How Did The Arrival Of Europeans Change The Lives Of Africans?
The colonisation of Africa was part of a global European procedure reaching all the continents of the world. European colonisation and domination changed the world dramatically. Historians debate that the rushed imperial conquest of the African continent by the European powers started with King Leopold 2 of Belgium when he involved European powers to gain recognition in Belgium. The Scramble for Africa took identify during the New Imperialism between 1881 and 1914. The focus of this lesson will be on the causes and results of European colonisation of the African continent, with special focus on the Ashanti kingdom (colonised past the British equally the Golden Coast, and today the independent African country of Republic of ghana).
European colonisation of Africa in the late 19th century
Africa before European colonisation
Due to worldwide insufficiency of globe knowledge, the size and abilities of Africa as a continent was majorly undermined and oversimplified. Before colonisation, Africa was characterised by widespread flexibility in terms of movement, governance, and daily lifestyles. The continent consisted not of closed reproducing entities, equipped with unique unchanging cultures, merely of more fluid units that would readily contain outsiders into the community with the status that they accepted its customs, and where the sense of obligation and solidarity went beyond that of the nuclear family. Pre- colonial societies were highly varied, where they were either stateless, run by the state or run by kingdoms. The notion of communalism was accepted and adept widely; land was held commonly and could not be bought or sold, although other things, such every bit cattle, were endemic individually. In those societies that were not stateless, the chiefs ran the daily affairs of the tribe together with one or more than councils. The colonisation of Africa through Europe brought about many forms of government that are withal visible today. Before colonisation, withal, at that place were many forms of government in Africa, ranging from powerful empires to decentralised groups of pastoralists and hunters.
The use of iron tools marks a pregnant turning betoken in African culture. Iron tools enhanced weaponry, allowed groups to manage and clear dense and thick forests, plough fields for farming, and making everyday life more than convenient. Because the iron tools allowed Africans to flourish in their natural environment, they could live in larger communities which led to the formation of kingdoms and states. With this creation came the germination of modern civilizations, common languages, belief and value systems, fine art, religion, lifestyle and culture. Another unique feature of pre- European Africa was the favouring of oral tradition within these societies. Stories were told and handed down generations in verbal form. This poses a threat to the survival of these stories because certain aspects could be forgotten or told in a different way. National borders were likewise not much of a concern before colonization. European countries fought over African countries mainly for their natural resources. Lines were drawn through African communities which had existed for many years, and these lines tin can presently be seen every bit national borders. "A brief history of European Colonisation in Africa"
Berlin Conference 1884
The Briefing of Berlin and British 'New' Imperialism, besides known every bit the "Congo conference" began. In 1884 at the request of Portugal, German Chancellor Otto von Bismark chosen together the major western powers of the earth to negotiate questions and terminate defoliation over the control of Africa. The countries represented at the time included Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, Italy, the netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway (unified from 1814-1905), Turkey, and the United States of America. Of these xiv nations, France, Germany, Smashing United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland, and Portugal were the major players in the conference, controlling virtually of colonial Africa at the time. Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, and Spain were competing for ability within European power politics. One fashion to demonstrate national pre-eminence was through the acquisition of territories around the world, including Africa. Some other reason for European interest in Africa is the industrialization when major social bug grew in Europe: unemployment, poverty, homelessness, social deportation from rural areas, etc. These social issues developed partly because not all people could be absorbed past the new capitalist industries. Europe saw the colonization of Africa equally an opportunity to acquire a surplus population, thus settler colonies were created. With this invasion, many European countries saw Africa as being bachelor to their disposal. However, several disputes took place regarding which European country would colonise a specific African country. Thus, in 1884, Portugal proposed a briefing in which fourteen European countrieswould meet in Berlin regarding the partition of Africa, without the presence of Africa.
The initial task of the conference was to concur that the Congo River and Niger River mouths and basins would exist considered neutral and open to trade. Despite its neutrality, part of the Kongo Basin became a personal Kingdom (private property) for Kingdom of belgium'south King Leopold II and under his dominion, over half of the region's population died. At the time of the conference, only the coastal areas of Africa were colonized by the European powers. At the Berlin Briefing the European colonial powers scrambled to gain command over the Interior of the Continent. The conference lasted until February 26, 1885 – a 3 month period where colonial powers haggled over geometric boundaries in the interior of the continent, disregarding the cultural and linguistic boundaries already established by the Native Indigenous African population. What ultimately resulted was a hodgepodge of geometric boundaries that divided Africa into 50 irregular countries.
