Imperialism in Africa

1. Imperialism in Africa Academic World History II

2. Europeans in Africa • Until the 1800s, Europeans knew little about Africa. • Only areas along the coast were explored. • Explorers David Livingstone and Henry M. Stanley sent reports to Europe about abundant resources in Africa. • These reports set off a scramble for African territory among European nations from 1880-1914. • In 1885, 14 European nations met in Berlin, Germany and agreed to partition, or divide, Africa. • By 1914, Europeans controlled 90% of Africa.

3. North Africa • Most people in North Africa lived north of the Sahara Desert. • The land is fertile and the climate is mild. • In 1830, French King Charles X ordered the invasion of Algiers with the goal of colonizing it. • After ten years, the French defeated the Algerians. • After conquering Algiers, France took over neighboring Tunis and Morocco. • About one million French settled these areas.

4. North Africa, cont. • During the early 1800s, Egypt was independent. • Egypt had economic problems, leading to increased European military and economic involvement. • The Suez Canal was built, creating a vital shortcut from Europe to Asia. • When Egypt’s financial situation worsened, they sold holdings in the canal to Great Britain. • Great Britain took over Egypt and made it a protectorate, before moving south into the Sudan. • Italy defeated the Ottoman Empire in 1911 and took control of Tripoli, renaming it Libya.

5. Sub-Saharan Africa • In an effort to control African trade, European countries pushed inland from Africa’s west coast. • France, Britain, Spain, Portugal, and Germany all controlled areas in western Africa. • Africans attempted to resist European expansion into their land, but they were defeated by European forces. • By the early 1900s, most people in western Africa accepted agreements that gave them limited self-rule under European supervision.

6. Central and East Africa • Belgian King Leopold II claimed the Congo region. • He enslaved natives, cut down forests for rubber trees, and had elephants killed for ivory. • The Congo lost many people and resources. • All areas other than Ethiopia were conquered by Europeans. • Italy attempted to invade Ethiopia, but the Ethiopian army led by Menelik II crushed the Italians. • The victory was so decisive that no other European countries dared invade Ethiopia.

7. Southern Africa • In 1652, Dutch settlers known as the Afrikaners settled south Africa and created the Cape Colony. • The British took over the Cape Colony in the early 1800s. • Afrikaners strongly disliked British rule, especially because it disallowed slavery. • The British called the Afrikaners the Boers, meaning “farmers” in Dutch. • Many Boers left the Cape Colony and went north, where fought with their African neighbors. • The Boers battled the Zulu for control of African land. • Neither side won a decisive victory.

8. Southern Africa, cont. • In 1879, the British became involved in conflicts against the Zulu. • The British used superior weapons to destroy the Zulu Empire. • Conflict also developed between the British and the Boers. • The Anglo-Boer War was won by the British. • In 1910, Great Britain united four states into the Union of South Africa. • Non-whites had very little rights. • Indians and Blacks in South Africa fought to gain more rights.

9. Effects of Imperialism • Imperialists profited from the colonies. • Africans were paid very low wages and were forced to pay taxes. • African workers were forced to live away from their families and were subject to harsh discipline. • Schools taught Africans European ways. • Africans were taught to reject their old African customs and beliefs. • They read European books and wore European clothes. • Families were split apart and ancient traditions changed and disappeared.