The Scramble for Africa

1. The Scramble for Africa

2. Imperialism • Imperialism- the seizure of a country or territory by a stronger country

3. Africa Before European Domination • Powerful African armies were able to keep Europeans out for 400 years • European travel to the African interior was impossible • African rivers hard to navigate • Disease made it difficult • Steam-powered riverboats allowed interior exploration

4. Nations Compete for Overseas Empires • People who went on expeditions were explorers, missionaries, or humanitarians • Commonality= Opposed European & American slave trade

5. David Livingstone • Missionary from Scotland in Central Africa to promote Christianity • Missing for several years • Henry Stanley sent to find him • “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?”

6. Forces Driving Imperialism

7. Nationalism • Europeans viewed an empire as a measure of national greatness • Racism- Europeans believed that they were better than other peoples

8. Social Darwinism • “Survival of the fittest” • Those who were fittest for survival enjoyed wealth and success and were considered superior to others • Wanted to “Westernize” and civilize the peoples of the foreign land

9. Factors Promoting Imperialism in Africa • Technology • Machine gun • Steam engine (railroads, steamboats, etc) • Medicine • Prevented diseases for Europeans • Diversity among Africans • Differences in languages and cultures discouraged unity

10. Division of Africa • European countries were competing for African territories rich with diamonds and gold • Berlin Conference- meeting of 14 European nations to lay down rules for the division of Africa • European nations divided the continent with little thought about how African ethnic and linguistic groups were distributed • No African ruler was invited to attend the meeting

11. Raw Materials • Europeans needed Africa’s rich mineral resources to produce goods • Copper, tin • Developed cash-crop plantations • Displaced food crops grown by African farmers, so many of the natives were starving

12. South Africa • Zulus v. British over this territory • British used their superior guns and other advanced weapons to defeat the Zulus

13. Boer War • British v. the Dutch (Boers) over territory • First modern “total” war • British defeated the Boers and controlled the Union of South Africa

14. New Period of Imperialism

15. Influence of European Nations • Europeans wanted an influence over the economic, political, and social lives of the people • They were determined to shape the economies of the lands to benefit European economies • Also wanted the people to adopt European customs

16. Forms of Control • To establish control of an area, Europeans used four different methods: colony, protectorate, sphere of influence, and economic imperialism

17. Methods of Management • Indirect and direct control • Indirect • British asked a local ruler to accept British authority to rule • Local officials handled daily management and soon the local population would govern itself

18. Methods of Management, cont. • Direct • Europeans did not believe that Africans could rule themselves • Paternalism- policy used by Europeans in which they governed people in a paternal way by providing for their needs but not giving them any rights • Assimilation- policy where the native country would adopt the culture and customs of the European country

19. British Imperialism in India

20. British East India Company • Controlled large portions of India • Sepoys- Indian soldiers in the British army • Great Britain considered India its “Jewel in the Crown” because it was the most valuable of all British colonies

21. Indian Raw Materials • Tea, indigo, coffee, cotton, jute, and opium • Traded opium to China and exchanged it for tea, which they then sold to England

22. Impact of Colonialism • Negative- British held all of the political and economic power, with little concern for Indian natives • Positive- India was able to modernize because of new technologies brought by the British

23. Sepoy Mutiny • Many Indians believed that the British were trying to convert them to Christianity • British also expressed constant racism towards Indians

24. Sepoy Mutiny, cont. • Rumors spread that the sepoys’ rifle cartridges were greased with beef and pork fat (Hindus and Muslims were outraged) • Majority of sepoys refused to accept the cartridges and they were jailed by the British • Soldiers rebelled and captured the city of Delhi • Rebellion spread and it took over a year for the British East India Company to take back control

25. Turning Point • British government took direct control of India in 1858= Raj • British did not believe that Indians could rule themselves