The Colonization of Africa 1880 to 1914 Essay example

The Scramble for Africa took place during the period of time around 1880 until 1914. During this time Africa found itself being split up and divided amongst several European countries. In essence Africa was like a fresh baked pie and everyone wanted a slice. Several factors were the cause of this major land grab being Nationalism, Imperialism and to say the least pure greed! The British were the more dominant entity in the scramble and their main interests in the beginning were to acquire and protect sea routes to India. As a result of the congress of Vienna they acquired the area of South Africa known as the cape colony. Soon after, Gold and Diamond were found north of this area and this steered their interests northward. This†¦show more content†¦Spain, Portugal, Belgium, and Italy were also involved in the scramble and in the end there was only one Large area that remained independent which was Ethiopia, and a few very small areas. But for the most part, Europe swa llowed up the continent. The beginning of this imperialism started with king Leopold of Belgium. For several years he had been secretly sending his representatives to the Congo region to sign treaties and purchase land from the local tribes, when it finally came to light what he was doing, he had already acquired 900,000 acres, later known as The Belgian Congo. This land was not for his country, but for his own personal use. Leopold cared nothing about the land or the native people, his goal was to exploit the land and people at all cost and that is exactly what he did. Millions of native Africans were forced into slave labor for Leopold’s needs and the land was stripped of all its natural recourses. The slaves were treated horribly and many millions were slaughtered or died from the horrific conditions forced upon them. Although the exact number is not known it is estimated to be in the tens of millions. King Leopold’s actions were appalling, even to his own people and as a result he was removed from the throne and the land was annexed by Belgium. Another result was several countries taking notice of Leo’s exploits, and the â€Å"Scramble for Africa† Began. Britain as I mentioned before wasShow MoreRelatedAnalyze Attitudes Toward and Evaluate the Motivations Behind the European Acquisition of African Colonies in the Period 1880 to 19141147 Words   |  5 PagesAfrican colonies in the period 1880 to 1914 During the late 1800’s, Europe was looking for a way to improve themselves as a whole. With growing population and a steady decline in available work, something new had to be done. Countries looked towards Africa to serve as new colonies for the Europeans in order to better their own countries. During the European acquisition of African colonies in the period 1880 to 1914 Europe’s attitude towards Africa was that Africa was the inferior race in comparisonRead MoreColonialism in Africa911 Words   |  4 PagesLadonya Gatling World Civilizations II Mr. Mitchell 10:00-10:50 (MWF) Colonialism in Africa Neither imperialism nor colonialism is a simple act of accumulation nor acquisition†¦ Out of imperialism, notions about culture were classified, reinforced, criticized or rejected† (BBC World Service). The nineteenth century saw massive changes in Africa. Some were driven by famine and disease (BBC World Service). Some changes were the result of the territorial ambitions of African rulers. As the centuryRead MoreImperialism Dbq Ap European History846 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom 1880 to 1914, European powers went after overseas empires in Africa. The governments and political leaders of the European powers believed that this colonization of the African empires was necessary to maintain their global influence. A second group of people supposed that African colonization was the result of the greedy Capitalists who \only cared for new resources and markets. The third group of people claimed it to be their job to enlighten and educate the uncivilized people of Africa. AlthoughRead MoreThe Scramble for Africa1154 Words   |  5 Pages What was the Scramble for Africa? The Scramble for Africa was a period of time where major European countries fought over and colonized land in Africa, stretching from South Africa to Egypt. The scramble for Africa began shortly after the slave trade, and ended at WW1, and is a strong representation of the ‘New Imperialism’. The first country to act was Belgium, who colonized Congo at 1885, but soon, other countries such as Portugal and Great Britain joined in in order to not miss out. FirstlyRead MoreThe Rwandan Genocide Essay959 Words   |  4 Pageswe must understand events prior. In the late 19th c. Europe experienced the, â€Å"African Fever† a phrase that can only describe the participation of Italian, French, British, German, and Belgian forces in the colonization of the African continent, between 1880-1914. Prior to the colonization, European countries outlawed the transportation or sale of slaves. The change in opinion was spearheaded by British organizations that felt slavery was fundamentally corrupt. Soon after, other European countriesRead MoreThe Scramble For African Colonization Of Africa1733 Words   |  7 Pages The Scramble for Africa had a massive impact on the lives of the citizens that lived there. In the 1870’s when Germany became the new leader in the European industry with chemicals and electrical products. This time was known as the second industrial revolution when transportation in the country came about it effected routes of trade became easily available thus making. The growth of European colonization of Africa which was unique because they started to colonized later than everyone else. ForRead MoreForces That Drove European Imperialism3495 Words   |  14 Pagesproliferation of nationalism drove many empires to seek colonial expansion as a form of prestige and supremacy. Lastly, the growing popularity of Social Darwinist doctrines in combination with European society’s approval of imperialism further promoted colonization. By seeking to expand their empires, the Great Powers were hoping to successfully follow the doctrines of neo-mercantilism by establishing a commanding and multi-faceted economy with overseas colonies, whose production would assist the home countryRead MoreEuropean Imperialism in Late 19th Century Africa1624 Words   |  7 Pages European Imperialism in Late 19th Century Africa: African Response and Effects Rafael Delatorre History 002B Professor Standish April 12, 2014 Between 1870 and 1914, European countries ceased about ninety percent of Africa. Native Africans faced political, military, and imperialism pressure from various European countries. After the end of the profitable slave trade in Africa, due to abolishing of slavery, Europeans explored forRead MoreScramble Africa And The Aftermath Essay2328 Words   |  10 PagesScrambling Africa and the Aftermath. One common phenomenon between many nations of the world is the colony. The United States, Canada, South Korea, Niger, India, Kenya, Australia, and the Republic of South Africa and more shared the pros and cons of colonial systems. They are all former colonies to the extent that India, Nigeria, South Africa, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand are members of the Commonwealth, they are former colonies of the United Kingdom and they all continue to concede the nominalRead MoreThe General Act of the Berlin Conference on West Africa2361 Words   |  10 PagesConference on West Africa (1884-1885) and the partition of Africa among the main European powers, considering its importance for the construction of Europe. The Conference of Berlin was the culmination of a process that began with the presence of European traders in the costal areas of West Africa. The relations between Europe and Africa developed during the age of slave trade and were transformed on the 19th century. The Conference i nitiated the process of formal colonization, which lasted until