European Colonialism. The Scramble for Africa

Transcription

1 European Colonialism The Scramble for Africa

2 European Colonialism Although the slave trade was banned across Europe in the early 1800 s, Europeans did not loose their interest in Africa It was during this time( between the mid 1700 s & early 1900 s) that the Industrial Revolution began The Industrial Revolution was a period of change during which goods began to be mass produced by power-driven machines During this time, many inventions were created (steam engine, steam ship, train, telegraph, electricity, telephone, automobiles etc) that changed peoples lives forever Fueled by coal, the invention of the steam engine helped start the Industrial Revolution in Great Britain and around the world

3 European Colonialism Due to the Industrial Revolution, economies had changed in Europe and The United States There was a great need for raw materials to be used in the factories Africa could supply both raw materials (such as minerals) as well as new markets for manufactured goods (places to sell the stuff) The scramble for control of Africa began Examples of Raw Materials Found in Africa Copper Cotton Rubber Palm Oil Cocoa Diamonds Gold Tea Tin

4 Explorers and Missionaries Europeans knew little about the interior of Africa, but many were curious By 1835, European explorers had mapped most of Northwestern Africa By the end of the 1800 s, explorers had charted the Nile to it s source and been exposed to most of Africa s interior Scientists and explorers were interested in African wildlife and natural resources European missionaries also traveled to Africa

5 Explorers and Missionaries A missionary is a person who goes to another country to do religious and social work Missionaries wanted to convert Africans to Christianity and bring education and healthcare to Africa Although missionaries did many positive things for the African people, they also taught European ways of thinking, which often conflicted with and destroyed African traditions

6 Competition for Africa In the 19 th century, European nations began to compete for control of Africa by using Imperialism and Colonialism Imperialism is the practice of one country controlling the government and economy of another country or territory By this time, Africa was one of the last places on earth untouched by European Imperialism A part of imperialism is colonialism Colonialism is the system by which a country maintains colonies outside it s borders Each European country wanted to expand their territory by having the biggest/richest colonies and control of trade

7 Competition for Africa To avoid wars over territory, European nations began to meet and discuss how to divide Africa in 1884 No Africans were consulted Over the next 20 years, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and the Ottoman Empire all established colonies in Africa By 1912, only 2 of Africa s nations remained independent

8 Impact of Colonial Rule When Europeans divided Africa, most colonizers cared mainly about gold, diamonds and other resources Europeans knew little about Africa s political and social systems Europeans looked down on Africa s rich cultures and tried to make Africans more like Europeans Europeans also worsened conflicts among ethnic groups (many of these conflicts exist to this day)

9 Raw Materials Political Cartoon A hard-hitting 1906 Punch cartoon depicting King Leopold II of Belgium as a rubber vine entangling a Congolese man.

10 Colonialism in Africa: Causes Causes Industrial Revolution Access to Raw Materials Create New Markets for Goods (places to sell stuff) Expand Territory & Effects Effects Africa Split up Between European Countries Africans Robbed of Their Way Life Elements of European Culture still found in Africa (Religion, Language etc) Worsened conflicts amongst ethnic groups Many African countries did not gain independence until after WWI Many Civil Wars in Africa Since (Initially, a lot of corrupt/weak governments etc)

11 Dates of African Independence When did countries like Egypt, South Africa & Ethiopia gain their independence? How many countries did not gain their independence until the 1980 s?