Effects Of The Industrial Revolution In Africa

In the late 18th century and into the early 19th century, the Industrial Revolution began in Europe. Starting with Great Britain, countries began producing modern technology- such as steam engines, factories, ships, tools, and other useful technology. With the new factories quickly producing goods, powerful European countries needed new markets to sell goods, an abundance of resources, more land, and power, so they turned to Africa. However, every European country wanted a slice of Africa, and there was a lot of competition between countries for who could get the best piece. So in result of that, at the request of Portugal, German chancellor Otto Von Bismarck called together France, Italy, Great Britain, Belgium, The Netherlands, Portugal, …show more content…
If they had not called the conference, there was a good chance of war breaking out between the countries over who controlled what land. The Industrial Revolution was the major reason for countries needing land in Africa in the first place. New factories and advanced manufacturing technology meant that they needed to gain more resources in order to produce goods. They also needed to expand the markets in which they were selling what they are producing. To European leaders, Africa was very desirable in order to meet these needs, due to its abundance of natural resources and farmland. Not only that, but the European leaders could use ships in order to transport their goods to Africa, because of its coastal access. One can predict that they also assumed that they could use the native inhabitants of Africa for free labor, to help make them money. They wanted to ensure that the Congo River Basin and the Niger River Mouth were neutral and free for trade between all of the colonies. However, beneath all of the professional motivations the countries had, they wanted to exploit the land that they grasped in …show more content…
First, I would suggest that they should have passed the slave trade resolution, and a resolution that minimizes slavery in general. Those resolutions alone would have prevented the ten million congolese being murdered, and many other Africans being forced into slavery. They should have taken into consideration the boundaries that were already set by the African tribes, and tried to work either along, or around those, in order to keep tribes in tact. Also, the colonizing country should have had to respect the Africans. Respect that they are coming and taking over somebody else’s land, and that these people have their own beliefs and religions and they should not try and change those. They should have also passed resolutions to pay the Africans for their work, to do their best to keep the economy stable, and to do all negotiating peacefully, without