Understanding Colonial Africa: cash, crops, gold

Africa was all about profit for the europeans profit from growing “cash crops” in large quantities that could be shipped back to Europe and made into something else or at least sold for a much higher price profit from mining gold, diamond, and copper using cheap labour and shipping the raw materials by train to the nearest port to ship back to Europe profit from using labour to extract rubber and hunt elephants for ivory now, with every other continent exposed to the European powers, they set their sights on Africa as a place to find resources to fuel their growth and power

an economic simulation

an economic simulation Reflection: What was the benefit of being the chief/white settler/company? What were two benefits of being the colonial government? What were the advantages/disadvantages of being the African workers?

profit from labour… Africans forced to work for cash to pay colonial taxes Small farmers forced to accept low prices for crops (and even lower prices when demand low), only allowed to sell to colonial power (or private company sanctioned by colonial power) Africans also forced to work on construction projects, like building railways, often without pay not having time, and in some cases land, Africans forced to buy products and food from colonial companies at high prices

profit from companies… when a private company was responsible for a colony, the colonial government would still receive a large share of any profit (likely half) the government would have the cost of infrastructure paid by the private companies and the colony

profit for Country… the European powers benefited from the prestige of owning colonies European industries were fuelled by the raw materials coming in from Africa and its being a new market for selling products (often inferior ones that could not be sold elsewhere) European industries also benefited from having to build railways, ships, and other construction projects to support colonialism but with resistance also came ruthlessness on the part of the Europeans

profit for Africans?… some African leaders benefited from their positions of power over local communities some Africans were able to receive training or education under the colonial system, which only revealed to them how bad their situation actually was when times were good, some small farmers could do quite well selling their cash crops, but struggled in harder times largely, the colonial system was all about shipping as many valuables out of the continent as possible while putting in the smallest investment possible