King Leopold’s Ghost Book By: Adam Hochschild Presentation By: Mackenzie Heman

King Leopold II Early Life : Not interested in school Age 10 : began military training (by 20, made Major General) Appearance : awkward, thin, big nose Cold family atmosphere > problems with his family life later on Personality : shrewd, sly, sneaky Disappointed at Belgium's size > interest in gaining property else where, and trade obsessed Became king in 1865

Early Life :

Not interested in school

Age 10 : began military training (by 20, made Major General)

Appearance : awkward, thin, big nose

Cold family atmosphere > problems with his family life later on

Personality : shrewd, sly, sneaky

Disappointed at Belgium's size > interest in gaining property else where, and trade obsessed

Became king in 1865

King Leopold II (Continued) Family Life : Age 18 : married Archduchess Marie-Henrietta (age 16) of Austro-Hungaria Loathed each other; opposites Children : Only son died in 1869 (pneumonia); left no heir Three daughters : Louise, Stephanie, & Clementine Wouldn’t have any more kids; refused to speak to them after they broke up their marriages; didn’t put in Will Remarried after Marie’s death to Caroline (age 16) at 65 Loved money, clothes, and luxury (all provided by Leopold)

Family Life :

Age 18 : married Archduchess Marie-Henrietta (age 16) of Austro-Hungaria

Loathed each other; opposites

Children :

Only son died in 1869 (pneumonia); left no heir

Three daughters : Louise, Stephanie, & Clementine

Wouldn’t have any more kids; refused to speak to them after they broke up their marriages; didn’t put in Will

Remarried after Marie’s death to Caroline (age 16) at 65

Loved money, clothes, and luxury (all provided by Leopold)

Henry Morton Stanley Explorer of Africa First person to follow the Congo River Found no single government force in Central Africa, and no military threat to a foreign regime King Leopold flattered into a 5 year contract to map out Africa & secure his new colony Plan : set up base at the Congo’s mouth, set up a road around the rapids to the interior, eventually build a railway Road would allow steamboat parts to be transported for later use and would allow trading stations to be made Harsh leader- had no problems issuing awful punishments to the African workers

Explorer of Africa

First person to follow the Congo River

Found no single government force in Central Africa, and no military threat to a foreign regime

King Leopold flattered into a 5 year contract to map out Africa & secure his new colony

Plan : set up base at the Congo’s mouth, set up a road around the rapids to the interior, eventually build a railway

Road would allow steamboat parts to be transported for later use and would allow trading stations to be made

Harsh leader- had no problems issuing awful punishments to the African workers

Henry Shelton Sanford Leopold’s connection to the U.S president and the United States Praise the King and what he wanted to do in Africa Said treaties with native chiefs were legitimate, would get ride of Arab slave traders Helped recruit Stanley for Leopold

Leopold’s connection to the U.S president and the United States

Praise the King and what he wanted to do in Africa

Said treaties with native chiefs were legitimate, would get ride of Arab slave traders

Helped recruit Stanley for Leopold

Purchasing the Congo 1876 : Geographical Conference Established his image as a philanthropist & advanced African Ambitions Wanted to open African interior to abolish slave trade Wanted Ivory and Rubber (later on) United States Help : -could transfer all there black americans to the U.S April 1884 : The United States recognized Leopold’s claim/ International African Societies claim to Congo (1 st ) Berlin Conference : got France & England to recognize May 1885 : Congo Free State

1876 : Geographical Conference

Established his image as a philanthropist & advanced African Ambitions

Wanted to open African interior to abolish slave trade Wanted Ivory and Rubber (later on)

United States Help :

-could transfer all there black americans to the U.S

April 1884 : The United States recognized Leopold’s claim/ International African Societies claim to Congo (1 st )

Berlin Conference : got France & England to recognize

May 1885 : Congo Free State

Congolese Govt. Capital : Boma Contained a Catholic church, hospitals & a military base Government administer directly from Europe (real headquarters = in Brussels) In Congo : 3-4 Belgian administrators who reported to Leopold (one man rule over the Congo) Lower Level: whites in charge of districts Revenue = trade for rubber and ivory Used black porters and slaves to gather (not paid)

Capital : Boma

Contained a Catholic church, hospitals & a military base

Government administer directly from Europe (real headquarters = in Brussels)

In Congo :

3-4 Belgian administrators who reported to Leopold (one man rule over the Congo)

Lower Level: whites in charge of districts

Revenue = trade for rubber and ivory

Used black porters and slaves to gather (not paid)

Military Control Over Congo Controlled by the Force Publique Punished Africans for : Race (thought to be lazy & like animals Because everyone was doing it If African workers didn’t meet gathering requirements Punishment Tools Chicotte : a whip of hippo hide cut into long, sharp-edged tips (applied to back) 25 lashes- unconsciousness 100+ lashes- fatal Mutilation Cut of right hands of workers who didn’t gather enough, trophies, or to be able to count them as dead (got $ for)

Controlled by the Force Publique

Punished Africans for :

