copy world cultures quiz 5/3/17

Africa under colonialism

- By 1900, Europe had laid claim to all of Africa except for Liberia and Ethiopia, although they hadn't established stable governments in all territories - Their primary goals in colonizing Africa were to obtain raw materials and sell their manufactured goods in African economies. - They built roads, railways, and telegraph and telephone lines to support their businesses. - They established medical facilities for Europeans living in Africa, set up schools, to educate a handful of Africans for semi skilled jobs - they acquired land and labor to extract the continent's raw materials.

Berlin conference

- Competition between King Leopold (Belgium) and France over a region in Central Africa (Congo area) started to get tense. - there was a conference arranged by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck (at the request of Portugal) to be held in Berlin, Germany in 1884-1885, (mostly) to reduce the possibility of conflict among the European powers and to provide resolutions on ending the slave trade (it was really a means of dividing up the continent). -- it was also to agree that the congo and niger rivers' basins and mouths were considered neutral and open to trade -- Eventually, the congo basin became a personal kingdom for belguim (over half the region's population died under the control of king leopold II) - At the Berlin Conference, countries agreed on a set of rules for "carving up" Africa. - There were representatives from 14 countries, (most powerful: Germany, France, Great Britain, Portugal) some of which had never been to Africa, but no african representatives were there. - at the time of the conference, 80-90% of africa was un colonized -They established boundaries for 50 countries, but this separated ethnic groups and joined rival ones - The Berlin Conference set the guidelines for Europe's colonization of Africa. -- According to the Berlin Treaty, countries would need to have their claims to territory in Africa accepted by the other European powers. -- Delegates recognized the Congo Free State (the area Belgium has been trying to get ahold of) as a free trade area under Leopold's personal control. -- also recognized treaties between Europeans and African leaders as legal claims to territory. - The end result was more colonization of Africa by the europeans

How did europeans treat africans?

- Earlier in the nineteenth century, most Europeans respected the authority of African leaders. There were some racist tendencies, but they mostly treated africans with equal respect. - By the end of the century, Europeans had taken away African independence. -- They instituted drastic changes with little regard to the desires of Africans and claimed that these changes were in the best interests of Africans -- believed that Africa's economic, political and social development would only happen with help from Europe. -- Africans were treated as second-class citizens in their own communities. -- Europeans built hospitals, schools and social clubs that Africans could not attend. -- schools that africns could attend taught with a European perspective --Europeans belittled African music, art, clothing, and culture. (wanted them to convert to christianity) - In some colonies, officials could imprison Africans for failing to display proper respect to colonial authorities - African women lost a great deal of political and economic power during the colonial period. -- they passed laws that limited women's economic independence. - officials made work mandatory, and required African men and women to work a certain percentage of every year (for very low wages in unsafe working conditions) for colonial businesses. - Some africans were beaten - Africans could be arrested for quitting their job

How did european powers restructure the economies in their colonies?

- European countries manipulated African economies in order to extract the maximum amount of raw materials. - They reorganized African economies to grow cash crops such as peanuts, cotton, wheat, timber, palm oil, and coffee for export, instead of crops for local consumption -- Colonial authorities confiscated the most fertile land and sold it at reduced cost to settlers. -- European landowners were able collect huge profits largely because of the very low wages they paid African workers. - In West Africa, though, African farmers were growing cash crops on their own land for export -- Many European colonial administrators argued that since Africans could grow their own food, they were justified in keeping African wages low and providing no benefits or services to them - They created dangerous jobs in the mines that also paid very low wages

How did europeans justify the colonization of africa?

- Europeans used racist ideologies to justify actions overseas and in the slave trade. - they believed that there were significant biological differences between people of different races and ethnicities and that europeans were the superior race -- They thought that they were helping the african people by teaching them their culture and superior ways of life. -- They also said that being a slave introduced them to christianity. - They also used the bible to justify it, as in the story of cain and abel