"The Scramble for Africa and the Berlin Conference"
Causes of colonisation
The reasons for African colonisation were mainly economic, political and religious. During this time of colonisation, an economical depression was occurring in Europe, and powerful countries such as Deutschland, France, and Uk, were losing money. Africa seemed to be out of damage'south way and had an abundance of raw materials from which Europe could make money from. Due to cheap labour of Africans, Europeans easily caused products like oil, ivory, safety, palm oil, wood, cotton and glue. These products became of greater significance due to the emergence of the Industrial Revolution. Africa's colonisation was also as a result of European rivalries, where United kingdom of great britain and northern ireland and France had beenin a dispute since the Hundred Year's State of war. These countries became involved in a race to acquire more than territory on the African continent, but this race was open to all European countries. Britain had had some success in halting the slave trade around the shores of Africa. But inland the story was different -- Muslim traders from north of the Sahara and on the East Coast yet traded inland, and many local chiefs were reluctant to give up the utilize of slaves.
During the nineteenth century barely a year went by without a European expedition into Africa. The boom in exploration was triggered to a dandy extent by the creation of the African Association by wealthy Englishmen in 1788, and as they travelled, they started to record details of markets, goods, and resources for the wealthy philanthropists who financed their trips. With the beginning of colonisation in Africa, morality became an increasing event. The Europeans could non embrace the existence of the Muslim Swahili trade which made them want to implement the Three C'due south: Christianity, Commerce, and Civilisation. Get-go, Europe experienced a Christian revival in the 19th century.
Missionaries began to focus on the large working class with the goal of bringing spiritual salvation to the workers and their families. The bible was made available to workers. Due to their large successes, missionaries began to look beyond Europe. Missions were established all over Africa. Missionaries did non serve every bit directly agents of European imperialism, all the same they drew European governments deeper into Africa. In their efforts to preach Christianity, to bring western-style teaching to Africa and to ingrain monogamy in African societies, missionaries frequently felt threatened by warfare within Africa. Hence, missionaries called on European governments for protection and intervention. Second, for centuries, European explorers have travelled throughout the African continent in their attempts to discover new things and to chart the African continent.
Trade would be well instantiated; the piece of work of the Suez Canal Visitor at the north-eastern tip of Africa had been completed in 1869. Lastly, Livingstone believed that civilisation could exist achieved through goodgovernment andeducation. The combination of these three elements, Livingstone believed, would end human suffering in Africa, and the ultimate level of civilization would exist accomplished within the continent. .Christianity would therefore provide the moral principles that would guide Africans, while education and commerce would encourage Africans to produce their ain goods to trade with Europeans. For this to work a performance and legitimate governing system was needed to ensure the civil rights of the people.
Patterns of colonisation: which countries colonised which parts of Africa
By 1900 a significant role of Africa had been colonized past mainly seven European powers—Britain, French republic, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Afterward the conquest of African decentralized and centralized states, the European powers gear up almost establishing colonial land systems. The colonial land was the machinery of administrative domination established to facilitate effective control and exploitation of the colonized societies. Colonial states were authoritarian, bureaucratic systems, partly due to their origins in armed services conquest and the racist ideology of the imperialist enterprise. The French directed their attention to the active economies of the Niger Delta, the Lagos Hinterland and the Gold Declension.
Why European Countries were able to colonise Africa so quickly
The European countries were able to colonise African countries quickly because there were rivalries betwixt African leaders. These kings and chiefs were competing with each other to be the richest and most powerful within their tribes. During these rivalries, European leaders would take reward of the situation and persuaded some leaders to be on their side to fight against other leaders. Natural disasters also played a big role in the rapid and like shooting fish in a barrel colonisation of Africa. In 1895, a serious drought reached many regions in Africa which was caused by a sudden turn down in rainfall. Inappreciably whatever crops were produced, and the food shortage which followed acquired the decease of many people and animals. The little crops that were produced were destroyed past a plague of locusts. In addition to this plague, the cattle plague broke outduring the 1890's which killed cattle, sheep and goats. This led to even more deaths of animals and people, and due to their concrete and mental weakness, they were unable to fight against European powers.
European powers could hands take control of any source of land by using strength and violence. They accomplished this past using more than powerful weapons, and had the advantage of the newly invented automobile gun called the Maxim gun which was invented in the 1880's. This gun could fire 11 bullets per 2nd, and outdid the weapons that the African forces had. African armies did not manage to get concord of European weapons because information technology was non sold to them. Thus Africans were at a war machine disadvantage. An outbreak of new diseases made an appearance during the late 1890'sand the first one was a range of smallpox epidemics. The Europeans who were already in Africa had adult immunity to these diseases due to past experiences of these outbreaks in Europe. The indigenous African population had no immunity or resistance to these diseases and thus weakened the African population. A big number of the African population thus died out, or became as well weak to fight back.
