In the years from 1880 to 1914, Europe’s attitude towards the acquisition of Africa’s land is that the Europeans were more advanced race and felt as if it was their right as Europeans to take the lands for themselves. This statement is supported by document 11, in which Martial Henri Merlin, the governor of French Equatorial of Africa’s speech in 1910. In this speech, Henri claims that it is the, “right of a civilized, fully developed race to occupy territories which have been left fallow by backward peoples who are plunged into barbarianism… What we exercised is a right.” This speech shows the attitude of the Europeans by saying that it is the European’s right to take that land from the uncivilized people of Africa. Henri clearly views Africa as the inferior race by calling the backwards and barbarians. He also justifies his actions by calling it a right of the Europeans to do this. Another example of Europe’s attitude toward Africans is exampled by document 6 George Washington Williams in his letter to Leopold II in 1890. In this letter, it says, “When he gave the black brother a cordial grasp of the hand, the black brother was surprised to find his white brother so strong that he…
The Misrepresentation of Africa The 19th century was one of the most important time periods that helped shape the world into what it is today. Western European powers, such as Great Britain, Germany, and France, strongly believed in the notion that in order to gain more dominant global power, they would have to conquer new lands across the globe and exploit the territories’ resources. Throughout the early and mid 1800s, the nations of Western Europe upheld imperialism, conquering and exploiting foreign lands in Asia and South America. Unfortunately, one major problem remained in the way of global imperialism; Africa, a continent rich in resources, could not be infiltrated because of strong resistance by the natives, foreign disease, and difficult terrain. Nevertheless, in the 1880s, Western Europe became more advanced and had the capability of conquering Africa; the scramble for Africa was on. In 1884-85, the Berlin Conference was held in Germany; this was a diplomatic meeting where the nations of Western Europe divided Africa among themselves. Each nation was given separate holdings in Africa, and the issue of land in Africa was solved. However, a major problem overlooked by the Europeans was that Africa had no say in the Berlin Conference. This resulted in many problems that would terrorize Africa for years to come; because Africans had no say in the dividing of their land, religious and political strife arose, and places such as the Congo faced detrimental and uninvited changes.…
American agriculture greatly changed during 1865 to 1900 through technological advances and railroads spreading across the nation, both modernizing agriculture. New technological advances made farming easier with new inventions such as barbed wire and reapers. However, new technology advancements became too expensive for average American farmers to afford. Economic conditions became intolerable for farmers as railroad companies charged high shipping rates. In the government, policies were made that favored big corporations, such as railroad companies over the small farmers that made agriculture suffer in the end. Technology, government policies, and economic conditions, effectively declined agriculture due to overproduction and deflation, poor representation of farmers in the government, and high costs forced upon farmers.…
The last general motive behind European imperialism in Africa were cultural reasons. Industrialized countries felt as if it was their need to help less fortunate countries to lift them out of poverty and feed the “new-caught, sullen peoples, half-devil and half-child” (Document F). Document F also has a quote from Lobengula Khumalo, a chief leader in South Africa, stating how he felt as if England had crept up on his tribe’s territory and snatched it away, as a chameleon does to a fly, “England is the chameleon and I am the fly.”…
The flow of silver during the mid-16th century to the early 18th century had a great impact on the social and economic aspects of many countries through trade. It had an effect on the land and on the value of silver. The idea of the Ming Chinese government, that all domestic taxes and trade fees be paid in silver created greater economic opportunities, but also caused a growing social division within China.…
In the beginning of the European- African relationship we see much evidence of civil exchanges, though the Africans seem to be apprehensive of complete European rule. From Document1 we see that the African rulers signed contracts with the Royal Niger company, allowing the British government to utilize the Niger river delta. This agreement upheld that the British could utilize this land for their economic needs, as long as the African rulers received a portion of the riches acquired. There was an original willingness to compromise with the White Man, but soon after, the Europeans began to get greedy. We see this when the ruler of Ashanti wrote the Queen of England, declining her offer to add the clan to her empire, though they would like to remain friendly with them ( Doc 2). This wish for peace with the Europeans did not last long after this document was written. We see other evidence of European greed for land when Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia sent a letter to Great Britian, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia (Doc 3). He stated that the Europeans simply could not split Africa because that would upset the strong Christian values of the region, and that the rule of the land must be seated in Africa. Though strongly worded, this letter remained civil with the Europeans and showed no signs of violence towards them. This was soon to change, though.…
