The Scramble for Africa 1880-­‐1900 A very brief overview 1 Why Africa? •  Proximity to Europe •  Trade posts already established along the western and northern shores of Africa by many European powers •  Growing European desire for more resources, wealth 2 Africa ~1880 3 ExploraIon and CompeIIon •  Minimal European exploraIon in the early 1800s due to disease (malaria) and limited military force •  As technology and weaponry improved, increased exploraIon was possible 4 The scramble begins… • 
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By the 1870s, Belgian King Leopold II had a vested interest in securing a colony in Africa Hired Henry Morton Stanley to explore the region and obtain treaIes with local chiefs He declared the Congo region to be under Belgian control. This became an official “free trade zone” (post-­‐1884 Berlin Conference) but was heavily controlled by Belgium. King Leopold II gained control by making it seem that he had philanthropic interests in the region. He exploited the resources (ivory, rubber, minerals etc) and people to fund development projects in Belgium. Leopold’s claims, in addiIon to other factors, lead to the rapid colonizaIon of the African conInent between 1880-­‐1900 known as the Scramble for Africa European empires wanted to claim as much land as possible. Within 20 years, the poliIcal geography of Africa had drasIcally changed. 5 The Berlin Conference 1884 • 
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Conference held in Berlin, by German Chancellor O`o von Bismarck, to essenIally “carve up Africa” among the European powers They were afraid increasing compeIIon might lead to bloodshed and war amongst European powers Set the “rules” that were to be followed by European powers for further colonizaIon in Africa (eg. occupaIon was necessary to retain control of a colony, navigaIon of the Congo and Niger Rivers was free for all) Europeans promised to bring “Commerce, ChrisIanity and CivilizaIon” to the conInent No African leaders involved Complete disregard for African history, values, interests, rights, idenIty etc. 6 Africa Post-­‐Berlin Conference 7