Colonialism and the Pan-African Movement

1. Colonialism and the Pan-African Movement

2. GPS: SS7H1 – The student will analyze continuity and change in Africa leading up to the 21st century. Essential Question: What were the effects of European colonization on Africa? Objectives: The student will explain how the European partitioning across Africa contributed to conflict, civil war, and artificial political boundaries.

3. I. European Imperialism • A. Imperialism • Control by one country over another country's government, trade, and culture

4. B. Reasons behind European Imperialism • 1. End of the Slave Trade • European nations ended slavery in early 1800s, lost revenue • 2. Natural Resources • Europeans believed that the best way to profit from Africa's natural resources was to poltically control the region • 3. European Nationalism • 1800s saw unified European nations with a huge sense of national pride • 4. Modern Technology • Industrial Revolution- better weapons, transportation • Malaria vaccine

5. C. Partition of Africa • 1. The Scramble for Africa • Fierce competition over land • 2. Conference of Berlin 1884-1885 • Agreement between European nations as to how Africa would be divided • Terms of Agreement • Colonies must have European settlers • Taking over new territory required approval from other European nations • Slavery must be ended in all European held colonies

6. C. Partition of Africa continued • 3. Effect on Africa • Between 1885-1914 almost all of Africa was divided between Belgium, France, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Portugal • Europeans drew boundries to benefit European interests, with no thought to the already existing political and cultural boundaries

7. D. The Impact on West Africa • 1. A Region Divided • France controlled the northwest portion of the region • Britain, Germany, and Portugal controlled the rest • 2. Liberia and Sierra Leone • Liberia was founded in the 1820s by freed slaves. In 1847 it became a free nation • Sierra Leone was a British colony that also became a home for freed slaves

8. E. African Resistance • 1. Life Under European Imperialism • Modernization • Technology • New roads and railroads were built throughout Africa • Medication • Vaccines, Western medicine • Culture • Africans resisted adopting European culture • The French wanted Africans to adopt European culture • Other European nations did not want the Africans to adopt culture because they did not view them as equals

9. 1. Life Under European Imperialism, continued • Exploitation • Colonial authorities claimed land owned by natives • Forced natives to work on plantations, road building, et cetera • Cooperation • Some African leaders cooperated • 1892 king of Northern Ghana signed a trade treaty with Great Britain

10. 2. Resistance Begins • Samory Toure • Military Leader in Guinea • Fought the French for 15 years • Declared that he was king • 1898 French defeated Toure

11. II. Pan-Africa Movement • A. The Beginning • World War I • All European nations with African colonies were involved • At the end of the war Germany had to give up all African holdings; most of which fell under British control • World War II • Although European conflicts caused fighting in North Africa there was very little unrest against colonist rulers

12. B. African Nationalism • WWII changed the world by colonial powers unwilling to change • Growth of African middle class • Urbanization; revolt against working for low wages in rural jobs controlled by colonial powers

13. C. Pan-Africanism • Included people of African descent from around the world • Two Goals: • Wanted to end European control of Africa • Desired equality for people of African descent living in Africa and all other continents

14. D. Pan-African Conference • First Conference: 1919 • a) The Allies administer the former German territories in Africa as a condominium on behalf of the Africans who lived there. • 
b) Africans should take part in governing their countries "as fast as their development permits" until, at some unspecified time in the future, Africa is granted home rule. • Second Conference: 1921 • "England, with all her Pax Britannica, her courts of justice, established commerce, and a certain apparent recognition of Native laws and customs, has nevertheless systematically fostered ignorance among the Natives, has enslaved them, and is still enslaving them, has usually declined even to try to train black and brown men in real self-government, to recognise civilised black folk as civilised, or to grant to coloured colonies those rights of self government which it freely gives to white men." • Third Conference: 1923 • HOME • LIVING HISTORY • EARLY HISTORY • NILE VALLEY • WEST AFRICANKINGDOMS • THE SWAHILI • TRADITIONALRELIGIONS • ISLAM • CHRISTIANITY • SLAVERY • CENTRAL AFRICANKINGDOMS • AFRICA & EUROPE(1800-1914) • SOUTHERN AFRICA • BETWEENWORLD WARS(1914-1945) • INDEPENDENCE • PROGRAMMES • SEARCH • FORUM/FEEDBACK • INDEX • The Pan-African Vision
In Africa, there was a general assumption on the part of colonial powers that Africans must wait patiently for limited political concessions and better career opportunities. Ex-servicemen and the educated urban classes became disillusioned and were only too willing to listen to socialist ideas based on concepts of equality and a new world order.

In London, the Socialist Club attracted a wide audience of people who felt marginalised - Africans, Irish Nationalists and German Jews. Drury Lane was the site of a club exclusively for black soldiers.

"They had been disillusioned with the European war, because they kept on having frightful clashes with English and American soldiers, besides the fact that the authorities treated them completely differently from the white soldiers...

I was working at that time in London in a communist group. Our group provided the club of Negro soldiers with revolutionary newspapers and literature, which had nothing."
 Letter from Jamaican writer and socialist, Claude McKay to Trotsky in 1922.
1919 - THE FIRST PAN AFRICAN CONGRESS
Racist treatment reinforced a sense of solidarity within the Diaspora. This found expression in a series of Pan-African meetings. In 1909 the first Pan African Conference was held. In 1919 the first of five Pan-African Congresses was held. This was organised by the African American thinker and journalist, W.E.B. DuBois. Fifty seven delegates attended representing fifteen countries. Its principal task was petitioning the Versailles Peace Conference, then meeting in Paris. Among its demands were:

a) The Allies administer the former German territories in Africa as a condominium on behalf of the Africans who lived there.
b) Africans should take part in governing their countries "as fast as their development permits" until, at some unspecified time in the future, Africa is granted home rule. 
1921 - THE SECOND PAN AFRICAN CONGRESS
This congress met in several sessions in London, Paris and Brussels. The Indian revolutionary Shapuiji Saklaatvala was introduced. The Ghanaian journalist W.F. Hutchinson spoke. This Congress was considered by some to be the most radical of all the meetings. The London session resulted in the Declaration To The World, also called the London Manifesto.
"England, with all her Pax Britannica, her courts of justice, established commerce, and a certain apparent recognition of Native laws and customs, has nevertheless systematically fostered ignorance among the Natives, has enslaved them, and is still enslaving them, has usually declined even to try to train black and brown men in real self-government, to recognise civilised black folk as civilised, or to grant to coloured colonies those rights of self government which it freely gives to white men."
The London Manifesto.The one dissenting voice was that of Blaise Diagne who, although African, was effectively a French politician, representing Senegal in the French Chamber of Deputies. He thought the declaration dangerously extreme and soon abandoned the idea of Pan Africanism.
1923 - THE THIRD PAN AFRICAN CONGRESSThis congress was held in London and Lisbon. Badly organised, it was also not very well attended. But it repeated the demand for some form of self-rule, defining the relationship between Africa and Europe, as well as mentioning the problems of the Diaspora in a number of ways:

a) the development of Africa for the benefit of Africans and not merely for the profit of Europeans.
b) home rule and responsible government for British West Africa and the British West Indies

15. C. Third Conference 1921 • Africa should be developed to benefit Africans and not Europeans • West Africa should have responsible home rule • D. Fourth Conference 1927 • Same resolutions • E. Fifth Conference 1945 • MAJOR CONFERENCE