The Legacy of Colonialism in Africa

The Legacy of Colonialism in Africa

By Brooke, Madison, Jonathan, Tatiana, and Emmitt

The Berlin Conference

* A majority of countries were ruled over by European countries

* Very few countries remained independent

* 16 Western World Leaders

* No Africans

* Led by Otton von Bismark

* 1885-1900

* France and England

* 1902 90%

Belgian Rule

Belgium

• The Belgians mistreated the Africans the worst.

• King Leopold II

• Slave trade increased along the Atlantic.

Tension also arose between countries during the colonization of Africa.

Exploitation of Resources

• Though many countries embraced missionaries, Leopold limited missionaries the most.

• Because of this countries controlled by Leopold weren't educated to sufficiently run a country.

British Rule

A Fight for Freedom

• African nations fought for their independence from the 1950's up until the 1970's

• Events such as segregation maintained colonialist divisions

• Independence didn't bring prosperity

Motivation for Colonization

Portuguese Rule

French Rule

What They Did

* Started taxes

* Grow cotton and crops for exportation

* Cheap Labor

Consequences

* Benin

* Burkina Faso

* Burundi

* Cameroon

* C.A.R.

* Chad

* Comoros

* Democratic Republic of Congo

* Djibouti

* Gabon

* Guinea

* Madagascar

* Mali

* Niger

* Republic of Congo

* Rwanda

* Senegal

* Ivory Coast

* People had no rights

* Forced French culture

* People were exploited

* They had no infrastructure

* Political Unrest in Ethnic Groups

Comments/Questions/Concerns

Brooke

De Blij, H. J., and Peter O. Muller. "Berlin Conference 1884 1885." Berlin Conference 1884 1885. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Sept. 2012. <http://www.cabinda.net/Berlin_Conference.htm>.

Madison

http://worldhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/309342?terms=british+colonies+in+africa#

http://exhibition.nypl.org/africanaage/essay-colonization-of-africa.html

Jonathan

http://www.beyondintractability.org/bi-essay/post-colonial

i just want to make sure everyone has there portion done and the path is ready to go

Tatiana

* Aparteid

* Exploitation

* More Bad than Good

* Ethnic Diversity

* Loss of Culture

* Fighting

* Need for more funds

To Conclude...

WW1

countries wanted to expand their boundaries to take over more resources and people.

the conflict over who controlled what section in Africa caused tension.

Emmitt

* Harsh rule

* Forced Culture

* Economy

Resist

• Geurrilla warfare: hit-and-run raids against stationary enemy forces

Geurrilla Warfare

• African military resistance to the invasions took 2 main forms.

• Mainly used by small groups to ambush the enemy quickly

• Direct engagement uses troops and large armies in order to attack

• Direct engagement: run by the centralized state systems, such as chiefdoms, city-states, kingdoms, and empires

Direct Engagement

Political

Many people in Britain were unemployed, poor, and homeless

• Wanted to surpass other countries

Economic

Social

• Competing for power with other countries

• Biggest motivation

• Had many social problems due to growing industry

• Used colonies to export "surplus population"

• Developed after expansion of Industrial Revolution

Italian Rule

If you guys need some help or anything, just ask down here...

"The scramble":

These countries came together and had a conference over how Africa would be divided and who would control over which territories. Of the 14 countries in attendance not one represented an african colony during this West African Conference in Berlin.

November 1884 to January 1885

Countries including:

• Great Britain
• France
• Belgium
• Italy
• Spain
• Germany
• Portugal

Through the Belgium Congo, African workers were abused. The leaders of Belgium only cared about the profits the population could contribute to their own country.

40% of Africa's wealth washed overseas.

The effects Belgium left on Africa scarred the country and forced it into the third world proposition it's in today.

-Portugal held a small colony in West Africa and two larger ones in South Africa.

-Portugal and Spain were dictatorships while France and the UK were democracies.

-Portugal traded with Africa and also used Africans as slaves

-Missionaries went to Africa to teach people about their religion.

-21% of the world's Christians reside in Africa