Race (thought to be lazy & like animals

Because everyone was doing it

If African workers didn’t meet gathering requirements

Punishment Tools

Chicotte : a whip of hippo hide cut into long, sharp-edged tips (applied to back)

25 lashes- unconsciousness

100+ lashes- fatal

Mutilation

Cut of right hands of workers who didn’t gather enough, trophies, or to be able to count them as dead (got $ for)

George Washington Williams Black American who wanted to place black Americans back in Africa At first, dazzled by Leopold, once in the Congo however, horrified Express outrage in the Open Letter : Stanley= tricking African’s for land & he’s a tyrant Govt.= very cruel to prisoners Making African women concubines White officers were killing natives for sport Enslaving natives, against agreement Started awareness of Leopold’s terrible regime

Black American who wanted to place black Americans back in Africa

At first, dazzled by Leopold, once in the Congo however, horrified

Express outrage in the Open Letter :

Stanley= tricking African’s for land & he’s a tyrant

Govt.= very cruel to prisoners

Making African women concubines

White officers were killing natives for sport

Enslaving natives, against agreement

Started awareness of Leopold’s terrible regime

William Sheppard 1 st Black American missionary in the Congo Sent to Congo to establish Presbyterian missionaries with a white superior (Lapsley) Well liked by the whites and natives of Congo (trades, and befriends natives) 1 st outsider to enter the unpenetrated Kuba Kingdom Highly advanced kingdom Stayed in Congo because of popularity

1 st Black American missionary in the Congo

Sent to Congo to establish Presbyterian missionaries with a white superior (Lapsley)

Well liked by the whites and natives of Congo (trades, and befriends natives)

1 st outsider to enter the unpenetrated Kuba Kingdom

Highly advanced kingdom

Stayed in Congo because of popularity

The Rubber Regime 1890’s : Congo rubber trade begins Extremely profitable, got Leopold out of debt Labor done by forced natives Officers invaded village and forced men to gather rubber (held women and child hostages) Given quota that HAD TO meet Hands cut off, family killed, murdered if did not Paid with a piece of cloth, sometimes people

1890’s : Congo rubber trade begins

Extremely profitable, got Leopold out of debt

Labor done by forced natives

Officers invaded village and forced men to gather rubber (held women and child hostages)

Given quota that HAD TO meet

Hands cut off, family killed, murdered if did not

Paid with a piece of cloth, sometimes people

Rubber Regime Effects

Population Decrease Murder: -for fun, didn’t meet quota, to set an example, if rebelled Starvation, Exhaustion, Exposer -Villagers flee > officers burned villages -Worked to death, died doing their job -Forced to support whites, couldn’t support themselves -Hostage treatment Disease – highest death rate -New diseases from Europe -Malaria, smallpox, sleeping sickness Decreasing birth rates men sent to work, couldn’t father or take care of kids Women don’t have kids because they don’t want to be pregnant when in hiding

Murder:

-for fun, didn’t meet quota, to set an example, if rebelled

Starvation, Exhaustion, Exposer

-Villagers flee > officers burned villages

-Worked to death, died doing their job

-Forced to support whites, couldn’t support themselves

-Hostage treatment

Disease – highest death rate

-New diseases from Europe

-Malaria, smallpox, sleeping sickness

Decreasing birth rates

men sent to work, couldn’t father or take care of kids

Women don’t have kids because they don’t want to be pregnant when in hiding

Edmund Dene Moral Congo trader, discovered: Arms were sent to Congo on purpose Somebody was skimming profits form Congo Africans were not being paid for their work Began movements again King Leopold Publicized documents from natives, Leopold’s cover-ups, Leopold’s gaining of money instead of Belgium Started the Congo Reform Association Roger Casement= inside man, gave info Opened the world to the terrors of the Congo

Congo trader, discovered:

Arms were sent to Congo on purpose

Somebody was skimming profits form Congo

Africans were not being paid for their work

Began movements again King Leopold

Publicized documents from natives, Leopold’s cover-ups, Leopold’s gaining of money instead of Belgium

Started the Congo Reform Association

Roger Casement= inside man, gave info

Opened the world to the terrors of the Congo

Selling The Congo Bad publicity about Congo > sells to Belgium Belgium assumed Congo’s debts (110 million Francs) Paid 45.5 million Francs to Leopold for personal projects Leopold received 50 million Francs for his “good” deeds Nov. 1908 : Belgium takes control over Congo Changes were not dramatic, forced labor remained 1960 : Congo becomes it’s own nation

Bad publicity about Congo > sells to Belgium

Belgium assumed Congo’s debts (110 million Francs)

Paid 45.5 million Francs to Leopold for personal projects

Leopold received 50 million Francs for his “good” deeds

Nov. 1908 : Belgium takes control over Congo

Changes were not dramatic, forced labor remained

1960 : Congo becomes it’s own nation

“ The Congo State is certainly not a business” “ The native doesn’t like making rubber. He must be compelled to do it.” “ My Goal is ultimately humanitarian. I killed a hundred people..but that allowed five hundred others to live.” “ We must fight them until their absolute submission is obtained, or their complete extermination…” Yet I cannot say I have subjugated the people…They prefer to die…”