Imperialism

Imperialism

The seizure of a country or territory by a stronger country

Paternalism

Restricting a group's rights under the belief they need European guidance; Africans were denied leadership positions

Assimilation

When colonized people adopt the colonizer's culture, causing important local traditions to be lost

Social Darwinism

The belief that non-Europeans were inferior because they lacked an industrial revolution; used to justify European rule

Racism

The belief that one race is superior to another

Colony

A country or area controlled by another, typically distant nation

Protectorate

A territory with its own internal government but controlled by an outside power

Sphere of Influence

An area where an outside power has exclusive trading privileges

Effective Occupation

Berlin Conference rule requiring colonizers to hold a police force, have treaties with local leaders, and raise a flag in claimed areas

Direct Control

Foreign officials brought in to rule; no self-rule; goal is assimilation; government based only on European styles. Example: German East Africa

Indirect Control

Local officials used to govern; limited self-rule; goal is to develop future leaders; may blend European and local rules. Example: Nigeria under Britain

Cecil Rhodes

British businessman who believed Europeans were superior and had a duty to share their ways with Africans

King Leopold II

Belgian ruler who forced Congolese people to harvest rubber and used brutal punishment for those who didn't meet quotas

Otto von Bismarck

Leader of Germany and host of the Berlin Conference (1884-85)

Henry Stanley

American journalist who found the missing Livingstone in Africa and helped King Leopold II establish control of the Congo

Jules Ferry

Prime Minister of France and co-host of the Berlin Conference

David Livingstone

Scottish missionary who went missing in Africa while promoting Christianity; found by Henry Stanley

Menelik II

Emperor of Ethiopia who tricked Europeans into selling him their weapons and used them to defeat Italy at the Battle of Adwa

Samori Touré

African leader who fought against French colonizers using guerrilla tactics from 1882 to 1898

Berlin Conference

Meeting in Berlin (1884-85) to divide Africa among European powers; no African delegates attended; shaped modern African borders

Boer War

Conflict between Dutch-descended Boers and the British in South Africa; Boers used guerrilla tactics; British set up concentration camps and burned farms

Battle of Adwa

Ethiopian victory over Italy in 1896; made Ethiopia one of the only African nations to successfully resist European colonization

Maji Maji Rebellion

Revolt against German rule in East Africa; rebels believed sacred water would protect them from bullets; ~75,000 died; led to some political reforms

Zulus vs. Britain

After Shaka's death, Zulu leader refused to surrender to the British; fought back but were ultimately defeated and placed under British control

Quinine

Drug that prevented malaria, allowing Europeans to travel deeper into Africa without losing people to disease

Maxim Gun

The world's first machine gun; gave Europeans a massive military advantage over African resistance fighters

Steamboats and Railroads

Enabled Europeans to move people and goods quickly into the interior of Africa and Asia, extending and maintaining colonial control

Two countries NOT colonized by 1914

Ethiopia and Liberia

Two non-European imperial powers

Japan and the United States

Internal factor weakening African resistance

Hundreds of different languages and ethnic groups meant Africans could not form unified alliances against European powers

Three external factors enabling European colonization

Maxim Gun (military power), Quinine (disease prevention), Steamboats and Railroads (transportation into the interior)

Negative effects of colonization on Africa

Berlin Conference borders split ethnic groups apart; harsh treatment of Africans; lasting racism; destruction of local cultures through forced assimilation