European Colonization of AfricaEuropean Colonization of Africa

Africa before colonization was not

broken up into countries.

The boundaries created by Europeans

led to civil warsamong Africans

-Why would this cause fighting?

Earliest Contact Europe had been interested in Africa for centuries. It began in the 16th century when the Portuguese gained

control of the Trans-Saharan slave trade and trade of gold to Europe.

Slave Trade In 1551, the Trans-Atlantic

slave trade began with thousands of Africans being shipped to Brazil to work on sugar plantations.

The Portuguese were the first major European slave traders and were followed by the Spanish, Dutch, French and British.

Triangular Trade RouteTriangular Trade Route

European Expansion Much of Africa had been

unexplored until the 1880s with European influence restricted to the coastline: These were basic settlements

and trading posts Malaria keeping people from

exploring further There was no reason to

explore Africa as there was limited African civilization with the most large settlements being Islamic states (did not allow outsiders)

Pre-Colonial AfricaPre-Colonial Africa

European Imperialism – The Scramble for Africa But with European

industrialization in the late 19th century, came a rush to explore and dominate the African continent.

Many politicians and industrialist believed that annexing overseas territories was the only way for their nations to ensure economic success.

This rush was called “The Scramble for Africa” with new technologies such as the steamboat, railroads and telegraph allowing exploration of the African interior.

This conference would avoid a European conflict/war that might arise from claims.

Commercial greed, territorial ambition, and political rivalry fuelled the European take over of Africa. This resulted in Africa's partition (division of land on the continent) at the West African Conference in Berlin

November, 1884 through February,1885. The process became known as "The Scramble for Africa".

The “Scramble for Africa” had the effect of defusing and displacing tensions between the European powers in Europe. However, the tradeoffs and alliances could not disguise the fact that Imperial Germany was on a collision course with

Britain and France resulting in WWI.-Why is this?

The West African Conference in Berlin to divide the African Continent among the European nations.

Berlin Conference of 1884-1885

France

BelgiumGreat Britain

Independent

Portugal

Italy

Spain

Germany

Colonial Africa as of 1914 By 1914, 90% of Africa

was under European control England took 30% of

African population under its control

France 15% Germany 9% Belgium 7% Italy 1%

IndustrialRevolutionIndustrialRevolution

Source forRaw

Materials

Source forRaw

Materials

Markets for FinishedGoods

Markets for FinishedGoods

EuropeanNationalismEuropean

NationalismMissionaryActivity

MissionaryActivity

Military & Naval Bases Military & Naval Bases

EuropeanMotives

For Colonization

EuropeanMotives

For Colonization

Places to dump Unwanted/Excess

Population

Places to dump Unwanted/Excess

Population

Social & EconomicOpportunities

Social & EconomicOpportunities

HumanitarianReasons

HumanitarianReasons

European RacismEuropean Racism

“White Man’sBurden”

“White Man’sBurden”

SocialDarwinism

SocialDarwinism

Economic Causes of European Imperialism Industrialization of European

nations led to the rush across the African continent: Looking for raw-materials Cheap labor To gain access to new markets To invest their capital for

higher rates of return – les developed areas gave higher dividends European Expansion - WorldwideEuropean Expansion - Worldwide

Political Causes of European Imperialism Nationalism

European leaders hoped that imperialism would win them the loyalty of their own people.

Competition for power & status European states extended their power through acquired territories

for strategic reasons – or to simply stop competitors doing so.

Life Under Colonized Rule White Settler Regions

Areas where Europeans were very present and in charge

Areas ruled by Belgium, Portugal

Life was most brutal. Labor, punishment,

taxes. No opportunity to

succeed. No choices, no life.

Non-White Settler Regions Areas where Europeans

put Africans in charge and were not as present.

Areas colonized by Britain and France

Life was bad, but easier Freedom… if you

labored and paid your taxes.

Possible for Africans to get ahead in life.

Able to chose what to grow (market economy).

Dutch Colonization of South Africa Began in 1652 with the Dutch East

India Company founding a station at what was to become Cape Town.

Was a half-way fueling station between the Dutch east Indies and the Dutch west Indies

South Africa unified as a nation in 1910 (mixture of British and Dutch provinces such as Natal, Orange Free State, Transvaal & Cape Province)

In 1948 the National Party was elected to power and began the implementation of apartheid

Gold Copper Diamond Iron Bauxite Phosphate Cobalt Manganese

Mineral Resources

Coffee Rubber Cotton KapokSugarTea

EXAMPLES OF CASH CROPS

The Advantages

and Disadvantages of Colonization

Positives Negatives

Introduced different and modern ideas of education,

government, and economics

Tribal warfare was ended by the colonial

administrators. The European colonial powers established their law and order over large areas of

the continent.

“the Scramble” prevented the formation

of a unified national spirit necessary to start

a new independent country.

Left a legacy of oppression and

economically crippled the regions of Africa.

The missionaries wrote the languages and made dictionaries for the many native languages that

had only been passed by oral tradition.

Schools were established and some African students attended universities

abroad.

Colonial rulers built railroads, but the tracks ran north and south to carry raw

materials to ports.

Few rail lines went into the interior of the continent.

Colonial rulers built railroads.

Positives

Negatives

By the end of the 19th century Europeans were straddling the continent with railways and roads. This made it possible

to take control – politically and commercially.

Medical and sanitary changes were provided by

the Europeans

Positive

Colonial policies turned Africans into wage earners or

cash-crop farmers.

Hundreds of thousands of Africans were hired and

trained to operate machines for getting minerals to surface.

Money was needed (by the Africans) to pay taxes to the colonial rulers.

Many Africans became economically dependent

on European trade.

The profits of all trade and manufacturing was not invested in Africa.

Positives

Negatives

Independence or “De-colonization” The consequences of European

partition of the continent for Africa were devastating.

In the decades before World War II, opposition to European colonial rule in Africa gathered strength with the rise of African Nationalist movements.

Post World War II, the transition to independence was relatively peaceful in French and English colonies.

Elsewhere, the aftermath of decolonization displayed political instability, economic disaster, and debt dependence.

The byproducts of decolonization including political instability, border disputes, economic ruin, and massive debt continue to plague Africa to this present day.

Dates of African IndependenceDates of African Independence

Push for Independence Africans fought

with Europeans in both World War I & II.

WWII- “A war to make the world safe for democracy and freedom.”

Africans- “What about us?”

WWII ends 1945

Political independence did not bring economic independence.

African countries continued to export agricultural and mineral products to their former rulers.

There was little money to build factories. The profits of all

trade and manufacturing were not invested in Africa – and

most of the profits or benefits went to Europeans instead of

Africans.

Today’s Divided Africa