Belgian Congo

Berlin Conference 1884-1885

1884-85 Meeting among European powers to split up Africa Why? Colonization of the Congo 🡪 other powers want in Germany's showing off Avoid war over Africa

Concession Companies

1892, Leopold granted "concessions" to two companies. Each company was given a huge amount of land in the Congo Free State on which to collect rubber and ivory for sale in Europe. These companies, which Leopold largely controlled through friends of his, were allowed to detain Africans who did not work hard enough, to police their vast areas as they saw fit, and to take all the products of the forest for themselves. It was a company separate from the government so it was technically legal

Henry Stanley

American explorer who was hired by Leopold, he negotiated treaties to control the Congo

Henry Morton Stanley

American man, to continue his exploration and to secure treaties with the local chiefs of the Congo River basin. 1879 to 1884, Stanley made his way across Central Africa signing treaties with local chiefs on behalf of King Leopold. Through a combination of trade, trickery, alcohol, intimidation, and violent force, Stanley emerged with over 450 treaties.

Joseph Conrad

British Author who wrote "Heart of Darkness" and along with other Europeans criticize Leopold's method of ruling the Congo

Roger Casement

British diplomat who wrote Casement report

Settler Colonialism

Extensive relocation by Europeans to African/Asian colonies Motives: adventure, economic opportunity, better weather...

Anti Slavery Conference 1889

Holds conference to address issue of slave trade and stop it in Central & East Africa Leopold starts charging other countries export/import taxes supposedly to help end slavery; false humanitarianism

Direct Rule

Import European officials Goal: assimilation of "natives" into European culture Methods: Change schools, religion, legal system... Cater to the elite Mostly practiced by the French

International Africa Association,

International Africa Association, an organization meant to coordinate the remaining exploration of Central Africa and to help open the interior of Africa to the benefits of trade with Europe. Most participants left impressed with the king's dedication to the advancement of humanitarian causes.

Life under Leopold

Leopold creates force publique which cuts people's hand of if they don't want to work (by 1900 about 8 million people had been killed

Force Publique (1888)

Leopold creates the Force Publique Largest military force in Africa European officers; African soldiers Extremely expensive to maintain

Belgian Congo (pros and cons (3 examples each))

Pro -modern medicine (eradicated leprosy) -hotels schools and hospitals built -tried to restore power to traditional chiefs Con -farmland returned to villages but corporations kept land with resources -hotel schools and hospitals were only for white -restore of power was a disguise for indirect rule

Motives for Imperialism

Race/Social Darwinism - belief that the Anglo-Saxon race (white people) was superior to all others (Rhodes; Pearson) Spread of Christianity - (Patton--missionary letters) national pride - competition between nations (Germany Awake!) economic gain - need for resourceså, markets, labor (Lugard)

Scramble for Africa 1875-1900

Roughly 1875-1900 Race to grab territory in Africa among European countries Significance: Extraordinarily successful Only two exceptions: Liberia and Ethiopia Massive economic, social, and political impact on colonizers and the colonized

Resources of the Congo

Rubber(main one) copal, cotton and ivory

Indirect Rule

Rule primarily through local officials Ultimate authority lies with European officials Who wins from this system? Europeans - they make all the big decisions Local elites - they keep a good deal of their power Mostly British

Motives for Imperialism (Detailed)

Social Darwinism - our race is better, so it deserves more land; Africans are less civilized and productive; Europeans can make better use of the land (Pearson; Rhodes) Industrialization - European countries need more natural resources and can get them from colonies (Lugard) Exceptionalism - the British can establish a better-run society than the Africans would; this is better for the Africans (Lugard) Nationalism - our country is the best; everybody should be like us; building an empire makes us better than other European countries (Germany, Awake!) Promote Christianity - imperialism helps protect missionaries; spreading Christianity helps the natives (Missionary Letters)

Force Publique

army created by King Leopold/they also cut of peoples hands when they refused to work

Imperialism

began in 1870s colonized Asia and Africa by using military force to take control of local governments and exploited local economics for raw materials required by Europe's growing industry imposing Western values to benefit the "backwards" colonies

King Leopold II 1865-1909

claimed Congo as his own personal colony Ruled Belgium, Constitutional monarch Motives: National pride - wanted Belgium to be seen as a world power Economic gain - expected riches in the Congo Humanitarianism - believed European civilization was superior

Congo Reform Association 1904-1913

coordinated efforts to keep the public informed and enthusiastic about the cause provided accurate information to the newspapers, and pressured the government to take action. Following its first public meeting on March 23, 1904, meetings and demonstrations spread quickly throughout Britain. People of all social classes, religions and professions fought for the cause

George Washington Williams

he traveled to the Congo in 1890. Williams was the first witness to the abuses in the Congo with the courage to speak out. He wrote a letter directly to King Leopold and another to the president of the United States describing what he had witnessed

Congo Free State

his new territory, the size of Western Europe, King Leopold took on the title of "King‐Sovereign of the Congo Free State," a role considered completely independent of his position as King of the Belgians, as the Belgian government had no interest in running a colony.

White Man's Burden

racist poem by Rudyard Kipling that patronized the "superior" Westerners had an obligation to bring their culture to "uncivilized" peoples in other parts of the world

Casement Report

report written by Roger casement detailing the atrocities committed under Leopold's regime

E.D. Morel

shipping clerk working in England who was in charge of the Congo department realized 80% of the items shipped into the Congo had nothing to do with free trade instead were military equipment

Rubber Tax

tax was taken in the form of rubber obtained from a relatively rare rubber vine. Each trading post was commanded by a European agent and manned with armed sentries to enforce taxation and punish any rebels.

Social Darwinism

theory that

Heart of Darkness

written by Joseph Conrad about an Englishman who went to Belgian trading company for an assignment and exposed the dark side of European colonization while exploring the three levels of darkness that the man encountered (darkness of Congo wilderness/darkness of the Europeans' cruel treatment of natives/unfathomable darkness within every human being for committing heinous acts of evil)

Rudyard Kipling

wrote the "White Man's Burden" poem