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The development of social Darwinism
Resistance to colonial rule in Africa
The development of social Darwinism
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Why were African resistance movements usually unsuccessful?
During the movement of Imperialism in Africa, as Europeans were coming over to attempt to colonize African land, many Africans attempted to resist the Europeans attempt to take their land. They did this because of course, they did not want their land taken by the Europeans as it was theirs and they didn't want any change in their simple lifestyles. The African groups that resisted most were the Mandingos, Rabih, Asante, Arabi Pasha, Maji Maji, Mashona, and so on. Through all of the Africans attempts to resist European control, their resistances ultimately failed in the end besides Ethiopia's which succeeded. Now most the reasons these African resistance movements that were usually
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One way this shown through was in the theory of Social Darwinism. This was a theory made by Charles Darwin stating that non-Europeans were considered to be on a lower scale of cultural and physical development because they had not made the scientific and technological progress that Europeans had. The Europeans who supported this theory also believed that they had the right and the duty to bring the results of their progress to other countries. Later during the later stages of Imperialism in Africa, as the French and other Europeans were taking and controlling Africa, they believed the Africans were unable to handle running a country. This was known as the policy called paternalism. As they used this policy, the Europeans treated the Africans like children as they provided for their needs but did not give them rights. These two ideas Social Darwinism and Paternalism were similar in a way, with their unfairness towards the Africans. I think Paternalism was like Social Darwinism for one because this policy also as well as the theory of Social Darwinism believed that Europeans were better than the Africans. Although the theory of Social Darwinism believed that the Europeans were better than the Africans through science, the policy of Paternalism also believed they were smarter and better than the Africans and that the Africans weren't very smart. They just both believed they were better than the Africans. Another reason Paternalism was like Social Darwinism was because they both believed Europeans had the right to treat the Africans like minors and act like a parent to the Africans. They both also believed that Europeans had the right and the duty to bring the results of their progress to other
The inception of the Pan-African movement was motivated by colonialism and racism faced by African people living in Europe, West Indies and North America in the nineteenth and twentieth century. Through this, leaders of African states originated this movement to unite people of African descent to fight against racism and colonialism (Schraeder, 2000:126). The Pan-African movement was initiated by significant figures such as William Dubois and Marcus Garvey. The concept of this movement started outside of Africa. Africa was later included into this movement as it became the continent of concern of the movements vision. The African demand for colonization to end erupted a war between Africa and its colonizers. This war indicated a certain awareness and importance of uniting people of Africa together which is the initial Pan-African vision. (Schraeder, 2000:127)
The colonization of Africa officially began in 1884 with the Berlin Conference. Western European powers began to split up the land and resources in Africa among themselves. This period of history became known as the Scramble for Africa. The Scramble for Africa occurred because as the slave trade ended, capitalists saw Africa as a continent that they could now exploit through legitimate trade. European capitalists found new ways to make money off of the continent. With greater exploration of the continent even more valuable resources were found. The encouragement of legitimate trade in Africa brought Europeans flocking to colonize Africa. Africa lost their independence, and along with it, their control over their natural resources. Europeans used the term the "White Man's Burden," a concept used by white colonizers in order to impose their way of life on Africans within their colonies, to ...
Even though they seemed to respect the Europeans at first, they later saw the Europeans as ruthless. Besides Native Americans, the European powers also profoundly obstructed the Native Americans by capturing them for labor along with treating them as non-human beings. Due to European powers, both the Native Americans and Africans lost sight of themselves. Since both groups lost sight of themselves, they were stereotyped in many negative ways that affected them in the long run. In other words, race is a social construct built on the progress of society.
