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At the beginning of the 20 th century

At the beginning of the 20 th century. At the beginning of the 19 th century Africa was home to great empires and rich cultures. By that century’s end Africa was a place of European colonial powers and oppression.

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At the beginning of the 20 th century

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  1. At the beginning of the 20th century • At the beginning of the 19th century Africa was home to great empires and rich cultures. • By that century’s end Africa was a place of European colonial powers and oppression. • European governments controlled much of the continent, the continent hasn’t been the same since. • Much of the poverty and violence of the 20th century is a direct result of colonialism

  2. Colonizing the Continent • During the 15th century Portuguese ships, looking for trade routes to Asia, landed in Africa. • Soon other countries established coastal trading stations there. • Europeans were initially timid about going to the interior- “the white man’s grave.”

  3. By mid-1800s, the Europeans were aware of the rich resources in Africa, and wanted to use them to fuel their developing industrial economies. • Advances in science and technology made the trip into the interior more attractive: -Steamboats -firearms -telegraph -Suez Canal -bureaucracy * Conquest driven by the desire for territory, resources, and European nationalism.

  4. King Leopold II • King of Belgium • Interest in Congo after exploration in the 1870s • Wanted to open trade along the Congo River • Controlled the area by 1884, paving the way for the Berlin Conference and the “Scramble for Africa.” • Forced labor in the extraction of rubber, palm oil, ivory etc.

  5. Berlin Conference • To prevent wars between the European powers, 14 nations convened at the Berlin Conference- 1884-1885, to lay down rules for dividing Africa (no Africans invited) • Essentially, any nation could claim land by telling other nations and demonstrating they could control the area. • Continent was divided without regard for where ethnic and linguistic groups lived • Set boundaries that combined people who were traditional enemies, dividing those that weren’t

  6. Ideology for Conquest • Conquest needed to be presented in legitimate terms, not just purely economic • Rudyard Kipling’s “White Man’s Burden”-1899 • Argues for the obligation that Europeans have to civilize the African continent • Non-christenized and childlike, be their savior

  7. “Dark Continent” • Explorers and missionaries sparked foreign interest in Africa • DAVID LIVINGSTONE- Scottish explorer, promoted the three “C’s,” commerce, Christianity, and civilization. • Henry M. Stanley- Welsh-American reporter sent to find Livingstone. His stories of exploration were his source of income. He sensationalized Africa and represented early European business ventures • Tribe

  8. Post-Colonialism • Very quick process 1957-1964, 8 new independent nations formed • Next 40 years, Africa dominated by dictators and civil wars • Largely had no experience with governing

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