Scramble For Africa

The Scramble for Africa
Score Discussion Notes

4.0 Student has mastered the learning goal and can fully explain and apply
information from the period known as the “Scramble for Africa”
3.0 Student can summarize the goal and explain most of the information
about early the period known as the “Scramble for Africa”
2.0 Student can recall some elements of the goal, but does not feel
confident applying information about the period known as the
“Scramble for Africa”
1.0 Student does not understand the period known as the “Scramble for
Africa” fully but can identify some of its features.
The Scramble for Africa
Learning Goal
SWBAT analyze the causes and explain the effects of
European powers claiming land in most of Africa in the late
1800s and early 1900s
Focus Questions
• What factors led to the new imperialism?
• How did European powers claim territory in Africa?
• How did Africans resist European imperialism?
The New Imperialism
European countries controlled only small part of Africa in

1880; but by 1914 only Ethiopia, Liberia remained
independent.
• European powers rapidly divided Africa
• Period known as “Scramble for Africa”
• Most visible example of new imperialism
• New imperialism not based on settlement of colonies
• European powers worked to directly govern large areas occupied by
non-European peoples
• Driven by economic interests, political competition, cultural motives
Economic Interests
Raw Materials Entrepreneurial Colonization
• Before early 1800s, several • To gather, export natural resources,
European nations profited from European entrepreneurs developed
slave trade in Africa own mines, plantations, trade
routes
• After some nations passed laws
abolishing slave trade, Europeans • Entrepreneurs sometimes called on
looked to Africa as source for raw home countries to protect
materials economic interests from European
competitors
• Materials like coal, metals needed
to manufacture goods during • In this way, drive for colonization
Industrial Revolution came from ambitious individuals,
not just European governments
• Needs fueled Europeans’ desire for
land with natural resources—
available in Africa
Political Competition
• Imperialism in Africa reflected struggles for power in Europe, such as long-
term rivalry between France, Britain
• France expanded control over West, Central Africa; Britain began to expand
colonial empire to block French
Nationalism a Factor
• Rise of Germany, Italy as powers contributed to the new imperialism
• Both nations jumped into race for colonization to assert status
• Nationalism also contributed to rise of new imperialism
• European leaders believed controlling colonies would gain them more
respect from other leaders
Cultural Motives
In addition to practical matters of economics and politics, the new
imperialism was motivated by cultural attitudes.
Cultural Motives Rule Justified

• European imperialists felt superior • As result, some Europeans
to non-European peoples believed rule in Africa justified
• Some began to argue humanity • Teaching Africans good
divided into distinct peoples, races government
• Claimed biological differences • Some imperialists believed
existed between races actions noble, their duty to
educate those considered inferior
• Racist view—people of European
descent superior to people of • Referred to their influence in
African, Asian descent Africa as “the white man’s
burden,” after poem by Rudyard
Kipling
Moral Justification
Darwin
• Defenders of imperialism often applied Charles Darwin’s theory of natural
selection to struggle between nations, races
• Darwin argued species more fit for environment will survive, reproduce
Social Darwinism
• Social Darwinism notion stated certain nations, races more fit than others
• Social Darwinists believed “fit” nations came to rule over “less fit” nations,
often showed discrimination against citizens of ruled nations
Cecil Rhodes
• Social Darwinism advocate Cecil Rhodes, “I contend that we are the finest
race in the world and that the more of the world we inhabit the better…”
• Believed British-built railway would bring benefits of civilization to all Africans
European Claims in Africa
In the 1880s, driven by economic, political and cultural motives,
Europeans began to compete for additional territory in Africa.
Scientific Advances Protection New Developments

• Africa, huge • Discovery of drug • Development of
continent, rugged quinine helped telegraphs,
terrain; travel, Europeans protect railroads,
control difficult selves against steamships helped
malaria Europeans
• 1800s, scientific
overcome problems
advances made • Automatic machine
of communication,
travel, control in gun created strong
travel
Africa easier military advantage
Suez Canal
• 1869, Suez Canal influenced Britain’s interest in Egypt
• Canal linked Mediterranean with Red Sea, shortened trip from Europe to
Indian Ocean; no need to sail around southern tip of Africa
• 1882, Egyptian government appeared unstable; British occupied Egypt to
protect British interests in Suez Canal; later established partial control as
protectorate to ensure British access to canal
Division in Africa No Regard for Tradition

• European nations competed • Berlin Conference—for European
aggressively for other territories nation to claim new African territory,
it had to prove it could control
• 1884–1885, European leaders met
territory
in Berlin to divide African territory
• No attention paid to ethnic
• Tried to prevent conflict between
boundaries in dividing Africa
European nations
The Boer War
Dutch Settlers No Political Rights
• British met opposition to land • Gold discovered late 1800s
claims in southern Africa
• Boers refused to grant political
• Dutch settlers, Boers, had lived in rights to foreigners, including British
region since 1600s
Heightened Tensions, War Union of South Africa

• Britain tried to make Boer territory • British committed numerous
part of British empire atrocities, defeated Boers
• 1899, war broke out • 1902, Boer territory became self-

governing Union of South Africa
• Boer forces outnumbered under British control
Belgian Congo
Leopold Demand for Rubber
• Central Africa’s Congo Free • 1890s, early 1900s, European,
State not ruled by European American demand for rubber
country increased
• King of Belgium, Leopold II, • To meet demand, Leopold
claimed territory for himself forced Congolese subjects to
extract rubber from region’s
• Leopold created personal
rubber trees; millions died from
fortune exploiting Congo’s
overwork, disease
natural resources for himself
• Eventually international outcry
caused Belgian government to
take control of Congo, 1908
African Resistance
Africans did not passively accept European claims to rule over them. As
European troops advanced on African territory, they met stiff resistance.
The Zulu Ethiopia

• Zulu people resisted colonialization • Only nation to retain independence
more than 50 years by matching European firepower
• Zulu leader Shaka built strong • 1889, emperor Menelik II
kingdom by subduing several modernized nation, army
neighboring peoples
• 1895, Italian forces invaded over
• 1879, British invaded Zulu territory, treaty dispute
annexed kingdom as colony
• Menelik’s forces defeated Italians
Even without modern weapons, other Africans still fiercely resisted
European powers.
French and Germans
French West Africa
• West Africa, leader of Malinke peoples, Samory Touré, formed army to fight
against French rule; fought for 15 years; proclaimed self king of Guinea
• 1898, French defeated Touré, ended resistance to French rule in West Africa
German East Africa

• Africans called on gods, ancestors for spiritual guidance in resistance
• 1905, several African peoples united to rebel against Germans’ order to grow
cotton for export to Germany
Rebellion Put Down

• To combat Germans, spiritual leader encouraged followers to sprinkle magic
water over bodies to protect selves from German bullets; did not work
• Rebellion quickly put down; Germans killed tens of thousands of Africans

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The Scramble for Africa

Score Discussion Notes

European countries controlled only small part of Africa in

Cultural Motives Rule Justified

Scientific Advances Protection New Developments

Division in Africa No Regard for Tradition

Heightened Tensions, War Union of South Africa

• 1899, war broke out • 1902, Boer territory became self-

The Zulu Ethiopia

German East Africa

Rebellion Put Down

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