This ppt is targeted to 5th grade study of colonization in Africa. It covers the Treaty of Berlin, the search for gold and diamonds, the various ways of governing the colonies and the effects of colonization.

1. The Scramble for Africa

3. Guiding Questions
• Why did mother countries lose most of their
colonies?
• Why do the mother countries want to colonize
Africa?
• Who organized the colonization process?
• What were the rules?
• How did they govern the colonies?

4. Mother Countries Lose Colonies
• In the early 1800’s, Europe’s mother countries
had lost most of their colonies.
– England had lost the American colonies in the
American Revolution
– Spain had lost most of their holdings in
North, Central, and South America due to uprisings
and revolts.

5. – The Portuguese had lost most of their colonies to
the Dutch
– The Dutch managed to hold on to their
colonies, but with great difficulty

6. Reasons for the Scramble
• Late 1800’s, Europe decides to
colonize Africa
• Europe wants to colonize Africa to
ensure trade
• England wants to control the Suez
Canal to ensure a shorter route to
India
• Gold and diamonds found all over
Africa!!

7. • Palm oil and lots of timber for export
• Greediness! They want to get land just so the
others won’t get it first!
• Nationalism is on the rise in Europe. Citizens
feel a sense of pride about their countries
worldwide assets.

9. Treaty of Berlin
• European and American leaders met in Berlin to
discuss the colonization of Africa
• King Leopold of Belgium wanted to exploit the
Congo River Valley.
• However, the other participants wanted to
regulate the new colonies to be made and make
sure they had access to important trade routes.

10. Treaty Rules
• Colonized areas must be occupied, not just
claimed
• Mother countries must defend their claims and
set up a colonial government
• They agreed not to import any more firearms
into Africa (giving them a military advantage)
• Agreed to ban Inter-African slave trade

11. Effects of Treaty of Berlin
• Over 90% of Africa was now under European
Control
• The new borders ignored the traditional
boundaries. It separated peoples who had
gotten along, as well as joining groups together
who were traditional enemies.
• Even language groups were separated from each
other

13. Types of Colonial Rule
1. Company Charter: The mother country gives
permission for the company to go in and exploit
the natural resources of the area.
2. Direct Rule: The mother country divides up the
local areas and rules over them individually (so
they can’t join together for revolt)

14. 3. Indirect Rule: the mother country allowed
local chiefs to rule, but really they were just
“puppets” of the mother country
4. Settler’s Rule: Mother country sends
colonists over and they take charge of
governing the colony (Example: South Africa)

15. Follow up questions
• Why did mother countries lose most of their
colonies?
• Why do the mother countries want to colonize
Africa?
• Who organized the colonization process?
• What were the rules?
• How did they govern the colonies?