AP World DBQ 1 Religion and Politics roles in Afro-Eurasia’s ancient societies were influenced by geography. Both played a big part in the progress of building civilizations, believes, and a government, etc. Geography influenced the roles of religion and politics by the physical geography of the environment allowing interaction and exchanging of beliefs and goods possible.…
Prompt: DBQ Analyze attitudes toward and evaluate the motivations behind the European acquisition of African colonies in the period 1880 to 1914.…
Between the period from 1880 to 1914, European powers went after overseas empires in Africa. The governments and political leaders of the European powers believed that this colonization of the African empires was necessary to maintain their global influence. A second group of people supposed that African colonization was the result of the greedy Capitalists who \only cared for new resources and markets. The third group of people claimed it to be their job to enlighten and educate the uncivilized people of Africa. Although the political leaders of European powers encouraged colonization of African empires to advance their nation’s global influence, others argued that it was only for the profiteering of the Capitalists who sought new resources and markets from Africa and those who benefited from colonization argued that these actions were necessary in order to civilize the African people.…
European imperialism in African also came as a result of political causes. There were seven different European countries with colonies in Africa, which created great competition among the European colonies. (Doc A.) Germany believed it needed to “prove and maintain its newly won position” by conquering more colonies this created competition among the European countries. (Doc B.) Each nation’s pride was at stake which caused European nations to take-over African colonies as quickly and abundantly as possible.…
Africa Imperialism- DBQ The Age of Imperialism was a time of great wealth in the mother countries. European countries went everywhere to find places to conquer in order to get their natural resources and raw materials. The increase in colonies led to an increase in nationalism, wealth, and power. One of the key places that European wanted between 1880 and 1914 was Africa. In 1878, Africa was basically free except for some parts of south, which were controlled by Britain, and some Portuguese. By 1914, almost the entire continent was controlled by a European nation. Almost all Europeans had a good attitude toward the European acquisition of African countries because it increased nationalism, wealth, and power, however, some disagreed with it because they felt that there were problems in Europe that needed to be dealt with.…
Before European imperialism reached Africa, the African people lived in villages and had agricultural economies. When the Europeans spread into inland Africa and started colonize the land, the life of natives drastically changed. The Europeans came into Africa, took over the land and began to dictate and deceive the Africans for European gain. The Europeans brought an active and more worldly economy to Africa, but they did not let the natives constructively participate or benefit from this new system. European imperialism was harmful to Africa in several ways, as when the Europeans came over, so came a significant loss of life to natives and famine, and a division of culture that brought conflict into tribes, and a loss of land and resources,…
In one case specifically, Ethiopia had been hoarding European weapons for decades and were well supplied enough so that they could reppel Europe’s advances, for a short time. Document five shows one of the only equal battled between Europeans and Africans; however, most other African nations were not as well supplied and had never encountered Europe’s newest military machinery (Doc 5). After the failure of the Ndebele rebellion, Kumalo recounts that they would have been successful if it had not been for the “White man’s machine guns” (Doc 4). Because he was then forced into slave like conditions afterwards, Kumalo will always react to Europeans with violence. Many Africans also shared Kumalo’s reaction to European advancement into Africa. There were several rebellions and battles against European control. Survivors were not treated well under Europeans, who took African land, possessions, and plundered villages (Doc 9). Many Europeans were not expecting such resentment from Africans. They truly believed they were superior to Africans and were helping civilise them, also know as the White man’s burden. A German military officer recounts that a African chief had to deceive his troops with a magical medical solution that made them impervious to bullets (Doc 8). The Europeans reacted to the mass of charging African warriors by shooting…
European imperialism has shaped the world over and over many times, acquiring many colonies throughout the globe. The colonization of Africa was no different for the Europeans. The need for raw materials motivated Europeans to acquire new lands in order to provide resources for their industrialized economies. The strong sense of a burden to civilize and enlighten others became the perspective for the approach of colonization.…
During the 1800s, Europeans began to have their eyes set on the continent of Africa, as they went after their natural resources. As they scrambled for Africa, their hypocritical actions enraged some Africans while others just gave in to the Europeans since they had more technology, and seemed more powerful. Some African nations, tired of the European treatment towards them, decided to unite and fight them. (Doc7).Others simply stood firm and didn’t want anything from the Europeans. They didn’t want their technology or developments. They wanted to keep their customs and traditions (Document 2). Some didn’t want to be colonized but they didn’t start any battle immediately, but started peacefully. Even though this period was a time of anger, sadness,…