chartered companies Flashcards
Royal Niger Company (RNC) - set up by George Goldie in 1879
George Goldie founded the company and pushed the government for a charter
- However, it wasn’t granted a charter until 1886. It was finally granted one in order to protect British trade from
the growing German and French influence in the wake of the Berlin Conference. Giving the company the
charter was a cheap way for Britain to show ‘effective occupation’
- The Companies main area of interest was the Niger River basin in West Africa, it had over 30 trading posts
along the river. They secured their interests by making over 400 treaties with local chiefs. Were prepared to use force.
-Charter was revoked in 1900 but they had already established control in what became the colony of Nigeria.
Imperial British East Africa Company- set up by Mackinnon and granted Charter in 1888
-Granted a charter in 1888 as a response to German interests in Eat Africa.
-Its area of interest was what was to become the British colonies of Uganda and Kenya as well as Zanzibar
-They set about trying to build trade with East African chiefs and open up new markets in the interior of Africa
-Made treaties with local chiefs to open up land and created railways from Lake Victoria to Mombasa
-The Company ultimately failed in its financial aim to develop British trading and commercial interests in the
area and its charter was revoked in 1894. However, it had established control in Kenya and Uganda
British South Africa Company- set up by Cecil Rhodes in 1889
It was given its charter in 1889 as a response to the success of the Royal Niger Company in West Africa and as
a desire to secure access to more mineral wealth in southern Africa after the discovery of diamond (1867) and
gold (1885). They hoped that money from these minerals could aid development of infrastructure for British settlement in the area.
- in 1888, Rhodes pushed north of the Limpopo River and made a deal with King Lobengula for mining rights in
the region. The king realised he’d been tricked and fought back. At the Battle of Shangani River, the Chartered
Company forced defeated the Matabele forces, establishing British dominance
-Areas of land they would seize would eventually become Rhodesia (modern day Zimbabwe)
Imperial Federation League
It was founded in Britain in 1884, set up to promote colonial unity and support for Chartered Companies. It rapidly established branches throughout the country to try and attract support from the business communities
why did chartered companies become important again from 1870s?
Attituded changed in the 1870s when Britain’s economic supremacy faced challenges in the form of European
and American industrialisation and the onset of the economic depression
The idea of the Chartered companies was thus revived as a way of extending Britain’s trade and control. Became even more important after 1885 (Berlin and Brussels conference) as they were seen as legitimate ways that control and effective occupation could be shown.
