henry Sheppard
Born in VA in 1864 Went to Hampton Institute (an HBCU) Presbyterian minister who petitioned the Southern Presbyterian Church to send him to Africa as a missionary
Senator John Tyler Morgan (AL-D)
Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that Stanley and Leopold found support from A former Confederate soldier and committed racist, Tyler liked the idea of exiling contemporary African Americans to Africa He ordinarily hated the Republican Party (Lincoln, the Emancipation Proclamation, etc.) but he saw an opportunity to 'whiten' America while reducing potential Black voters (who were strongly committed to the Republican party)
E.D. Morel
Edmund D. Morel Employee of a Liverpool shipping company, Elder Dempster, which has a contract to carry cargo to and from the Congo
Simultaneous beliefs of Morel
Even though he opposed forced labor in the Congo (and despised Leopold) Morel didn't think anything was wrong with colonialism (particularly if the British, Germans, or Americans were the colonial power) didn't believe Africans should rule their land themselves
What was happening in the Congo that George Washington Williams writes to the King?
F. the porters carrying ivory, the villagers collecting rubber, the soldiers, and many other people besides were actually slaves G. People were regularly being kidnapped & forced to work
Otto von Bismarck
German Chancellor Very skeptical about Leopold—he (rightly) suspects that the territory Leopold is claiming for himself is expanding beyond what Leopold originally claimed - Bismark doesn't believe for a second that there a 'free confederation of Negro republics' is possible or probable He's is highly alarmed when Leopold says that the 'precise frontiers of this new state will be defined later" (Hochschild p. 83)
What does Stanley accuse Williams of?
He accuses Williams of being an opportunist out for his own gain
Leopold seeking recognition
He decides to seek recognition first from the United States (which had no presence or interest in Africa in the 1880s) and hopes that if the USA recognizes his sovereignty over the Congo, other European powers might back off from the Congo
Leopold's Secrecy
He makes everyone sign contracts that forbid them to talk about the Congo He put a clause in the committee's charter (which he proceeded to ignore) which forbade members from doing anything other than philanthropic or scientific work
How was the rubber in the Congo gathered?
IV. Trees in the equatorial rain forests in the Congo are filled with wild rubber vines—nearly ½ of the territory V. Vines twine upwards around the trees, up to 100 feet or more from the ground VII. To gather the rubber a person has to slash the vine with a knife and hang a bucket or pot to collect the sap VIII. Once the vines near the village were drained workers had to go deeper into the forest to find suitable vines—soon workers are traveling for 2-3 days and climbing trees hundreds of feet high to find fresh vines
American colonization society
In the 1820s this private society established a 'home' for emancipated US slaves in Africa
Chief Nzansu
Led a rebellion (Dec. 5 1893) Ambushed and killed a notoriously brutal Belgian state agent, Eugene Rommel Burned the station to the ground, killed 2 other white officials
How did Leopold go about getting into Africa?
Leopold begins manipulating Stanley (and everyone else) to begin exploration of interior of Africa He told one of his ministers: "If I quite openly charge Stanley with the task of taking possession of some part of Africa in my name, the English will stop me. If I ask their advice, they will stop me just the same. So I think I'll just give Stanley some job of exploration which would offend no one, and will give us the bases and headquarters which we can take over later on. ...I do not want to risk losing a fine chance to secure for ourselves a slice of this magnificent African cake" (Hochschild: p. 58)
What did Leopold and his soldiers do to the Congolese?
Leopold goes on a rampage—using brutal measures to force the Congolese into gathering all of the ivory they can: - the soldiers are raiding villages, shooting elephants, coercing villagers into selling tusks to them for next to nothing; his soldiers forbid villagers from selling ivory to anyone who was not a recognized agent of Leopold
Ivory
Leopold hopes that this transport system that Stanley is building will one day send millions of tons of ivory from the interior of Africa to Europe Ivory was a "more rare and expensive version of what plastic is today" (Hochschild p. 64) Ivory was used for false teeth, piano keys, napkin rings, knife handles, billiard balls, combs, jewelry, chess pieces, etc.
