Scramble For Africa
Wilton Hayward
Professor Brian Parlopiano
History 101
April 29, 2014
The Scramble for Africa
During the 1800s colonization reached one of its peaks, almost every European country was scrambling for any un-colonized lands. The one continent that none of them had really made their mark on was the African continent. Africa was very abundant in natural resources, which made the European countries more eager to be the ones to colonize it first. Whether it be gold, iron, cotton or ivory all of the countries saw these few materials as ones that would shape their countries wealth and industrial power. The repercussions from European Imperialism during this time have effected tribal relations in Africa to this day. Many of the recent genocides and wars that have occurred in Africa are the product of the Scramble of Africa and the separation and mixing of rival tribes in Africa. The major players during the "Scramble for Africa" were industrial powers in Europe that wanted to expand their wealth by finding somewhere that provided a lot of raw materials. Africa was the place that they all saw as being abundant in raw materials. The players in the “Scramble for Africa” were Britain, Portugal, France, and the Dutch all whom possessed major colonies that produced raw materials. Britain had India as a colony that produced a wide range of raw materials and goods such as spices and textiles that could be sold in Europe for great profit. Britain sent many missionaries to Africa to convert the peoples to Christianity; they also sent explorers two notable ones were Richard Burton and John Speke who traveled to east Africa to find the source of the River Nile. The Dutch were also prominent in Africa especially South Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium sent Henry Morton Stanley to Africa to help create commercial opportunities and also to create a colony name the Congo Free State.1 Leopold II proclaimed the Congo Free State a "free-trade zone" for all merchants and entrepreneurs
Professor Brian Parlopiano
History 101
April 29, 2014
The Scramble for Africa
During the 1800s colonization reached one of its peaks, almost every European country was scrambling for any un-colonized lands. The one continent that none of them had really made their mark on was the African continent. Africa was very abundant in natural resources, which made the European countries more eager to be the ones to colonize it first. Whether it be gold, iron, cotton or ivory all of the countries saw these few materials as ones that would shape their countries wealth and industrial power. The repercussions from European Imperialism during this time have effected tribal relations in Africa to this day. Many of the recent genocides and wars that have occurred in Africa are the product of the Scramble of Africa and the separation and mixing of rival tribes in Africa. The major players during the "Scramble for Africa" were industrial powers in Europe that wanted to expand their wealth by finding somewhere that provided a lot of raw materials. Africa was the place that they all saw as being abundant in raw materials. The players in the “Scramble for Africa” were Britain, Portugal, France, and the Dutch all whom possessed major colonies that produced raw materials. Britain had India as a colony that produced a wide range of raw materials and goods such as spices and textiles that could be sold in Europe for great profit. Britain sent many missionaries to Africa to convert the peoples to Christianity; they also sent explorers two notable ones were Richard Burton and John Speke who traveled to east Africa to find the source of the River Nile. The Dutch were also prominent in Africa especially South Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium sent Henry Morton Stanley to Africa to help create commercial opportunities and also to create a colony name the Congo Free State.1 Leopold II proclaimed the Congo Free State a "free-trade zone" for all merchants and entrepreneurs