The Scramble for Africa: the Imperial history of Africa

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The Scramble for Africathe Imperial history of
Africa
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What is the Scramble

• Time of intense European colonization of Africa
• Especially Sub-Saharan Africa
• Early 1870s to right before the Great War (WWI,
  1911)

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Africa Before The Scramble
-European settlements limited to coastal trade
posts -No reason to explore Africa -Very limited
African civilization -Most large settlements are
Islamic states (Caliphates)
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Africa Colonial Map
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What lead to the Scramble

• It was easier than ever before
• Diseases
• Medical advances for malaria and yellow fever
• Technological advancements
• Steam navigation
• Railroads
• Telegraph

• Many added reasons
• Economic
• Overproduction
• Need for raw materials
• Humanitarian
• David Livingstone
• Political
• Continental Competition

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Economic Factors

• Britain worlds first post-industrial nation
• European markets shrinking and increasingly
  protectionist
• Africa
• Cheap labor abundant raw materials
• Raw materials not available in Europe
• Rubber
• Tin
• Cotton
• Tea
• Copper

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Humanitarian Factors

• Goal of civilizing Africa
• David Livingstone
• Scottish explorer/missionary (mid 19th-century)
• Witnessed injustices of slave trade
• Wanted to spread Christianity in Africa
• Christianity, Commerce, and Civilization.

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Political Factors

• Competition among European states
• Namely Britain, France, Germany
• Berlin Conference (1884-1885)
• Formalized the scramble
• Regulated it to prevent wars between colonizing
  powers

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Important People and settlements

• King Leopold II of Belgium
• Congo Free State
• Henry Morton Stanley
• Cecil Rhodes

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King Leopold II

• King of Belgium
• In 1892, Leopold II declared all natural
  resources in the Congo Free State to be his
  property.
• This meant the Belgians could stop dealing with
  African traders and simply take what they wanted
  themselves.
• Hired Henry Morton Stanley to explore the Congo

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Atrocities of Leopold II

• Between 5 and 15 million natives of Congo died as
  a result of Leopolds Colonialism
• Pitted tribes against each other by appointing
  one group in positions of power over the other.
  (Contributes to Rwanda genocide)

Children and adults had their hands chopped off
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Henry Morton Stanley

• Anglo-American Explorer
• Responsible for the development of the lower
  Congo in the name of King Leopold II
• Found David Livingstone before his death

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Cecil Rhodes

• British Nationalist, politician, and businessman
• Dreamed of Painting the map red
• Partner in De Beers Mining Co.
• Founded Rhodesia in present day Zimbabwe
• "I contend that we are the first race in the
  world and that the more of the world we inhabit
  the better it is for the human race."

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Accomplishments (1885-1914)

• England took 30 of the African Population under
  its control
• France 15
• Germany 9
• Belgium 7
• Italy 1
• Europe added 9 million square miles, 20 of
  earths landmass to its empires

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1812 Map of Africa
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