Leopold's plan for the Congo
Leopold prepares to 'develop' his new colony in which a few thousand white men working for him dominated millions of Congolese people In the Congo Leopold not only laid claim to all of the land ('vacant' and 'non-vacant') he also claimed to own all of the animals & the products (wild roaming elephants) and the crops grown by villagers He also leased out large sections of territory to private companies
Sanfords visit
Leopold sends Sanford to Belgium, to flatter and recruit the American president Chester A. Arthur (Republican) to Leopold's side Sanford visits Arthur in the White House in November 1883 and tells his all about the 'great work of civilization' that Leopold is doing in the Congo Sanford emphasizes one particular myth that Leopold has told about the Congo—that he is creating a 'confederation of Negro Tribes' whose African president would live in Europe and rule under the guidance of Leopold
After Americans recognize the Congo- Leopold turns to the French
Leopold starts manipulating the Europeans To get the French to sign on, he gives them the 'right of first refusal'—if he runs out of money and can't complete his mission in the Congo he will sell the territory to France (instead of their mutual rival, Britain)
What does Leopold tell the Germans?
Leopold tells the German Chancellor, Otto von Bismark, that Germany will have a free trade zone He also stresses that it will be better for Germany if a small country like Belgium controls the territory instead of one of his big rivals (France or England)
The Berlin Conference
Leopold was granted large parts of the interior of Africa It was agreed that the Congo would be a free trade zone Freedom of navigation along the Congo River was to be extended to all The boundaries of the Congo Free State were marked out Leopold finally had what he wanted and set out to "build the infrastructure necessary to exploit his colony" (Hochschild p. 90)
Maximilien Strauch
Leopold's proxy- a military man holding a large block of shares secretly for Leopold
Why wasn't William's story a huge stir?
Leopold's scandal would have been much larger had Williams survived his bout with tuberculosis and if he had been White!
What did Morel notice?
Morel notices 3 abnormalities: An alarming number of arms and ammunition are being sent to Congo Lots of money was being stolen (the amount of rubber being sent from the Congo was much more than the amount indicated on the govt returns)
Eugene Rommel
Notoriously brutal Belgian State Agent in the Congo, killed by Chief Nzansu
William Cadbury
One of Morel's many wealthy patrons and backers owned cocoa plantations in Africa
Portugal in Congo
Portugal, which had a presence in Congo dating back to the 1400s, also digs up some old treaties with Kongo Kings that had given them exclusive rights to land surrounding the mouth of the Congo river
Open Letter
Printed as a pamphlet and distributed widely in Europe and the U.S. due to the help of a Dutch trading company
The Berlin Act
Ratified on February 26th of 1885 1. Before any power claimed an area it should inform other signatory powers 2. All such claims should be followed by occupation for the claim to be valid 3. Treaties signed w/ African rulers were legitimate 4. Each power could extend its coastal possessions inward 5.Freedom of navigation along Congo and Niger rivers
Sanfords motivation
Sanford describes the future of the Congo in this way for a very specific reason—he wants Arthur to be reminded of America's only venture in Africa, the establishment of the country of Liberia
April 22, 1884
Senator Morgan introduced a Senate resolution in support of diplomatic recognition of the Congo the secretary of State declared that the United States of America recognized King Leopold's II's claim to the Congo
Stanley signing treaties with Congo basin rulers
Stanley eventually signs treaties with 450 Congo basin rulers The treaties give the King a trading monopoly The chiefs signed over their land to Leopold for almost no compensation For the most part the Congolese rulers had no idea what they were signing and nothing in their culture or traditions allowed for the private ownership of land and resources or the labor of people living under the ruler's sovereignty
What job did King Leopold send Stanley on?
