imperialism in africa
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Imperialism in Africa. Lynn Moon Brian Cho Jay Ghil. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Imperialism in Africa
Imperialism in Africa
Lynn Moon Brian ChoJay Ghil
Background Information
In the late 1800s, the great European powers invaded Africa. Their
actions were spurred by the desire for global domination. Europe's
second coming to Africa was for its vast natural resources to meet
the needs of the newly industrialized nations of Europe. This
scramble for Africa involved France, Great Britain, Spain,
Portugal, Italy, and Germany. There was also one individual, King
Leopold II of Belgium. By 1914, almost all of African soil belonged
to a European power. Only Liberia and Ethiopia escaped Europe's
grasp.
A little More Information
- Everyone viewed Africa with curiosity, awe, and greed Although
Africa is physically remote from the power centers of Europe, North
America, and Asia, it's surrounded by water and can be reached
easily from the other continents- meant that Europeans needed to
establish rules for dealing with one another if they were to avoid
constant bloodshed and competition for African resources
Berlin Conference
Portugal suggested the idea of an international conference that
could settle the territorial dispute that arose from European
activities in the Congo region held in Berlin between Nov 15, 1884
and Nov 26, 1885 under the leadership of German Chancellor Otto von
Bismack
The Berlin Conference, 1884
Berlin Conference Cont.
Conference only passed empty resolutions about the ending of slave
trade and providing for the welfare of Africaresult of the
Conference was a method of dividing the continent of Africa between
the European powerswas an important change in international
affairscreated rules for "effective occupation" of conquered lands,
ensuring that the division of Africa would take place without war
among the European powers justified dividing a continent among
themselves without considering the desires of the indigenous
people
How did the indigenous people feel?
How the indigenous people felt sort of varied from region to
region. Some colonizers were kind to their colonies and other
European states abused them.some cases the colonized liked the
improvement in the standard of living. They liked the railroads,
government schools, improvement medicine, improved jobs, and
opportunities to attend university back in Europe. In
The Con Side
The Belgians were brutal to the Congolese, but in Rwanda, treated
the Tutsi's well and the Hutu's poorly, leading to the genocide in
1994. The British established a fledgling middle class of doctors,
lawyers etc in several countries, but the rush for independence
ultimately undid most of this good work as the greedy were able to
fill the void left by the pushed out colonial power, leaving behind
ruthless, nepotilistic leaders who ruled along tribal
divides.
How did Europeans feel about this topic?
Business: Access to natural resources and goods of Africa, Asia and
Middle East Racism: Belief in Darwin's theories of natural
selection and survival of the fittest made Europeans think they
were superior to all other cultures Technology: Development of the
following technologies were crucial to conquest of the
world.Penetration: Quinine to cure malaria and steamships to
rapidly access interior regions of countriesWeapons: Rapid-fire
rifles and machine gunsConsolidation: waterways like Suez Canal,
steamship lines, cables and railroads allowed Europeans to stay in
closer contact and gain easier access to their holdings Mr. Spiveys
thing
More about the European Side
They got diamonds in the Congo, Sierra Leone, oil in Nigeria, etc
etc. Of course the Europeans wanted to dominate Africa.Nationalism:
Growing sense of national identities and pride fueling competition
between European states Global dominance: Desire to establish
global empire and overseas colonies were a means to do
that
The Consequences
The ruthless abuse that occurred during Europe's colonization of
Africa resulted in profound changes for the continent. It destroyed
the continent's traditional social, economic, political, and
cultural structures. Disease, starvation, and brutality decimated
African populations. It created economic dependency on
industrialized nations and institutionalized national and
international racism against Africans and peoples of African
descent. Overall, it resulted in underdevelopment and poverty.
Today's Africans continue to struggle to overcome the legacy of
colonialism and achieve freedom and respect.
Bibliography
"European Imperialism in Africa (Overview)." World History: The
Modern Era. 2009. ABC-CLIO. 11 Jan. 2009
.http://sun.menloschool.org/~sportman/modernworld/chapter8/2003/bblock/sbarrales/africa.jpg
Bibliography
Mr. Plouffes Powerpoint and WikiWorld History. Text
book.http://www.inaedad-rieasda.net/mm/stationery/ArticleA/INAEDABA2.JPGhttp://z.about.com/d/goafrica/1/0/C/2/sunsetkids.jpg
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