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1. How Does Leopold Justify Colonization Of The Congo?

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1. How Does Leopold Justify Colonization Of The Congo?
Letter from Leopold to Prime Minister Beernaert
How does Leopold justify colonization of the Congo?
Leopold justifies the colonization of the Congo with the fact that countries have been colonizing in other territories throughout history. He goes back on major empires and names few along with what they did.
What economic arguments does he stress?
He stresses intellectual, capitalist, or manual opportunities for all workers.

How does he envision the future of Belgium and the Congo?
Leopold visions the future for the Congo as bright. With the river system providing them with easy access to the heart of Africa and the building of the railroad will also increase the ease of transportation. He concludes that by saying everyone will begin to see …show more content…
Williams was an African American commoner who did go to Africa. Would people be more inclined to believe Leopold’s or Williams’ account of what was happening in the Congo? Explain your answer.
I would personally be more inclined to believe Williams’ account of what was happening just because he made it a point to go and see the problems first hand. Knowing that the king never went there would just show his demeanor all too well and the kind of person he really is. It would make Williams’ account much more creditable in my eyes. My only concern would be knowing that Leopold is a king, which means he has the power to convince people otherwise. Using money and power, he could be able to work his way around Williams’ words and cloud people’s thoughts on the truth.

Popular Literature
Popular writers of the day, such as Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Joseph Conrad, wrote either directly or indirectly about the atrocities being committed in the Congo. Do an Internet search, and find a quote from one of these three sources that makes the case against Leopold’s handling of his territory. Use something other than the excerpt that appears in the lesson. All three books are available
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