Colonial Economies

Colonial Economies Questions:

• How were the lives of African women altered by colonial economies?
• What is the effect of cash crop agriculture?
• What kind of wage labor were avalable is the colonies?
• How did the power of colonial states transfer the economic lives of colonial subjects?
• Did Colonial rule being "economic progress" in it wake?

Colonial Economies Answers:

• Women's work loads were substancially increased, they also had to take on jobs that men usually did.
• A shortage of labor foster the employment of former slaves as dependent.
• Driven by money, workers are at hudge plantation however woman are recieving 50-75% of a man's wage.
• The power of the colonial states forced the natives to work on public projects. They were legally obligated to work 10 to 12 days a year.
• Colonial rule did bring econimic progress in it wake to some part with a jump start of modern growth however it also had an uneven growth at some areas.

Identitiy and Cultural Change Questions:

• Western education had what impact on colonial societies ?
• Who did Christianity give more opportunities to?
• Who argued that each race has a distinctive contribution to the world?
• What made the Africans feel like they belonged?
• Where did Christianity not spread?

Identity and Cultural Change Answers:

• Western education brought access to better jobs and escape from forced labor.
• Cristianity gave more opportunities to the young, the poor and many woman.
• Edward Blyden argued that each race has a distinctive contribution to the world.
• The "tribe" made Africans feel like they belonged.
• Christianity did not spread in India.

"Race" and "Tribe"

Forced Labor and the Power of the State

Created a "Cultrivation system" of the Netherlands East Indies

Race and ethnicity were central to new ways of belonging

Thousands of Africans took part in World War I

Many areas resisted the enforcement of cultrivation

for most Africans, most important new sense of belonging was idea of "tribe" or ethnic identity

The most severe cases of forced labor was in the Congo

And one more thing...

Edward Blyden argued that each race has a distinctive contribution to make the world

Forced labor stop when Belgium took control over the Congo in 1908 only to stop the abusing

Enrich the authorities who enforce the system

Part of the cash crop that was made was use as payment for the taxes

united for the first time by experience of colonial oppression

German East Africa~rebellion in 1905 against forced cotten cultivation

Mozambique~ peasant sabotage and smuggling kept the portuguese from reaching their goals

Forced labor caused widespread starvation

Religion

Widespread conversion to Christianity in New Zealan, Pacific islands, and non-Muslim Africa

Africans found ethnic identity useful

Attractive to many in Africa

Christianity associated with modern education

Christianity gave opportunities to the young, the poor, and many woman

Christianity did not spread widely in India

Cash-Crop Agriculture

The population of Irrawaddy Delta population soomed

Colonial Encounters, Identity and Cultural Change in the Colonial Era

(In the southern Gold Coast) African farmers took the initiative to develop export agriculture

Many colonies specialized in one or two cash crops

Migrants from Upper Burma and India poured into the reagon and rice exports soared

Labor Shortages led to exploitation of former slaves, men marrying women for their labor power, influx of migrants.

Created a hybrid peasant-capitalist society

Local small farmers benefited considerably because they were now able to own their own land, build substantial houses, and buy imported goods.

Getting Western education creadted identity for many

Indians migrated to work in the British empire

Wage Labor

Education

In Africa, people moved to European farms/plantations because they had lost their own land

On the Southeast Asian plantations, hundreds of thousands of worker came to work

Access to better jobs

created cultural divide between vast majority of population

had low pay, bad conditions, and high death rate

combined Western ideas and classic Hindu texts

Europeans communities obtain vast amounts of land

88% of the land belonged to whites during 1913 in South Africa

Was an escape from forced labor

Colonial cities attracted many workers

Effects were the city became unsanitary, overcrowded, and segregated. Also created an enormous class of the poor that substain themselves

Paul N, Rebecca P, Gabby T,

Danielle W and Alyssa S

Many Wester-education elite saw colonial rule as path to better future....at first

Women and the Colonial Economy

Center of opportunity

Colonial economy also provided some opportunities to women

European education used as tool to win freedom form traditon

Women lives diverged even more from men because of the Colonial economy

Men tended to dominate the export crops

Large number of men migrate toward work elsewhere

Women were left at home to "guard" the house

Colonial Development

Colonial Rule did and didn't help with the Colonial Development

introduced some modern elements but didnt lead to breakthroughs to modern industrial societies

Helped integrate Asian & African economies into a global exchange network

the economic impact was that colonial development helped to star moder growth, but also had a record of exploitation and limited growth