Scramble for africa?

Question 1

Why africa?

Answer 1

• africa rich in natural resources - gold, diamonds, ivory - cash crops
• christian missionaries wanted to converted people to christianity in africa - set up schools/hospitals - africa referred to as “dark continent” - “enlighten it”
• if they controlled huge areas of africa - they could sell their goods to people who lived there

Question 2

What was the scramble?

Answer 2

• era of “empire building” - european countries at competiton
• 1880 - 1900 - raced to grab as much as africa as they could before another country got there first
• known as scramble for africa

Question 3

How was war prevented?

Answer 3

• leaders held conferences in berlin, germany in 1884-85 - decide which nations could take which areas
• little attempt made to understand africans themselves - differences in language, culture, relgion ignored

Question 4

British scramble?

Answer 4

• britain took over 16 areas of land - 32% of africa by 1900

Question 5

Resistance?

Answer 5

• african people fought fiercely at times to defend their lands - invention of maxim gun gave armies massive advantage over africans
• victories such as anglo-zulu war 1879 - more often than not european invaders viped out african resistance
• “Whatever happens, we have got, The Maxim Gun, and they have not.”–Hilaire Belloc
• many africans experiences hardship and hunger - exploited and forces to work as cheap labour