1. What European nations imperialized Africa?

2. Who were the Boers?

3. How did the Zulus respond to European imperialism?

4. Why were Liberia and Ethiopia the only African nations to remain free?

In the 1870s the Belgians began to trade with Africans in the Congo. Fearing they would miss out on various raw materials, the other European nations scrambled to establish their presence on the continent.

King Leopold

Berlin Conference

In 1884, to avoid conflict amongst themselves, European leaders met at the Berlin Conference to set up rules for colonizing Africa. No Africans were invited.

Berlin Conference

Berlin Conference

The European powers agreed that before they could claim territory they would have to set up an outpost. Whoever was the first to build the outpost gained that area of land.

Berlin Conference

The Boers

In the mid-1600s, Dutch farmers known as Boers settled in southern Africa in Cape Colony. The Boers built Cape Town as a supply station.

In the 1700s, the Dutch herders and ivory hunters began to move north. The British then acquired Cape Colony in the early 1800s.

AFRICA

Cape Colony Cape Colony

Cape Town

The Anglo-Boer War

In the late 1800s, the discovery of gold and diamonds in the northern Boer territory set off the Anglo-Boer war.

The war was from 1899-1902 and involved bitter guerrilla fighting. The British won, but at a great cost.

British Boers

Boers Boers British

The Zulus

In the early 1800s in southern Africa, an African leader named Shaka conquered and united tribes to form the Zulu nation.

Zulu Nation Cape Town

Cape Colony

Shaka Zulu

The Zulus

The Zulus were skilled and organized fighters. Shaka used his power and fought against European slave traders and ivory hunters.

The Zulus

The Zulus also fought the Boers as they migrated north from Cape Colony.

Cape Town

Cape Colony

Zulu Nation

The Anglo-Zulu War

The Zulus came into conflict with the British as well. In 1879 the Zulus wiped out a British force at the battle of Isandlwana.

The Anglo-Zulu War

However, it was not long before the superior weaponry of the British overtook the Zulus at the battle of Rorke’s Drift.

European Territory

In 1910, with southern Africa secure, the British established the Republic of South Africa and instituted apartheid.

Apartheid –

government policy calling for separation of the races.

AFRICA

South Africa

Cape Town

Cape Colony

Europeans In Africa By 1914

Britain France Germany

Italy Belgium Portugal Spain

British Territory

Britain’s claims in Africa were second in size only to France, but included heavily populated areas with greater natural resources. Britain controlled Egypt because of its strategic location.

French Territory

France was very powerful in North Africa, and later spread into West and Central Africa. The territory France controlled was as large as the United States.

German Territory

The newly formed German empire had to fight many battles against African natives to take lands in the southern half of Africa. Germany would lose its colonial territories after its loss in World War I.

Italian Territory

The Italians crossed the Mediterranean and conquered Libya. They then took Somaliland in the horn of Africa, but were beaten badly by the Ethiopians.

Belgium Territory

King Leopold and other wealthy Belgians exploited the riches of the Congo, and brutalized the natives. Many Africans were enslaved, beaten, and killed.

Portuguese Territory Spanish Territory Although the leaders of the old imperialism, the African claims of the Portuguese and Spanish were minimal.

Independent Africans

After the slave trade was outlawed, abolitionists in the United States promoted the idea of returning freed slaves to Africa. In the early 1800s, President Monroe helped free slaves settle in Liberia. The former slaves named the capital city Monrovia in his honor.

President Monroe

Liberia

Independent Africans

The Ethiopians kept their freedom through a successful military resistance. Emperor Menelik II modernized the army, along with roads, bridges, and schools. When the Italians invaded they were defeated so badly by Menelik that no other Europeans tried to take Ethiopia.

Ethiopia

Menelik

Positive Results

1. Unified national states created 2. Improved medical care, sanitation, and nutrition 3. Increased agricultural production 4. Improved transportation and communication facilities 5. Expanded educational opportunities

Negative Results

1. Encouraged tribal wars by creating artificial borders 2. Created population explosion  famine 3. Produced cash crops needed by Europeans, and not food for Africans 4. Exploited natural resources: minerals, lumber, rubber, human rights.

5. Downgraded traditional African culture  westernization

European Imperialism by 1914

Home Area

(Square Miles)

Home Population

(Millions)

Global Colonial Area

(Millions of Sq. Miles)

Global Colonial Population

(Millions)

Britain

94,000 45.5

13.1

470

France

212,600

Germany Belgium

210,000 11,800 42 4.3

65 67.5

1.1

13 8.3

.94

13

European Imperialism by 1914

Region

Australia Africa Asia Americas

Percentage Colonized

100% 90.4% 56.5% 27.2%