Colonization of Africa
19th Century
Colonial Europe’s Misconceptions of the African Continent and Society
Five Major Colonial Powers In Africa
Reasons for Colonialism
Positive European Reasons for Colonialism
Negative European Reasons for Colonialism
Berlin Conference (1884):
European countries decided they could claim African colonies just by setting up government offices in African territory.
This set off a Great Scramble as Europeans rushed to colonize Africa.
The Berlin Conference was Africa's undoing in more ways than one:
The Berlin Conference
Impact of Colonial Period ● Partitioning of Africa �
Negative Effects for Africa
tribes.
Impact of Colonial Period ● Partitioning of Africa �
What might the colonizers say are the positive effects for Africa?
Inference Through Primary & Secondary Sources
Imperialism has been interpreted from a variety of viewpoints. The following documents express various viewpoints about the positive and negative effects of European imperialism.
Task: Evaluate both the positive and negative effects of imperialism by answering the question pertaining to each source.
Document 1
O.P. Austin, "Does Colonization Pay" The Forum, 1900
"Modern progressive nations lying in the temperate zone seek to control garden spots’ in the tropics. [mainly in Africa, Latin America, and Asia] Under [the progressive nations] direction, these places can yield tropical produce. In return, the progressive nations bring to the people of those garden spots the foodstuffs and manufactures they need. [Progressive nations] develop the territory by building roads, canals, railways, and telegraphs. They can establish schools and newspapers for the colonies [and] give these people the benefit of other blessings of civilization which they have not the means of creating themselves."
1. According to the author, what benefits did the colonies receive from the "modern progressive nations"?
"Learning civilized ways is hard work"
2. What did colonization mean for the native people? Provide one piece of data from the cartoon that supports your claim.
Document 2
Document 3: Imperialism and World Politics, Parker T. Moore, 1926
"To begin with, there are the exporters and manufacturers of certain goods used in the colonies. The makers of cotton and iron goods have been very much interested in imperialism. Their business interests demand that colonial markets should be opened and developed and that foreign competitors should be shut out. Such aims require political control and imperialism.
Finally, the most powerful of all business groups are the bankers. Banks make loans to colonies and backward countries for building railways and steamship lines. They also make loans to colonial plantation owners, importers, and exporters.
The imperialist business interests have powerful allies. Military and naval leaders believe strongly in extending the white man’s rule over the ‘inferior races,’ To this company may be added another element—the missionary. Missionaries went forth to preach a kingdom beyond this world. But they often found themselves the builders of very earthly empires. . . . Last, but by no means least, let us add politicians to our list of empire builders.“
3. Who are the empire builders described in this passage? How do you know?
Document 4: African proverb
"When the whites came to our country, we had the land and they had the Bible, now we have the Bible and they have the land.“
4. How did the Africans feel about the missionaries? Provide one piece of textual evidence that supports your answer.
Document 5: An Anthology of West African Verse, David Diop, 1957
The White Man killed my father,�My father was proud.�The White Man seduced my mother,�My mother was beautiful.�The White Man burnt my brother beneath the noonday sun,�My brother was strong.�His hands red with black blood�The White Man turned to me;�And in the Conqueror’s voice said,�"Boy! a chair, a napkin, a drink.
5. What were some negative effects of imperialism on Africa?
Document 6
This German cartoon, published in the early 20th century, is entitled "Thus colonize the English."
6. What is the point of view of this cartoonist about European imperialism? How do you know?
Document 7
Sekou Toure, West African nationalist, 1962
"Colonialism’s greatest misdeed was to have tried to strip us of our responsibility in conducting our own affairs and convince us that our civilization was nothing less than savagery, thus giving us complexes which led to our being branded as irresponsible and lacking in self-confidence. . .
The colonial powers had assimilated each of their colonies into their own economy.
Our continent possesses tremendous reserves of raw material and they, together with its potential sources of power, give it excellent conditions for industrialization. . ."
7. In 1962, what was the response of this West African nationalist to years of colonialism? How would you describe the author’s tone?
John Bull
Uncle Sam
Kaiser Wilhelm II
The Effects of Colonization
Haile Selassie
1936
“That until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned:
That until there are no longer first-class and second class citizens of any nation;
That until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than the color of his eyes;
That until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race;
That until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained…”
“And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes that hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique and in South Africa in subhuman bondage have been toppled and destroyed…
Until that day, the African continent will not know peace.
We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win, as we are confident in the victory of good over evil.”