European Imperialism in Africa Essays

Ever heard the saying big bank take little bank ? That’s basically what imperialism is. Imperialism is a policy which a strong nation take complete control over other countries . This is exactly what the Europeans did in several different parts of Africa . Not only did the Europeans divided and colonized Africa but they took everything away ,from their culture to their independence. Why take all this away ? It’s simple , the Europeans nations was competing against each other and they thought they were superior. They noticed Africa had many raw materials and resources they could use and benefit from. The driving force for imperialism in Africa was economics , competition , and politics.

The years between the 1870’s and 1910’s brought a tremendous amount of change to Africa. This time period, known as the Scramble for Africa, was when Europeans invaded and colonized the African continent. Europeans at the time were much more technologically advanced than the natives because of the many revolutions that took place in Europe. Thus, they were for the most part very successful in their colonization; they were able to take over the entire continent, save Ethiopia. During and after this period of colonization, Europeans were as present and powerful as they’d ever been, thus inflicting their unfamiliar practices and ideas on societies in Africa. Even though Europe brought over their foreign knowledge and technology (like guns), they

The imperatives of capitalist industrialization, including the call for guaranteed sources of raw materials, especially copper, cotton, rubber, tea, and tin (European consumers had become accustomed to, and thus depended on these resources), and the search for guaranteed markets and profitable investment outlets, which territories like the gold and diamond-rich Egypt and South Africa provided, caused the European conquest for Africa. Therefore the primary reason for European colonization in Africa was

As Europe’s economy and standard of living rose, the need for more land flourished as well. Europe sought to split the various parts of Africa during the Berlin conference (without the approval of the Africans, of course). Eventually, Europe successfully stole most of Africa from its rightful owners. The greedy Europeans showed pretentiousness towards the colonies in Africa and wanted to seize territory in order to utilize their available resources while displaying supremacy over the other races.

The actions of the developed nations were justified in regards to imperialism in Africa. Europe desired to gain not only more land, but more power. The Europeans nations and the United States took control over Asia, Africa, and South America. Taking over Africa had its negative effects but overall it was the most feasible and justifiable arrangement.

Imperialism drastically changed the political, economic, social, and cultural landscape of Africa indefinitely. Europeans built various forms of infrastructure and implemented several technological advancements in Africa in order to expand the economy. Additionally, many Africans lost their sense of self identity as a result of the Western culture that the Europeans imposed upon them. Lastly, Africans lost control of their lands and their independence due to European imperialism. There are three main reasons why the Europeans imperialized Africa: 1) political competition, 2) cultural motives, and 3) economic interests.

Amidst the thriving chaos of the Industrial Revolution and subsequent to the politically volatile French Revolution, Europe in the 1800s was an ever-changing realm of new systems, machines, methods of transportation, ideas, and leaders. Those leaders faced a plethora of challenges both internally and externally, as both their subjects and other countries were angry with them for various reasons. One of the problems these rulers faced was the matter of imperial power on other continents. So, the more relevant European leaders met at the Berlin Conference to decide what each country was allowed to colonize. In doing so, the rulers they legalized the Scramble for Africa, therefore allowing colonization

From 1880 to 1900, Africa was split in many colonies by several different European countries. This was called the “Scramble for Africa. Because Africa didn’t have all of the technology that the Europeans possessed, the Europeans deemed them “uncivilized.” They took it upon themselves to colonize their land, disregarding their set tribes and customs. Although attempting to seem helpful, Europeans had their own selfish reasons for renovating Africa and its traditions.

For centuries Africa has been sought after and colonized by European powers for political, social and economic gain. Europeans needed Africa’s rich resources to fund their industrial revolution. European countries were strategically trying to one up another for the best resources so that their country would come out on top, while completely disregarding African people. Many European countries came to the conclusion that it was well within their rights to colonize Africa in order to protect their commercial interests. They simply decided to lay claim to territories in Africa, treating the continent as if it was theirs to take. In this essay I will argue that to the Europeans, Africa was just a commodity to be fought over and colonized and I

During the 1870’s Europeans started colonizing countries in Africa. Europeans did this because they needed all of Africa's valuable resources.Africa was a big target because they were not very modernized in technology so it was easier for the Europeans to seize control. The Europeans were able to enter Africa through ships and scare the Africans with their guns. The Europeans controlled Africa in two ways direct and indirect rule. Direct rule is when the country in charge rules strictly over the country and they try to civilize the people they are ruling. For example in Algeria the French had direct rule. The French were in Algeria and gave Algerians their needs but no rights. Indirect ruling is when the country in charge is ruling from far

In the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Europeans invaded Africa, colonizing every country except Liberia and Ethiopia. Some African nations attempted to fight back, but the European’s superior weapon easily suppressed the resistance. Then, the Europeans extracted natural resources and utilized the force labor of Africans. European imperialism and colonization in Africa clearly invoked more harm than the benefits to Africans. The Europeans crippled the Africans by extracting natural resources, forcing Africans to work for them, and leaving Africa unprepared with independence.

Certain colonies suffered due to colonization, others have recovered well such as the United States, Canada, and Australia. Former colonies in Asia, South America, and Africa suffered so much more under colonization than the three mentioned before due to the interests of different European countries. Most importantly many European countries were driven by colonization or imperialism through those processes they were attracted to economic, political and or social power.

By partitioning all of Africa into spheres of influence, the Europeans fulfilled their imperial desires of ruling the world; however, the Scramble for Africa was only a small part of the larger power struggle between the European powers. In fact, one could argue that the Scramble for Africa was one of the most peaceful examples of imperialism as there was not any war between the powers themselves. The Berlin Conference was one of the few times the European Powers concurred (mostly), and this allowed for Africa to quickly be turned into a dominion of the Europeans. However, the Scramble for Africa most certainly did not help The native populace. The natives were seen as subservient and conquered people, and the fact that the Scramble for Africa was a power struggle at its core meant that Africa was still not allowed to become very developed or industrialized. Additionally, the simplification of the complex tribal system in Africa into 5 or 6 spheres of European influence is actually the root of the much of the warfare and unrest in Africa today. The Scramble for Africa was a showcase of the power of Imperialism, and while in the short term, it benefited the European powers, the long term effect was exceptionally negative for the African people. Imperialism never helps the conquered, as its purpose is to help the mother country. The Scramble for Africa was Imperialism's

Imagine being with your family in your home and a neighbor comes and tells you that aliens have invaded a distant town and have taken half of its population and killed the other half. Chances are that you would think that they had lost their mind and would ignore them. In our society today we would find something like that to be highly unlikely. Now imagine that you and your family have good relations with the town that had been invaded. You have played sports against them growing up and you do your shopping there. You know that the citizens of that town are tough individuals and would not be easily defeated. The tribes of the lower Niger River had experienced these same things in the late 19th century. Although they were not invaded by

The story of Africa is incredibly long and complex but what makes this history so interesting was Africa’s autonomy in creating it. For centuries Africans were left to their own devices and were able to flourish in several regions and time periods without any aid from foreign powers. That is, until colonialism entered the scene and drastically changed the course that Africa was on. No longer was Africa free to progress and develop according to the cultures and traditions that existed. Rather, hegemonic states used their political and economic power to employ colonialism, hijacking African history during the twentieth century. In order to evaluate the impact of colonialism and its dismantlement throughout the twentieth century, one must acknowledge the events that preceded this century. Despite the clear existence of several functioning states in Africa, colonial powers viewed the continent as inferior and in desperate need of intervention.