Imperialism in Africa 10/6/10

Imperialism in Africa

Motivations of Imperialism  Imperialism: Extending of a nation's control and influence over the political, economic, or cultural life of other nations  1. Economic Motives Natural resources (raw materials) such as rubber, ivory, oil, cotton  2. Political Motives Nationalism in 1800s Europe Boost place in world Rivalries fueled scramble for colonies  3. Religious Motives Christians wanted to spread their religion (missionaries) Wanted people to adopt Western culture  Imperializing Africa became popular in 1870s and 1880s  Most frenzied years:

David Livingstone  : Scottish missionary who reached the interior of Africa in the 1840s Tried to convert people to Christianity Explained horrors of slave trade Henry Stanley went to go find him (1871)  Founder of Congo Free State on behalf of Leopold II David Livingstone

Scramble for Africa  Resulted in the division of the African continent among European imperialist powers  Dominated by France, Germany, Great Britain, Portugal  Remapped the continent without consideration of established indigenous cultural and language borders  The Congo would be under the control of Belgium through an International Association Berlin Conference ( ) King Leopold II of Belgium

Map Comparison: What Do You See? Africa in 1880Africa in 1914

European Advantages and Justifications  Maxim machine gun  Medical knowledge for malaria and yellow fever  Telegraph  Social Darwinism: “Survival of the fittest”  Racism  Paternalism  “White Man’s Burden” European Advantages European Justifications for Imperialism

Belgium and Leopold II  "Congo Free State" became a massive labor camp until 1908  Made a fortune for himself from the harvest of its wild rubber  Contributed in a large way to the death of perhaps 10 million innocent people  Hacked off hands of people King Leopold II Children and adults had their hands chopped off

Africa by 1914

Resources  "Africa, 1914." Map. World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, Web. 1 Oct  "The Berlin Conference: Key Question." World History: The Modern Era. ABC- CLIO, Web. 1 Oct  Dummett, Mark. “King Leopold's Legacy of DR Congo Violence”, BBC News, February 24,  "European Imperialism in Africa (Overview)." World History: The Modern Era. ABC-CLIO, Web. 1 Oct  "Foreign Presence in Africa, 1880." Image. World History: The Modern Era. ABC- CLIO, Web. 1 Oct  "Leopold II." Image. Library of Congress. World History: The Modern Era. ABC- CLIO, Web. 1 Oct  "Leopold II." World Geography: Understanding a Changing World. ABC-CLIO, Web. 1 Oct