Imperialism in Africa
For centuries European contact with
Africa is limited to trade
• While Latin America and
parts of Asia are taken
over by the Europeans in
the 16th, 17th and 18th
centuries, Africa remains
mostly free and
independent
• There are not many
strong nation-states but
the Europeans are mostly
limited to coastal areas
• Most European trade in
Africa concerns slaves
Things change by the 19th century
• For one thing the British
outlaw the slave trade
(1807) and slavery itself
(1833)
• For another, by the early
1800s Europeans are
more interested in
exploring Africa and
expanding their trade
with the continent (see
e.g. the Scottish explorer
Mungo Park)
David Livingstone and the Three Cs
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A notable example of growing European
interest: David Livingstone (1813-1873).
Livingstone, a Scottish doctor, came to
Africa in 1841 as an explorer, missionary
and abolitionist and spent almost all of the
rest of his life there
He successfully explored the African
interior in the 1850s; he was not successful
in the 1860s (see for example the ill-fated
Zambezi expedition)
Among his accomplishments: He was the
first European to see Victoria Falls
Known for championing the three Cs:
Christianity, Commerce and Civilization – in
Livingstone’s eyes, a better set of goals
than the slave trade
Livingstone is respectful of local rules
and customs but other settlers and
travelers were not
• The Scramble for Africa
develops by the 1860s
• The Berlin Conference
(1884-1885) is convened
in an effort to stop
fighting by European
countries over African
territories
• Eventually a number of
different kinds of
imperialism develop in
Africa
Types of imperialism #1
• Colony = a territory ruled over
directly by an imperialist power
• Protectorate = when a country
has its own government, but
officials of a foreign power guide
its policies, particularly in foreign
affairs,
• Sphere of influence = a region of
a country in which a foreign
power has exclusive trading or
investment rights
• Economic imperialism = when
private business interests (like the
British East India Company or the
V.O.C.) control other countries
Types of imperialism #2
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Direct rule = Colonial government in which local leaders and elites lose their power and are
replaced by officials from the mother country. Settlers often establish themselves in the colony for
generations. There is no self-rule. The goal is assimilation of local peoples. Examples include the
German colony of Tanganyika or the Portuguese colony of Angola.
Indirect rule = Form of colonial government in which local leaders and elites are allowed to stay in
power but are still controlled by the mother country. There is limited self-rule. An example is
Nigeria.
a. Association = Situation in which the colonial power respects the customs and religion of local
native groups and follows a policy of mutual assistance instead of assimilation. For example, in northern
Nigeria, the top British advisor was more of “an advisor” to the local chief or ruler.
b. Assimilation = Situation in which the colonial power tries to assimilate local peoples and make
them more like the colonial power (e.g., the French would spread the benefits of French civilization to
their African subjects). The natives, once civilized, could serve in the French assembly. Local customs
and religions were denigrated. In practice, the French were able to apply this model successfully in only
a few places (Senegal, e.g.).
Afrikaners, Zulus and Englishmen in
South Africa
The Dutch started to settle in South Africa in the early 17th
century. The Dutch East India Company was in charge. By
the late 18th century the Dutch settlers came into conflict
with the British over control of the Cape Colony.
Eventually some of these Dutch settlers or descendants of Dutch
settlers known as Boers chafed under British rule and began to
move inland in a migration known as the Great Trek
The Great Trek
The Great Trek took place between 1835 to 1845.
The Boers wanted not only to be free of British rule
but also to hold slaves.
In moving inland, the Boers also came into conflict with African
tribes, including the Zulus. The Battle of Blood River (1838) is an
example of a clash between these two groups
Despite the fact that by the mid-19th century the British and Boers
have separate territories or states in South Africa, they continue to
have disputes, esp. over territory and, later, gold. As a result, they
fought two wars, in 1880-1 and 1899-1902. These two wars are
called the Boer Wars; the second is the most important.
The Boer War (1899-1902)
The (Second) Boer War = the first modern “total war”
• British vs. Boers (by now also called
Afrikaners)
• The Boers employ guerilla warfare.
• The British, in response, resort to a
scorched earth policy, commando
raids, and concentration camps
• Perhaps as many as 27,000 Boers
(mainly women and children) die in
these camps.
• The British win the Second Boer
War. They rule South Africa as a
colony until 1931. South Africa
then becomes an independent
country.
The new country is hardly democratic. Although Africans form a
majority of the population in South Africa, they suffer discrimination
under the country’s apartheid policies, particularly after 1948.
Apartheid resembles Jim-Crow Era segregation in the U.S. South Africa is
dominated by a white minority during this time.
Apartheid in South Africa
• The South African
government maintained
the apartheid policy from
1948 until 1991.
• Nelson Mandela is given
credit for having inspired
South Africans to end
apartheid. He eventually
became President of the
Republic of South Africa.