Results of colonization
The impact that colonisation had on Africa tin be described every bit both practiced and bad. In terms of European political practice in Africa, all colonising countries share similar attributes. Colonial political systems were united nations-democratic; Law and Order, as well as Peace, was a main objective of colonial governments; Colonial governments lacked capacity and Colonial governments practiced "divide and rule." Firstly, colonial governments did not allow popular participation, and all political decisions were fabricated by the minor political aristocracy with no or little input from the African population. Secondly, the African population was non satisfied with the way that Europeans imposed on their governing system without any proper representation, thus the maintenance of peace nether the African population was made an important priority for the colonial government. Thirdly, seeing as most colonial governments were not rich, they did not fund the governing of their colonies fully. Although they were responsible for raising the coin for their own colonies, they nevertheless lacked the incometo properly develop and maintain a successful governing system. This meant that colonial governments were non able to provide basic infrastructure, such as roads and advice networks, nor were they able to provide basic social services such as education, wellness care, and housing. Lastly, the principle of "divide and rule" meant that policies that intentionally weakened indigenous ability networks and institutions were implemented.
Due tothe lack of revenue inside the colonies, little attention was given to promoting social change or development. Although all the colonies did not feel the same extent of social change, these colonies share the aforementioned characteristics in terms of social modify. Firstly, colonial and political practices caused a big scale movement of people. In some areas, migrations were primarily from one rural area to another. In other places, the migration was from rural areas to urban areas. These movements resulted in dislocation of peoples that impacted society and culture. Social and cultural beliefs and practices were challenged by these migrations. Long-held practices had to be adapted, and at times were completed abandoned, to fit the new colonial circumstances. Secondly, and partly due to the beginning consequence, the dislocation of families besides occurred. Men mainly left the household to piece of work in mines and on plantations, leaving their wives and children behind. Every bit a result, women and adolescents were forced to take on new roles and to cope in absence of their husbands and fathers. Due to colonialism, the African family structure had been severely inverse.
Prior to colonialism, the extended family structure (family that extends beyond the immediate family) was the norm in about African societies, simply past the end of colonial era, the nuclear family (family consisting of a pair of adults/ parents and their children) was becoming the norm in many African countries. Thirdly, urbanization emerged as colonization was imposed. During colonialism, urbanization occurred adequately speedily in many African colonies. A number of pre-colonial African societies had towns and modest cities. Nonetheless, even in these societies, virtually people were engaged in agriculture in rural villages or homesteads. Urban living resulted in changes in economical activities and occupation, and in changes in the way people lived. These changes often challenged existing values, behavior, and social practices. Fourthly, the religious beliefs of Africans were adjusted or changed. A pocket-sized pct of the African population regarded themselves as Christians, and today more than half of the African population is Christians. Colonial rule provided an environment in which Christianity, in many forms, spread in many parts of Africa. While Islam was widespread in Africa prior to the coming of colonialism, it likewise benefited from colonialism. British and French colonial officials actively discouraged Christian mission piece of work in Muslim areas.
Lastly, the public education arrangement of African was also changed. The majority of colonial governments did little to support schools. Most formal schooling African colonies were a result of the work of missionaries. Missionaries felt that instruction and schools were essential to their mission. Their primary concern was the conversion of people to Christianity. Missionaries believed that the ability of African peoples to read the Bible in their ain linguistic communication was important to the conversion process. However, most mission societies were non wealthy, and they could not support the number of schools that they really wanted. Consequently, with limited authorities support, most African children did not go to school during the colonial era. In fact at the end of colonial rule, no colony could state that more half of their children finished elementary schoolhouse, and far fewer attended secondary school.
"Colonialism'south bear upon on Africa"
Case Written report: The Ashanti kingdom
The declension of West Africa before the arrival of Europeans
West Africans developed an extensive self-contained trading system, based on skilled manufacture. From the eighth century Muslim traders, from North Africa and Arab countries, began to reach the region. Gradually, communities began to catechumen to Islam. By the finish of the 11th century some entire states, and influential individuals in others, were Muslim. At the same time, W African merchandise slowly expanded towards Egypt and possibly India. Arabic texts mention that from the late eighth century Ghana was considered 'the land of golden'. Republic of mali too possessed great wealth. In 1324-5, when Mansa Musa, its emperor, made a pilgrimage to Mecca, he took and then much gilt with him that in Egypt, which he too visited, the value of the metal was debased. Prior to the European voyages of exploration in the fifteenth century, African rulers and merchants had established merchandise links with the Mediterranean world, western Asia, and the Indian Ocean region. Within the continent itself, local exchanges among side by side peoples fit into a greater framework of long-range trade.