Stanley finally agrees to work for Leopold for 5 years for about ($250,000) + expenses - Leopold also agrees to pay for everything Stanley would need during his time in Africa Stanley's job is to set up a base near the mouth of the Congo river and construct a road around the rapids and through the Crystal Mountain—basically the precursor to a railway
General Henry Shelton Sanford
Stanley sends General Henry Shelton Sanford, American minister to Belgium, to France to intercept Stanley who was on his way to London after his latest African adventure General Sanford is to offer H. M. Stanley a job with the International African Association (Stanley refuses) Leopold continues to flatter Stanley—sending him invitations, gifts, etc. In June 1878 Stanley finally agrees to visit Belgium
What did George Washington Williams do?
Struck an agreement with a Belgian company to sign up 40 skilled African American artisans and bring them to work in the Congo A. Visits Congo in 1889 to gather more information & raise money B. Spends one year traveling & sees for himself that the Congo is actually the 'Siberia of Africa'
Sanford
The American ambassador who Leopold sent to Belgium
November 15, 1884
The Berlin Conference took place representatives of the powers of Europe assembled at a horseshoe shaped table in Berlin The table was positioned under a large map of Africa, and the European powers got busy dividing up the 'magnificent African cake' - Not a single African state, tribe, or polity was invited to or informed of the meeting
Count Pierre de Brazza
The French explorer who arrives at the Congo basin and negotiates a treaty with a Congolese leader for a strip of land along the northern shoreline, claimed on behalf of the French
What did Morel ignore?
The existence of forced labor in British colonies or the extermination of the Herero people (Namibians) by the Germans Morel was a contradictory figure because he didn't condemn British imperialism, only King Leopold and what he was doing in the Congo - rebranding what was fundamentally similar to the colonialism of the Congo
How would these steamboats travel?
The steamboats would travel part of the journey on the water but when the rapids made that too dangerous or impossible they would be broken down into pieces that African porters would carry over land
Conditions for gathering rubber
The work was so dangerous and unpleasant Leopold and his agents kidnapped people, enslaved them, cut off their limbs, and terrorized them into meeting their daily quotas
What does Bismarck offer to Leopold?
To make Leopold commit more firmly to agreed upon parameters he offers to host a diplomatic conference in Germany to work out the details- the Berlin Conference
What did Morel not consider?
Unlike Sheppard, Williams, and Nzansu... Morel never considered that Congolese could or should rule themselves
What did George Washington Williams do to the King?
Writes Open Letter to the King 1. comprehensive, systematic indictment of Leopold's regime A. Chiefs were tricked into signing over land B. Stanley was a tyrant C. The military bases Leopold established along the river were not fighting slavery, they were terrorizing the indigenous people of the Congo D. There were no schools, hospitals, courts E. Congolese were being kidnapped and made into concubines
New York Herald
Writes about George Washington William's story
The Committee for Studies of the Upper Congo
a new 'front' organization which is deliberately misnamed so it looks like an academic entity. In reality the organization is a joint stock company
Chicotte
a whip made of elephant hide used to whip Africans who resisted Leopold's rule - oftentimes whipped by own countrymen
How did Morel describe the Berlin conference
as 'humanitarian' He believed that "the solution to Congo atrocities was not less colonialism but more." - trying to make colonialism just
Tippu Tip
governor of the colony's eastern province, was well known slave dealer
What did the Berlin Conference do?
granted land near the Congo River's mouth to France, Portugal, and Leopold but Leopold got the seaport of Matadi and land to build a railway from there The conference forged a web of bilateral agreements between the different European powers
John Dunlop
invented the inflatable rubber tire & establishes the Dunlop Tire Company This sets off a craze for bicycles in Europe
Aims of the American colonization society
its true aims were actually quite racist even though they tried to act benevolent Its guiding premise was that the presence of African Americans in the United States who were not enslaved was a threat to slavery system and its ideology about the natural inferiority of African Americans
The Force Publique
the armed force in the Congo under Leopold II's rule; made up of white Belgian officers and African soldiers with the goal of terrorizing local people to establish control
Porters
would carry steamboats that had been broken into pieces (kind of like gigantic Lego structures) that could be dis-assembled and reassembled - Leopold coerced the Congolese to be porters