Caroline elkins video

- Harvard university - mao mao were a kikuyu ethnic group who was looking to reclaim the 'land of freedom' (1952) - they were portrayed at horrible, but the british government was behind all the crimes that they said the mao mao committed - british detained them in camps where they were abused and malnourished - british saw it as 'civilizing' the people - attempts to keep it from the public eye -- destroyed the public record of what happened -- the british government was later sued by the Kenyan government, first time ever. - found thousands of files on the torture and abuse of the kikuyu

mao mao revolt

- In the early 1950s, a revolt began among the Kikuyu—Kenya's largest ethnic group. -- They were frustrated with colonial inequalities and the inadequacy of land in the overcrowded reserves, so some Kikuyu took aim at the colonial system and other Africans who were seen as colonial supporters. -- This revolt lasted for 7 years -- Called the mao mao revolt - Mau Mau fighters often assassinated government supporters by setting them on fire. - sometimes they even targeted the family members of Kikuyu who were loyal to the government, including women and children. - The British government began punishing entire villages for the assassination of government supporters, sometimes burning whole villages to the ground. -- British intelligence officers rounded up Mau Mau suspects and tortured them for information. -- more than 5000 people were tortured in 2013 alone - The Home Guard, a military force made up of Kikuyus loyal to the government, became notorious for raping and abusing villagers in the areas it patrolled. - about eleven thousand Africans were killed in the revolt -- this includes the more than one thousand executed by colonial officials for crimes including "consorting with" Mau Mau supporters. - The government detained more than a hundred thousand Kikuyu, and many remained in detention long after the revolt was over.

how did people in kenya resist colonialism?

- Initially, many African groups in Kenya violently resisted British colonialism. - most fought against British efforts to levy taxes, conscript African men to be porters for the military, and force African communities off their lands. - The British led a series of military campaigns to crush African resistance, and parts of the colony were under military control until the 1920s. - African leaders petitioned for the colonial government to improve conditions for Africans, and protested against tax increases and wage cuts. - Africans feared that they could be removed from their homes to make way for the settler economy. - African political organizations made little progress too - Mao mao revolt - In the early 1950s, a revolt began among the Kikuyu—Kenya's largest ethnic group. -- They were frustrated with colonial inequalities and the inadequacy of land in the overcrowded reserves, so some Kikuyu took aim at the colonial system and other Africans who were seen as colonial supporters. -- This revolt lasted for 7 years -- Called the mao mao revolt - Mau Mau fighters often assassinated government supporters by setting them on fire. - sometimes they even targeted the family members of Kikuyu who were loyal to the government, including women and children. - The British government began punishing entire villages for the assassination of government supporters, sometimes burning whole villages to the ground. -- British intelligence officers rounded up Mau Mau suspects and tortured them for information. (In 2013, the British government agreed to pay compensation to more than five thousand people tortured during this period.) The Home Guard, a military force made up of Kikuyus loyal to the government, became notorious for raping and abusing villagers in the areas it patrolled. As many as eleven thousand Africans were killed in the revolt, including more than one thousand executed by colonial officials for crimes including "consorting with" Mau Mau supporters. The government detained more than a hundred thousand Kikuyu, and many remained in detention long after the revolt was over.

How did africans initially respond to European expansion?

- Initially, many Africans responded positively to increased European involvement. - Treaties with europe (the ones that gave europe more colonized land (post berlin conference)) usually promised not only trade, but also good relations and protection. - But many African leaders were hesitant to sign agreements that infringed upon their authority by forbidding them to do some things, such as have relations with rival european powers. -- Africans who accepted the deals often were tricked or misled about the content of treaties - They wouldn't have thought positively about this if they knew what would be in store for them in the upcoming years

How did kenya become a british colony

- Kenya was under british control from 1852, but only became an official British colony in 1920. - Initially, Britain was far more interested in what is today Uganda. - In 1895, British officials created the East African Protectorate in the region separating Uganda from the coast—territory that is now the country of Kenya. -- They focused on building a railroad through Kenya to connect Uganda with the Indian Ocean for trade. -- When the railroad was completed in 1901, British authorities encouraged Europeans to live in Kenya as a way of generating demand for railroad travel. --The colonial economy in Kenya was based primarily on the production of cash crops such as tea and coffee for export. -- European settlers built homes and large plantations in Kenya's highlands—a temperate region in central Kenya with some of the most fertile land in all of East Africa.

Why did the european powers want to claim africa?

- Most important: colonial expansion was economic gain. - Britain transformed itself after the industrial revolution from being based on farming and handmade products to mass-producing manufactured goods in factories -By selling slaves to the americas, they got money and resources that fueled this economic revolution - There was also a competition to find sources of raw materials and to sell manufactured goods between the powerful european countries. -- There was palm oil, cotton, cocoa rubber, and other raw materials located in africa. -- Europeans also found lots of gold and diamonds in South Africa in the 1870s and 80s - The power of African traders helped convince European governments that taking control of territories in Africa might be necessary to guarantee the profits of their companies as these traders often held products to make the prices go up for the europeans. - Social and political factors also encouraged European involvement in Africa. - These countries were very competitive --they did not want to fall behind in the competition for national prestige and economic growth. They sometimes claimed territory just so their rivals couldn't have it.

