Imperialism, Genocide, and African Independence Overview

Atlantic Slave Trade

1500-1850; over 12 million Africans enslaved.

Triangular Trade

Three-part trade route involving Europe, Africa, Americas.

Middle Passage

Brutal journey of enslaved Africans to Americas.

African Diaspora

Spread of African culture and people in Americas.

Dehumanization

Treating people as property, denying their humanity.

Cudjo Lewis

Last known survivor of U.S. slave ship Clotilda.

Olaudah Equiano

Memoir author detailing slavery and Middle Passage.

Captain Phillips

Modern piracy example linked to historical trade.

Animism

Belief in spirits existing in nature.

Ancestor Worship

Honoring deceased family members for guidance.

Divination

Seeking knowledge through spiritual practices.

Agronomy

Advanced farming techniques like crop rotation.

Art = Practical

Art serves functional purposes in society.

Polygamy

One man with multiple wives; signifies wealth.

Patriarchy

Male dominance in family and leadership roles.

Gender Roles

Men lead politically; women manage homes.

Imperialism

Domination of one country by another.

New Imperialism

Full control over land and people (1800-1945).

Old Imperialism

Focused on coastal trading posts (1400s-1600s).

Social Darwinism

Justified domination through 'survival of the fittest'.

The White Man's Burden

Kipling's poem promoting civilizing mission.

The Berlin Conference

1884-1885 meeting to divide Africa among Europeans.

Colony

Direct control with full political and economic takeover.

Protectorate

Local rulers advised by imperial power, retaining authority.

Direct Control

Foreign officials govern, exemplified by French rule.

Indirect Control

Local rulers maintain authority under British oversight.

Paternalism

Colonized viewed as children needing guidance from colonizers.

Assimilation

Forcing adoption of colonizer's culture by colonized people.

Divide and Conquer

Strategy to prevent unity among colonized populations.

Menelik II

Ethiopian leader who modernized army and defeated Italy.

Battle of Adwa

1896 battle where Ethiopia defeated Italy's invasion.

African Nationalism

Devotion to African identity and independence from Europe.

Nationalist Movements

Groups like Indian National Congress advocating for independence.

Satyagraha

Nonviolent resistance led by Gandhi against British rule.

Resource extraction

Removal of natural resources for economic gain.

Forced labor

Compulsory work without compensation or choice.

Cash crops

Crops grown for sale, not subsistence.

Segregation

Separation of groups based on ethnicity or race.

Loss of culture

Diminishing of indigenous traditions and practices.

Artificial borders

Borders created without regard for ethnic groups.

Indirect rule

Governance through local leaders under colonial authority.

Viceroy

British official governing India on behalf of the Crown.

Nationalist resistance

Opposition movements against colonial rule.

Mass illiteracy

Widespread inability to read and write.

United Nations

International organization promoting peace and cooperation.

International Declaration of Human Rights

Treaty safeguarding individual rights globally.

Right to life

Fundamental right protecting individuals from harm.

Environmental Rights

Rights ensuring a clean and safe environment.

Cultural protection

Preservation of cultural identities and practices.

Rohingya

Muslim minority facing persecution in Myanmar.

Genocide

Intentional destruction of a specific group.

Raphael Lemkin

Coined 'genocide' and advocated for legal accountability.

Sovereignty

Nation's right to self-govern without interference.

Nuremberg Trials

Post-WWII trials for Nazi war criminals.

Genocide Convention

Treaty to prevent and punish genocide.

Atrocity Crimes

Serious violations including genocide and war crimes.

International Criminal Court (ICC)

Court prosecuting individuals for international crimes.

ICC

International Criminal Court punishes global atrocity crimes.

Genocide Risk Factors

Conditions that increase likelihood of genocide occurring.

Corrupt Government

Government that abuses power, often leading to violence.

Blaming One Group

Attributing societal problems to a specific ethnic group.

Civil War

Internal conflict that can escalate to genocide.

Divided Society

Society split along ethnic or ideological lines.

Hate Speech

Communication that incites violence against a group.

Economic Problems

Poverty and hunger that can trigger violence.

Genocide Triggers

Events like elections or disasters that provoke violence.

Common Elements of Genocide

Steps taken to systematically destroy a target group.

Settler Colonialism

Colonialism aimed at displacing native populations.

Ova-Herero & Nama Genocide

Genocide of Ova-Herero and Nama by German colonizers.

German Southwest Africa

Historical name for modern Namibia under German rule.

Concentration Camps

Prisons with brutal conditions used during genocides.

Reparations

Compensation for victims of atrocities or their families.

Armenian Genocide

Mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Empire in 1915.

The Forgotten Genocide

Refers to the Armenian Genocide, often overlooked.

Ottoman Empire

Historical empire that became modern-day Turkey.

Holocaust

Genocide of Jews and others by Nazi Germany.

Final Solution

Nazi plan to exterminate Jews during the Holocaust.

Anti-Semitism

Prejudice against Jews, a key Holocaust cause.

U.S. Response to Genocide

Delayed recognition of genocides due to political concerns.

Refugee

Person forced to leave home due to danger.

Ghetto

Crowded areas where Jews were forced to live.

Labor Camps

Forced work camps with terrible conditions.

Death Camps

Facilities for mass murder, often via gas chambers.

Hitler's Final Solution

Plan to exterminate those not fitting Aryan ideals.

Cambodian Genocide

1975-1979 autogenocide by Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.

Pol Pot

Leader of the Khmer Rouge during Cambodian genocide.

The Killing Fields

Mass graves of victims of the Khmer Rouge.

Auto-genocide

Government killing its own citizens.

Bosnia & Herzegovina Conflict

1990s ethnic tensions led to genocide.

Ethnic Cleansing

Forcing a group to leave without direct killing.

U.S. and NATO Response

Intervention in Bosnia due to public pressure.

Over 100,000 deaths

Casualties in the Bosnian genocide.

Hutus vs. Tutsis

Ethnic conflict leading to the Rwandan genocide.

Public Pressure

Media coverage led to calls for intervention.

Holocaust Impact

Increased urgency for action against genocide.

War in Bosnia

Conflict among Serbs, Croats, and Bosniaks.

Khmer Rouge

Communist group responsible for Cambodian genocide.

Tutsis

Ethnic group targeted during the Rwandan genocide.

Hutu

Ethnic group that perpetrated violence against Tutsis.

Interahamwe

Hutu militia responsible for Tutsi killings.