Transcript The Scramble for Africa

The Scramble for Africa
Important Vocabulary Term
• When a country makes itself more
powerful by brining additional
territories (called colonies) under its
control, it is called…..
• Imperialism/Colonialism
Why Colonize Africa?
Agricultural Opportunities:
Africa has a climate that allows for an
abundance of useful crops to be grown
Why Colonize Africa?
Forestry Opportunities:
Abundant forests and rainforests
Trees which produce high-quality wood
to make useful products
Why Colonize Africa?
Minerals:
Abundant supplies of gold, diamonds,
platinum, and nickel
Why Colonize Africa?
Oil & natural gas deposits
Why Colonize Africa?
A population that was easy to exploit
for slave labor because of extreme
poverty & damage caused by the slave
trade.
Why Colonize Africa?
A good location to trade products
made in European factories
Why Colonize Africa?
Opportunities for Christian missionaries
to convert Africans to their religion
Many European countries
wanted to establish colonies
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Great Britain
Belgium
France
Germany
Italy
Portugal
Spain
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Netherlands
Russia
Denmark
Ottoman Empire
Austria-Hungary
Norway
Sweden
Berlin Conference of 1884
• European leaders meet in Berlin to avoid
wars over territory
– Known as the “Berlin Conference”
• Goal: Figure out how to divide Africa
• Over 80% of Africa was independent at
the time
• European countries divide Africa among
themselves
• No Africans were represented at the
conference
• Europeans believed that Africa didn’t
belong to anyone, so it was free for the
taking
The Scramble Begins
• Europeans began to exploit Africans
for slave or cheap labor
• Began to overuse African resources
• By 1912, only Liberia & Ethiopia were
independent
Impact of Colonial Rule
1. Worsened conflict among ethnic
groups
-Ignored cultural dynamics/tension when
they divided the continent
-Example: Hutus & Tutsis in Rwanda
Impact of Colonial Rule
2. Looked down on African cultures,
forcing them to assimilate to
European culture.
**Assimilation: The process by which a group’s
native culture is lost under pressure to integrate
into a dominant group’s culture.**
Impact of Colonial Rule
3. Resources were overused and abused
Impact of Colonial Rule
4. European countries did not provide
enough money to colonies to allow them
to produce adequate roads, buildings,
education systems, health care systems,
and housing.
**In other words= Undeveloped/poor
countries**
Impact of Colonial Rule
5. Africans forced to labor for the
Europeans under poor working conditions,
long hours, and inadequate pay.
Impact of Colonial Rule
6. Many families split up—men left to
work in mines, leaving women & children
to fend for themselves.
Political Cartoons
and the
Scramble for Africa
What is a political cartoon?
• An illustration containing a political
or social message; used as a way of
speaking out for or against something
that is happening in the world.
What is this
political cartoon
saying about
England?
What is the
cartoon comparing
England to?
What countries
are represented
in this cartoon?
Why are the men
pulling at Africa?
How does the
cartoon represent
colonization in
Africa?
Who do you think the
snake represents?
What is the message of the cartoon?
Look at the title of the cartoon. How does that help
you interpret the overall meaning?
Assignment Option A: You be
the Cartoonist
• Create your own political cartoon
that represents the Europeans
fighting for land in Africa
• Your cartoon must be:
– Creative
– Colored
– Easy to understand
– One you can explain out loud
– A whole sheet of computer paper
Assignment Option B: Write a
Journal Entry
• Your other option is to write a journal
entry from the perspective of either a
European colonizer or an African during
the time of colonization
• Your journal must:
- Be NEATLY handwritten or typed
-Be a MINIMUM of 10 sentences long
-Be written in first person
-Have proper grammar/spelling