The Ashanti and their early contact with European traders and explorers
The Ashanti kingdom, or Asante, dominated much of the present-24-hour interval state of Ghana. Information technology was ruled by an indigenous group called the Akan, which in turn was composed of up to 38 subgroups, such every bit the Bekiai, Adansi, Juabin, Kokofu, Kumasi, Mampon, Nsuta, Nkuwanta, Dadussi, Daniassi, Ofinsu, and Adjitai. Gold Declension began encountering European traders in the mid-1400s, when the Portuguese began trading with coastal peoples. Past the seventeenth century, many European trading giants including the British, Dutch and French began edifice fortifications along the coastline in order to affirm their positions. These interactions were to have a profound effect on African coastal settlements and African institutions came under considerable European influence very early. West Africa had a long history of connection to trans-Saharan gold trade, and from the 15th century was drawn into merchandise with Europe, in gilt and increasingly in slaves. The Ashanti kingdom had emerged from the mid- 17th century, benefitting from admission both to rich agronomical resources and gilt, much of the labour for production of which was provided by a domestic slave merchandise.
Many parts of Westward Africa was still unknown to the rest of the world, thus By the late 15th century and early 16th century many European nations similar Portugal started to transport the missionaries and explorers to investigate various parts of Africa and Due west Africa in item. Equally early every bit in the 19th century European powers like France, Germany, and Britain also sent number of missionaries, explorers, traders and philanthropists in West Africa. These groups were sent in Africa to investigate the needed knowledge most Africans, their history and culture, mostly noesis about raw materials, visibility, potential areas and the nature of African population British traders had operated off what was to become known every bit the "Gilt Coast" with piddling straight intervention by British authorities.
When the Ashanti kingdom showed ambitions to expand its command southwards in negotiating treaties with African authorities and protecting trading interests, the British invaded Ashanti in 1874 and burnt its capital. The majority of European Explorers spent their time to investigate and to detail the interior and declension of West Africa to help European powers that were searching areas with potential materials equally European countries were experiencing mushrooming of industries. Explores assisted the European merchant groups; penetration of west Africa interior in 18th century was real a difficult and difficult but with the aid of explorers, European merchant groups had advantage of trading in Due west Africa freely with assurance of security of themselves and their trading commodities.
The British and the colonisation of the Gilded Coast
As Britain increasingly colonised more than and more African countries, the British had become the dominant power forth the coast, and they began annexing and laying claim to territory gradually. The expansion of the Asante kingdom towards the declension was the major cause of this, as the British began to fright that the Asante would come to monopolise coastal trade in their place. The British placed the Governor of neighbouring Sierra Leone, which was already annexed, in charge of British forts and settlements along the coast. He formed an unfavourable stance of the Asante, and began the long process of attempting to bring them under British control. Nevertheless, disputes over jurisdiction of the expanse known as Ashanti led to war between the British and the Asante, and in 1824, the Asante succeeded in killing the Governor as well as vii of his men. In retaliation, the British (with the help of tribes oppressed by the Asante, including the Fante and the Ga) trounce the Asante back in 1826, and successfully concluded their dominance of coastal regions. The institution of British police force and jurisdiction in the colony was a gradual process, but the 1844 Bond with the Fante is popularly considered to be its true beginning. This recognised the power of British officials and British common law in the Gold Coast and over the Fante people. In 1850, a Governor was appointed to Gold Declension who was not also Governor of Sierra Leone, and this is how the colony of Gold Declension was born. A supreme court was established in 1853, and led to British common law condign enforced. However, all of this brought financial challenges, and saw the policy of making the colonies pay come up in to force in the Aureate Coast for the first time.
