1. EUROPEAN
IMPERIALISM in
AFRICA
“One of History’s More Brutal and Insensitive Episodes”

2. Imperialism
 Seizure of a country or territory by a stronger nation
for their own Political, Economic, or Social GAINS

3. AFRICAN CONTINENT
 Hundreds of different Ethnic and Linguistic groups
 Large Empires to small independent states

4. Getting to the Interior
 Vaccines against Malaria
 Maxim Gun
 Steam-powered Riverboats
 Original Motives:
 Explore, Missionaries, Humanitarian

5. CONGO
 David Livingston in 1860
 Journalist Henry Stanley
wrote while searching for
Livingston
 Sparked interest of
 KING LEOPOLD II
 Belgium
 Abolish Slavery and
promote Christianity????

6. Brutality in the Congo
 Brutally exploited Congolese for sap from rubber
plants
 10 million died
 Started a long History of Brutality in Congo
Listen to the yell of Leopold’s Ghost
Burning in Hell for his hand-maimed host
Hear how the demons chuckle and yell
Cutting his hands off, down in Hell

7. “Off With the Hands”

8. Bigger Picture
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu6-
TLC0NRQ&feature=related
 What is your reaction to this video?
 Who is to blame?
 What can be done?

9. Driving Force
 Industrial Revolution
 Social Darwinism
 Better and more fit than Africans
 Strongest will survive

10. BERLIN CONFERENCE
1884 – 1885
 14 EUROPEAN NATIONS
 Could claim land by notifying others and show you
could control it
 Who is Missing?

11. Results
 New Boundaries Created
 Rival Tribes forced to live together in same “States”
 Europeans Industrialize Railroads, Highways, and
Mines
 CECIL RHODES: British Business man, supporter of
imperialist expansion (DeBeers)

12. African Resistance
 African tribes joined together to resist Europeans
 All were eventually Un-Successful
 EXCEPT Ethiopia
 Defeated the Italians in 1896
 Menelik II pitted Brits, French, and Italians against each
other
 WHY?

13. South Africa
 Africans, Dutch, and British
 Zulus
 Zulu nation fell to Brits by 1887
 Boers “Dutch Farmers”
 Clashed with Brits over slaves and land
 GREAT TREK North to escape Brits
 Fought with Zulus
 Found Diamonds and Gold

14. Boer War
 Diamonds and Gold by 1880s
 British v Boers
 Brutality v Commando War Tactics
 Black South Africans captured and Killed (14,000)
 British win in 1910
 Union of South Africa under
British Flag

15. New Imperialism
 Type of Rule
 Direct: French
 Paternalism
 Assimilation
 Indirect: British
 Strong Military

16. Effects of Imperialism
 New Political and Economic Systems
 Justice
 Direct/Indirect Rule
 Material Improvements
 Communication and Transportation
 Hospitals/ Sanitation
 Education
 Elite ONLY
 European History