THE “DARK” CONTINENT

• “Dark Continent” – racist terminology referred to both the peoples of Africa and their alleged ignorance

• In reality, Africa has always had diverse groups of people with their own unique cultures and histories– Civilizations– Languages– Religions

Colonial Motives• Economic Interpretation- raw materials, minerals and

agricultural products

• Missionary Influence

• Pseudo-Scientific Racism

• European Rivalries

• Cultural Imperialism and Racism

Forces Driving Imperialism• Industrial Revolution—search for new markets and raw

materials• Belief in European Superiority

– National pride—empire as the measure of national greatness– Racism, the superiority of one race over another was expressed

in• Social Darwinism. This applied Darwin’s theory of natural

selection to society. The phrase “survival of the fittest” comes from Social Darwinism.

• Duty to bring civilization and progress to the “uncivilized” is also prompted by racism and Social Darwinism.

Factors Promoting Imperialism in Africa

• European technological superiority– Superior arms—Maxim gun (1884)—first

automatic machine gun– Means to control an empire• Steam engine, railroads, cables, and steam ships

– Medical advances-development of quinine, an anti-malaria drug, in 1829.

– Rival groups within Africa gave Europeans an advantage.

Africa1890

Africain1914

The Scramble for Africa

• Triangular Trade to 1800• Legitimate Trade and Spheres of Influence• Spheres of Influence • The Role of the Trading Companies

• German East African Company• French West African Trading Company• British East and British South African Companies

The Scramble for Africa

• French, German and British Rivalries

• Belgium, King Leopold and the “Congo Free State”

• Congresses of Berlin: 1878 and 1884-85

The Division of Africa• Diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) were discovered in

South Africa.• Berlin Conference (1884-85): 14 European nations

agreed to lay down rules for the division of Africa. No African ruler was invited to this conference.

• Demand of Raw Materials: Africa was rich in mineral resources like copper and tin in the Congo and gold and diamonds in South Africa.

• Cash crop plantations for peanuts, palm oil, cocoa, and rubber were also developed.

The European powers agreed that before they could claim territory they would have to set up an outpost. Whoever was the first to build the outpost gained that area of land.

Berlin Conference

Origins of Colonialism: 1890-1914

• West Africa: French vs. British and Assimilation vs. Indirect Rule

o From Company Rule to Indirect Rule

• East Africa: Settlers and Imperialism o German Authoritarianism vso British East Africa Company

Origins of ColonialismCentral and Southern Africa

• Jan van Riebeck and the Cape- 1652• Britain- Cape Colony: 1815• Cecil John Rhodes: British South Africa

Company• The Rhodesias and Nyasaland- Company Rule

to 1923• From Federation to UDI

Styles of Colonialism- Tactics and Methods

• Force, Trickery, sub-imperialism (client kingdoms) and Authoritarian Prefectoralism

Stimulate alliances and rivalries among different ethnic and religious groups

• Use of Indigenous Forces: Create African Armies• Use puppet rulers, appoint chiefs in “stateless

systems, use District Commissioners (Prefects)

Types of Territories• Without European Settlers- Protectorates

– Uganda, Zanzibar, Nyasaland

• With European Settlers (No Home rule)

– Kenya, Tanzania, Northern Rhodesia

• With European Settlers (Home rule--white)

– Rhodesia, South Africa, South West Africa (after 1920)

The Congo Free State orThe Belgian Congo

KING LEOPOLD II OF BELGIUM (1835-1909)

• Took over land in central Africa• Berlin Conference (1885)

– Leopold’s control over Congo Free State recognized by major powers

• Belgian Congo (1908)– Leopold criticized for the cruelty of his rule in the

Congo– Leopold forced to sell Congo Free State to Belgian

government– Renamed Belgian Congo

• Created European race for African colonies – “Scramble for Africa”– Diamonds, foodstuffs, gold, ivory, rubber

Stanley and Livingstone

• David Livingstone was a Scottish missionary who traveled deep into Africa in the late 1860s and disappeared.

• Many people thought Livingstone was dead.

Stanley and Livingstone

• The New York Herald hired Henry Stanley to travel to Africa to find Livingstone. Stanley was given an unlimited amount of money for this expedition.

• When Stanley found Dr. Livingstone he is reported to have said this famous greeting, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”, which made headlines around the world.

The Congo Sparks Interest• Stanley set out to explore

Africa and trace the Congo.• King Leopold II of Belgium

commissioned Stanley to help him obtain land in the Congo.

• Stanley signed treaties with local chiefs who gave Leopold II control over these lands.

Leopold’s Abuse of the Congo

• Leopold II claimed that his reason for control was to abolish the slave trade.

• He licensed companies to harvest sap from rubber trees.• Leopold’s private army mutilated people who would not

harvest rubber.• Millions of people from the Congo died doing this.• The Belgian government took control of the colony from

Leopold II as a result. The French were alarmed by Belgium taking control of this country and began claiming parts of Africa. Soon other countries followed.

Imperial Power Gained Control• Stanley began to sign treaties with

over 450 native chiefs from the Congo

• As a result, Leopold gained rule of these lands given up by the chiefs

• In 1885, after the Berlin Conference, Leopold was given personal rule over the newly declared Congo Free State

• Leopold had what he wanted because other European powers recognized his hold over Congo

Effects of Imperialism on Congolese

• Ideas were forced on them and lots of repression and assimilation molded them daily.

• Africans had a restriction of movement and had to live in villages or shantytowns.

• They didn’t have nearly as much freedom or rights as the white people.

• Africans were treated brutally everyday.

• They had very poor working conditions

Effects of Imperialism on Congolese Continued

• They were forced to collect sap from rubber plants by European Companies that King Leopold II licensed.

• A near 10 million Congolese died from the brutality of Leopold’s rule.

• Humanitarians all around the world wanted big changes because of the horrible acts of Leopold.

• The Belgium Government took control in 1908, away from Leopold.

Imperial Power removed in Congo• In 1908 the Congo was surrendered by King

Leopold II to Belgium.• It was renamed the Belgium Congo.• Working conditions were harsh but the

Belgium rule improved them significantly.• People began to demand self rule.• The Belgium government agreed to give their

political power to the people because they were so confident that they would later regain control.

• The Belgium Government was wrong, on June 30,1960, Congo gained their independence.

• Joseph Kasavubu and Patrick Lumumba were the new president and prime minister of the Belgium Congo.

Harvesting Rubber

Punishing “Lazy” Workers

Mutilated People in the Congo Free State