The British fought against the Ashanti four times in the 19th century and suppressed a final insurgence in 1900 earlier claiming the region as a colony. The starting time Anglo-Ashanti War began in 1823 later the Ashanti defeated a small-scale British force under Sir Charles McCarthy and converted his skull into a drinking cup. Information technology concluded with a standoff after the British vanquish an Ashanti regular army near the coast in 1826. After ii generations of relative peace, more violence occurred in 1863 when the Ashanti invaded the British "protectorate" forth the coast in retaliation for the refusal of Fanti leaders to render a fugitive slave. The outcome was another stand up-off, just the British took casualties and public opinion at abode started to view the Gold Coast equally a quagmire. In 1873, the Second Ashanti War began subsequently the British took possession of the remaining Dutch trading posts forth the coast, giving British firms a regional monopoly on the merchandise between Africans and Europe. The Ashanti had long viewed the Dutch as allies, so they invaded the British protectorate along the declension. A British ground forces led by Full general Wolseley waged a successful campaign confronting the Ashanti that led to a brief occupation of Kumasi and a "treaty of protection" signed by the Ashantehene (leader) of Ashanti, catastrophe the war in July 1874. This state of war was covered by a number of news correspondents (including H. M. Stanley) and the "victory" excited the imagination of the European public.
In 1894, the Third Anglo-Ashanti War began following British press reports that a new Ashantehene named Prempeh committed acts of cruelty and barbarism. Strategically, the British used the war to insure their control over the gold fields before the French, who were advancing on all sides, could claim them. In 1896, the British regime formally annexed the territories of the Ashanti and the Fanti. In 1900, a final uprising took identify when the British governor of Gold Coast (Hodgson) unilaterally attempted to depose the Ashantehene by seizing the symbol of his authority, the Golden Stool. The British were victorious and reoccupied Kumasi permanently. On September 26, 1901 the British created the Crown Colony of Gold Coast. The change in the Gold Coast's status from "protectorate" to "crown colony" meant that relations with the inhabitants of the region were handled by the Colonial Office, rather than the Foreign Office. That implied that the British no longer recognized the Ashanti or the Fanti equally having contained governments.
Results of colonisation of the Ashanti kingdom and Britain
In December 1895, Sir Francis Scott left Greatcoat Coast with an expedition force. It arrived in Kumasi in January 1896. The Asantehene directed the Ashanti to non resist. Shortly thereafter, Governor William Maxwell arrived in Kumasi as well. Asantehene Agyeman Prempeh was deposed and arrested. Britain annexed the territories of the Ashanti and the Fanti in 1896, and Ashanti leaders were sent into exile in the Republic of seychelles. The Asante Wedlock was dissolved. Robert Baden-Powell led the British in this campaign. The British formally declared the littoral regions to be the Gold Declension colony. A British Resident was permanently placed in the urban center, and shortly after a British fort.
As a final measure of resistance, the remaining Asante court not exiled to the Seychelles mounted an offensive confronting the British Residents at the Kumasi Fort. The resistance was led by Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen-Mother of Ejisu. From March 28 to belatedly-September 1900, the Asante and British were engaged in what would go known as the War of the Golden Stool. On March 28, 1900 Governor Frederick Hodgson met with the chiefs at Kumasi and demanded that the Asante hand over the sacred Golden Stool to him. On April 25 the telegraph wires were cut, and Kumasi was surrounded. Thirty British were dying per day in June. On June 23 three officers and 150 made a sortie and managed to escape. Governor Hodgson reached Cape Coast on July 10. The British sent 1,400 troops from other parts of Africa, and the Asante's nine-month struggle for independence failed. In March 1901 Governor Matthew Nathan visited Kumasi, and he deported 16 Ashanti leaders and imprisoned 31 at Elmina. The people were disarmed, and only licensed hunters could comport guns. The British annexed the Asante confederacy as a Crown Colony and did non let chiefs to rule in Kumasi until Prempeh became Kumasihene in 1926. In the end, Asantewaa and other Ashanti leaders were likewise sent to Seychelles to join Prempeh I. In January 1902, U.k. finally added Asante to its protectorates on the Gilded Coast.
Asante was forcibly incorporated into the British Gold Declension colony in 1902, along with farther territory to its immediate north which had not belonged to the kingdom itself. The later add-on of British Togoland creates borders for the colony that are essentially those that be for modernistic Republic of ghana. When the British defeated the Ashanti people, they nerveless all the gold treasures of the expanse. In addition to this, the Ashanti people lost their independence. They did not receive any political rights in the Golden Coast and power was taken away from legitimate Ashanti leaders. People were forced off their land onto farms or factories which ultimately made the British richer. The British then spent money on things that will improve their ability to remove wealth and natural resource from the Gold Coast. They built railroads and roads, but but to their own benefit in order for products to be shipped off to Europe.
Source: https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/grade-8-term-3-scramble-africa-late-19th-century
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