IMPERIALISM IN AFRICA GRADE 12 HISTORY

1. IMPERIALISM IN AFRICAGRADE 12 HISTORY BY MANYANDO MULONDA MUNALI GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL

2. DEFINITION OF IMPERIALISM • The tendency by powerful countries to extend their power and control on to other countries • Has been an ancient practice from the biblical times to present. • Africa became affected by imperialism in the 19th century

3. WHY EUROPEAN POWERS EXPRESSED NO INTEREST IN AFRICA UNTIL 19TH CENTURY • Europeans considered Africa dark continent. • So many geographical barriers e.g. thick forests. • Tropical diseases such as Malaria. • Transportation difficulties e.g. couldn’t use horses due to Tse Tse flies. Europeans were afraid of Malaria which is caused by mosquitoes

4. 19TH CENTURY INTEREST GREW BECAUSE: • Scientific discoveries made it easy to live in Africa (see picture) • Explorations also made Africa known to the world • This led to the scramble for Africa Cinchona tree. Scientists discovered quinine, the cure for Malaria from this tree.

5. THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA. • This was the sudden rush for colonies in Africa by European countries in the second half of the 19th century. • Several factors contributed to the scramble for Africa as follows: • Economic factors, • Political reasons, • Humanitarian factors, • Other reasons,

6. HUMANITARIAN FACTORS • Missionaries wanted to spread Christianity • Missionaries wanted to end slave trade in Africa so they urged their governments to come to Africa • Missionaries wanted to educate Africans with simple skills in farming and literacy Western style education was brought by missionaries.

7. ECONOMIC FACTORS • Need for raw material such as minerals • Need for markets • Need for cheap source of labor • Over population in Europe • Need to invest surplus capital • Discovery of gold and diamonds in south Africa • They wanted to avoid paying tariffs in Europe A typical mining operation. Most African countries were rich in minerals.

8. POLITICAL REASONS • Prestige • Divert people’s attention away from problems they were facing in Europe • Settle criminals and other dissidents • Strategic reasons

9. OTHER REASONS • Invitations by African chiefs e.g. Lewanika • Individual greed by men like Cecil Rhodes and King Leopold of Belgium • Wanted to try their new medicines and military strategies Cecil Rhodes wanted to colonise Africa from Cape to Cairo.