African Imperialism

Define imperialism.

A stronger country takes control of another country or territory and dominates its political, economic, and social life.

What was Africa like before European domination?

It contained hundreds of ethnic and linguistic groups, many kinds of governments, and diverse religions and cultures.

How many languages were spoken in Africa, according to the textbook?

More than 1,000.

How much of Africa did Europeans control around 1880?

About 10%, mainly along the coast.

Why were Europeans unable to control most of Africa before the late 1800s?

Powerful African armies resisted; Europeans struggled to travel inland and faced disease.

What changed European access to Africa's interior?

Steam-powered riverboats, railroads, steamships, cables, and medical advances made travel and control easier.

What economic reasons drove European imperialism?

European nations wanted raw materials, natural resources, and new markets for industrial goods.

What political motive encouraged imperialism?

National pride: European countries treated the size of an empire as a measure of national greatness.

Define racism.

The belief that one race is superior to others.

What was Social Darwinism?

A social theory applying 'survival of the fittest' to human society and nations.

How did Europeans use Social Darwinism to justify imperialism?

They claimed Europeans were superior and had a right or duty to dominate other peoples.

What did the phrase 'White Man's Burden' mean?

The claimed responsibility of white Europeans to 'civilize' and care for people they considered inferior.

What role did Christian missionaries play in imperialism?

They sought to spread Christianity and often supported Westernizing or 'civilizing' other societies.

What was the economic reality behind some European claims of helping Africa?

European powers and businesses sought control of resources and profitable land, often benefiting themselves.

Who was King Leopold II, and what did he do in the Congo?

Belgium's king who obtained control of Congo lands and allowed companies to exploit Africans for rubber.

According to the textbook, at least how many Congolese died under Leopold's rule?

At least 10 million, due to abuses during his rule.

What was the Maxim gun?

The world's first automatic machine gun, invented in 1884; Europeans used it as a major military advantage.

What technologies helped Europeans control African colonies?

Steam engines and boats, railroads, and communication cables; quinine also helped protect Europeans from malaria.

Why did quinine matter to European exploration?

It helped protect Europeans against malaria, which had discouraged travel into Africa's interior.

What internal factors made it harder for African groups to unite against Europeans?

Many languages and cultures, plus conflicts between groups over land, water, and trade.

What was the Berlin Conference?

A meeting of 14 European nations in 1884–85 to establish rules for dividing Africa.

What rule did European nations agree to at the Berlin Conference?

A country could claim African territory by notifying other nations and showing it could control the area.

Were African rulers invited to the Berlin Conference?

No. European nations divided Africa without inviting African rulers.

Why were the Berlin Conference borders damaging?

They ignored existing ethnic and linguistic boundaries, splitting some groups and forcing others together.

What were cash crops?

Crops grown mainly to sell for profit, such as peanuts, palm oil, cocoa, and rubber.

How did cash-crop plantations affect some African communities?

They displaced food crops, reducing land used to feed families and contributing to food shortages.

Which two African countries remained independent from European control by 1914?

Liberia and Ethiopia.

What does 'pastoral' mean in the class notes about the Zulu?

The notes use it to describe the Zulu as farmers.

Who was Shaka, and what did he do?

A Zulu chief who built a large, centralized state with disciplined warriors and strong military organization.

When did the British invade the Zulu nation after King Cetshwayo refused British demands?

1879.

When did the Zulu nation finally fall under British control?

1887.

Who were the Boers, also called Afrikaners?

Dutch settlers in South Africa; 'Boer' means farmer.

What was the Cape Colony?

The South African colony first settled by the Dutch; the British later took it over.

What was the Great Trek?

The movement of thousands of Boers north in the 1830s to escape British rule and policies.

What resources increased European interest in South Africa?

Diamonds discovered in 1867 and gold discovered in 1886.

What was the Boer War?

A war beginning in 1899 between the British and Boers over power and control in South Africa.

How did the British use concentration camps during the Boer War?

They imprisoned Boer women and children in disease-ridden camps; Black South Africans were also imprisoned.

According to the textbook, how many Black South Africans died in British concentration camps during the Boer War?

Over 14,000.

What happened in South Africa in 1910?

The Boer republics joined into a self-governing Union of South Africa controlled by Britain.

Name major negative effects of colonial rule in Africa.

Loss of land and independence, deaths, famine, cultural disruption, family separation, and conflict from imposed borders.

Name positive effects mentioned in the class notes.

Humanitarian efforts such as hospitals and schools, higher literacy and life expectancy, and more infrastructure.

Why should the positive effects of colonial rule be viewed carefully?

The notes say infrastructure and businesses often mainly benefited Europeans.

TRUE or FALSE: African rulers attended the Berlin Conference.

FALSE. No African ruler was invited.

TRUE or FALSE: Europeans controlled most of Africa in 1880.

FALSE. They controlled only about 10%, mainly on the coast.

TRUE or FALSE: Social Darwinism applied 'survival of the fittest' to human society.

TRUE.

Fill in the blank: The Berlin Conference took place in ____–____.

1884–1885.

Fill in the blank: The Boer movement north in the 1830s was called the ____ ____.

Great Trek.

Fill in the blank: By 1914, the two African countries still independent were ____ and ____.

Liberia and Ethiopia.

MULTIPLE CHOICE: Which was an economic motive for imperialism? A) Raw materials B) Equal voting rights C) Cultural independence D) Ending all trade

A) Raw materials.

MULTIPLE CHOICE: Which invention gave Europeans a major military advantage? A) Telegraph B) Maxim gun C) Printing press D) Compass

B) Maxim gun.

MULTIPLE CHOICE: What was the purpose of the Berlin Conference? A) To grant African independence B) To divide Africa using European rules C) To end industrialization D) To create the Zulu kingdom

B) To divide Africa using European rules.

MULTIPLE CHOICE: Which pair remained independent by 1914? A) Egypt and Congo B) Liberia and Ethiopia C) Nigeria and Kenya D) South Africa and Algeria

B) Liberia and Ethiopia.

What message does the White Man's Burden cartoon analysis identify?

It criticizes imperialism by showing how Europeans portrayed themselves as superior or helpful while stereotyping and looking down on non-Western peoples.

How can caricatures of non-Western people support the cartoon's message?

They reveal racist stereotypes and show how imperialists portrayed other peoples as uncivilized and in need of European control.

What was indirect control?

Europeans controlled a local ruler, who then passed their orders to the people.

What was a puppet ruler?

A local leader who appeared to rule but was controlled by a European power.

What was paternalism?

The claim that Europeans were protecting and caring for Africans, used to justify European control.

What was assimilation?

Pressuring or changing people to adopt European culture, beliefs, and ways of life.

What did the Pears' Soap advertisement suggest?

It linked cleanliness and Western ways to 'civilizing' others, reinforcing the White Man's Burden idea.

How did the White Man's Burden message disguise imperialism?

It presented Europeans as helpers with a moral duty, while hiding motives such as profit, resources, and control.

What made the late-1800s Scramble for Africa accelerate?

Industrialization increased European demand for resources and markets, while competition and national pride pushed countries to claim territory.