How did africans resist european infringement of their rights?

- The Berlin Treaty required Europeans to occupy the territories they claimed and a lot of times they would use military force to do so. - Africans wanted the right to rule themselves and to protect their culture and religions, so some africans --used diplomacy to try to convince Europeans to withdraw. -- forged alliances with Europeans, hoping that their new allies would respect their sovereignty -- tried to discourage European interest in Africa. - Because diplomacy wasn't working for the africans, they often fought Europeans on the battlefield, and used guerrilla warfare to attack European forces. - Europeans responded to armed resistance with military force -- these batles were very unfair and resulted in many more african deaths than european

How did the kenyans gain their independence?

- The British were successful in ending the Mao mao conflict, but it was clear that things could not return to the way they were before the revolt. - Despite fierce opposition from Kenya's European settlers, British officials acknowledged in 1960 that the time for independence had come. - British and Kenyan leaders participated in a series of negotiations about independence for the next three years. - British officials worked to gain the support of moderate Africans in order to ensure that Kenya would maintain a close relationship with Britain. -- the British government purchased land in the highlands to redistribute to African farmers and offered to buy the land of any settler who wished to leave Kenya after independence. - While British officials initially pushed for a political settlement that would guarantee European and Indian representation in Kenya's new government, this provision was dropped in the final agreement. - Kenya gained its independence on December 12, 1963, with Jomo Kenyatta as its first prime minister.

How did the colonial powers govern african societies?

- The colonial powers made political and social changes to increase their control of the colonies. - they drew new boundaries and grouped together diverse and sometimes rival societies in each colony. these borders sometimes separated an ethnic group or african colony - They established European languages as the official languages of the colonies - They set up new governments, each led by a European governor. (this sometimes led to assimilation) -- British thought that someday their economies could be self ruling and they used a system of indirect rule. -- french wanted to make their colonies french, so they taught them their language, culture, and their religion -- Belgium allowed his Congo Free State to be governed by foreign companies in which they could govern as they see fit. He granted these companies huge tracts of land on which they could exploit the Congo's natural resources - Leaders led resistance efforts - leaders appointed by the european powers did not get a lot of truest from the african citizens

What was life like in the kenyan colony?

- The region was a "settler colony" - there was a sizable population of Indians that settled in Kenya, many of them recruited by the British from their colony in India to build the railroad. - The colonial government passed laws that gave settlers special privileges and eliminated competition from Africans and Indians. -- laws prohibited African and Indian farmers from growing tea and coffee, and reserved much of the land in the highlands for Europeans. -- these laws also segregated housing, public bathrooms, hotels, restaurants, and other facilities. - The British governed by indirect rule - Colonial policies, which levied heavy taxes and confiscated much of Kenya's most fertile lands, gave Africans little choice but to work for European settlers. -- Many became farm laborers on European plantations - In 1903, less than 600 European settlers had claimed 2,000 hectares (about 7.7 square miles) of land in the highlands. - By 1938, the extent of land under European control had jumped to more than 2 million hectares (more than 7,700 square miles). -- only 14 percent of this land was used for farming or ranching, as the remaining 86 percent was controlled by European investors and lay unused. - the British government relocated many African groups to "reserves" in order to open land for European settlement. -- these reserves often lacked adequate water supplies, and were too small to support the people and livestock that lived there

European conquest of africa

- also called the 'scramble' for Africa - occurred during decades of the nineteenth century (the period of European imperialism across the world, as European countries also claimed territories across Southeast Asia) - In 1880, about 80 percent of Africa was independent. By 1900, Europeans had taken over all the african territories except for Ethiopia and Liberia.

Kenya background

- borders the Indian Ocean in East Africa. - - Mombasa, a Kenyan port city, was a key location in Indian Ocean trade for centuries. - The coastal region had strong links with the Middle East and Asia - the eastern slave trade devastated many communities in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

indirect rule

- colonial officials employed traditional african leaders as agents of the colonial system. - Traditional leaders took new roles as tax collectors, census-takers and recruiters of workers and soldiers. - While traditional leaders in this system retained their positions of power, their authority now came not from their people, but from the colonial system. - This is how the british governed their colonies, including Kenya

How did the new economies put africans at a disadvantage?

- small changes in the price of a particular good could have serious effects on the economic well-being of a colony. - The European powers also geared their colonial economies entirely toward trade with Europe. - Africans would trade raw materials with europe for their manufactured goods -- Africans were at a great disadvantage in this trade because prices for raw materials were significantly lower than the prices for manufactured goods. -- The new governments taxed the people a lot, but they spent very little on services for Africans, such as education and health care. -- Instead, most resources were put toward services for Europeans and boosting the colonial economy. - Africans businesses were often shut down because european businesses were favored -- European banks refused to grant loans to African entrepreneurs.

What advantages did europeans have over africans?

- vast material and financial resources - professional armies and navies -- most African states depended on volunteers and conscripts who could not remain at war for long periods. - the slave trade had significantly depleted African populations, leaving many states vulnerable to european invasion. - Europe's biggest advantage was technology. -- Advances in tropical medicine transportation -- military technology (Maxim gun, the world's first self-powered machine gun) - African armies had outdated weapons, in part because at the 1890 Brussels Convention, European powers had agreed not to sell advanced weaponry to Africans.

mining

After the industrial revolution, Eurpoean countries were very interested in the raw materials that Africa had to offer. They found lots of gold and diamonds in South Africa in the 1870s and 80s, which was and still is, a very high end resource that could be sold for a lot of dinero. So, as part of their mandatory work program for africans, they had them mine for the precious minerals. These jobs were often very unsafe and paid low wages

map of which european countries had land

Britain- eastern part (egypt to south africa with some missing) France- Northwest and madagascar Germany- coastal colonies south of the equator Portugal- angola and mozambique Italy- horn of africa Belgium- congo area Spain- northwestern costal colonies (equatorial guinea) Independent- Ethiopia and Liberia

British and Kenyan perspectives on the colonization of kenya

British Perspective: - their top priority was to bring civilization and development to their colonial subjects in Kenya. - believed that British culture was inherently superior to African cultures. - claimed that they knew best how to improve life in the colony, and used this to justify their claim to African lands. Kenyan perspective: - as the original inhabitants of the region, they should have the sole right to lands in Kenya. - Cultural ties, such as sacred sites and familial gravesites in lands that were claimed by European settlers. - They were concerned about land and colonial land policies

direct rule

Colonial government in which local elites are removed from power and replaced by a new set of officials brought from the mother country. More of a dictatorship.

raw materials

Europe now had its sights on getting raw materials for profit after the industrial revolution -- There was palm oil, cotton, cocoa, rubber, and other raw materials located in africa. -- Europeans also found lots of gold and diamonds in South Africa in the 1870s and 80s The problem for africans was that raw materials sold for a much lower price than the manufactured goods, so when they would sell europeans the raw materials, the europeans would then sell them back the manufactured good made from that material at a higher price, causing the already struggling society have to work more for the colonists to pay off their debts.

Liberia and Ethiopia

Liberia and ethiopia were the only countries in africa that were never colonized - Liberia was established as an independent colony created for freed slaves by the American Colonization Society in 1847. - Ethiopia was occupied by Italy for a short time in 1936, but they lost their influence after only a few years. This country never had european influence long enough to be 'colonized'

imports in africa

Mostly machinery, foodstuffs, industrial goods, and commodities. the countries were importing the finished products of the raw materials that they were sending abroad, which cost more money, pushing the countries further into debt

settler colony

a colony where large numbers of Europeans came to live and make their fortunes

cash crops

a crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower. When the europeans came to europe, they required africans to work a certain percentage of the year for them. They had them grow cash crops or work in mines in order to get money to improve the living conditions in Africa for the settlers, not the african people European countries manipulated African economies in order to extract the maximum amount of raw materials. - They reorganized African economies to grow cash crops such as peanuts, cotton, wheat, timber, palm oil, and coffee for export, instead of crops for local consumption

missionaries

a person sent on a religious mission, especially one sent to promote Christianity in a foreign country. Missionaries from europe went to africa to try to get africans to convert to christianity as a way of assimilating them to their 'superior' European culture

markets

crops grown in the african countries were not focues on providing for the countries at home. The crops were only the supplies needed in europe, focusing on the markets there.

Chronology of african independence

most were freed in the 50s and 60s - some as early as the 1910s and 20s (south africa, egypt) and some as late as the 80s ad 90s (namibia, zimbawe) - Liberia and Ethiopia were never colonized

exports in africa

peanuts, cotton, wheat, timber, palm oil, gold, diamonds, oil, cocoa, and coffee