Part of how North America engaged in imperialism was the idea of Manifest Destiny (Age of Imperialism II, 19:20). This was the belief that it was their destiny to take over and expand. The Europeans engaged in imperialism by taking over or having other places join their country (Age of Imperialism II, 28.06). This is important because if they could peacefully gain control it made their job easier. Another tool that helped the West engage in imperialism was the steam engine. They were able to trade with more nations and spread their ideas even better. Advances like the steam engine were key to both becoming what we call “Mother Nations.” When discussing how they believed in Manifest Destiny and the power of whiteness, it is crucial to show the flip side that allows them to take part in this. Morel, the author of the black mans’ burden, sees the burden of imperialism falling upon Africans, and wrote this against Kipling 's poem. The text says, “Thus the African is really helpless against the material God of the white man, as embodied in the trinity of imperialism, capitalistic, exploitation, and militarism…” (The Black Man’s Burden, pg. 2). This statement shows that the Africans were still less than and that there was indeed prejudice. He is saying that the Africans were destroyed by the Caucasians. While it is important to understand how the West became engaged in imperialism, we also need to understand that
In many accounts of the Africans, the Africans were in disagreement with the European's Scramble for Africa. Ndansi Kumalo an African veteran wrote in 1896 if many of them to give or keep their land. In a distrustful and agony tone he spoke of how the poor treatment of the Africans in the Ndebele rebellion against the British advances in South America to convince many others not to stay because it has impacted many Africans and many died in the process of it. He says “So we surrendered to the White people and were told to go back to our homes and live our usual lives and attend to our crops. They came and were overbearing. We were ordered to carry their clothes and bundles (Doc.4).” A German military officer in 1896 wrote in a newspaper article about the reactions of the Africans about the white settlers. In an awed tone he wrote about the 1906 account of the Maji Maji Rebellion in German East Africa and to give an example of how the Africans believed in a magic medicine would help them defend themselves against the white settlers (Doc.8). Mojimba an African chief in 1907 described a battle in 1877 on the Congo River against British and African mercenaries to a German catholic missionary. In an appalled and hateful tone he used this description to show that these whi...
European imperialism in Africa caused Africans to lose their independence and culture. After a long time, “the wave of Independence across Africa in the 1950s and 1960s brought to the end around 75
Pan-Africanism by definition is a movement for the political union of all African nations (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). However, to me Pan Africanism has two meanings. The first meaning is all Africans and African Americans whether in Africa or in the diaspora coming together as brothers and sisters unifying as one. The second meaning is all the African nations coming together as one. The Pan African movement was brought about because the Africans and African Americans in the diaspora were tired of colonialism and slavery that was so reliant on their people. The movement began in the mid nineteenth century and it was led by people from the diaspora and leaders in Africa. Many people and events that played pivotal roles in this movement. Some
Imperialism is the domination by one country of political, economic, or cultural life of another country or region and occurred during the 1800’s in Africa. Imperialism in Africa was caused by four factors in Europe: economy, politics/military, humanitarian/religion, and Social Darwinism (Ellis). The Industrial Revolution in Europe caused the need for oversea expansion because the manufacturers needed things like: rubber, petroleum, and palm oil all of which Africa had. Europe moving into Africa was also caused by nationalism, when France went into Africa so did Britain (Ellis). The difference between France and Britain was the way of rule they used. There are four different methods of imperialism: direct, indirect, protectorate, and sphere of influence. The most popular were direct and indirect. The French used direct, they sent officials and soldiers from France to administer their colonies and their purpose was to inflict French culture on their colonies and make them into French provinces (Ellis). The British, however, used indirect, they used chiefs to oversee their colonies and encouraged the children in the colonies to get education in Britain. The British “Westernized” their colonies and only used military force when threatened (Ellis).
When the Europeans arrived in Africa, many would of thought that imperialism wasn?t fied because the Europeans were enslaving the Africans. As stated in David Diop's An Anthology of West African Verse, "And in the Conqueror's voice said, 'Boy! A chair, a napkin, a drink.'" Stated blatantly, the "conqueror" is a European, and he is commanding an African to serve him. Forcing Africans into slavery certainly doesn?t justify European imperialism in Africa, however, there are many reasons as to why imperialism actually was justified.
Throughout history, imperialism has led countries to extend their rule over weaker countries and then colonized those countries to expand their own power. Imperialism allows the ruling countries to use the weaker countries for their resources. Colonizing other countries would then lead to growth and a better reputation for the dominating country. There are many examples of imperialism throughout European history. When many European countries “scrambled” for Africa, it seemed as though Africa had no say in anything. During the 19th century, Europe found a way to use Africa for their own growth and power. Using Africa for their resources, the Europeans colonized Africa without a second thought. European imperialism in Africa had a negative impact because of social disarray, cultural loss, and death it caused.
African resistance to “The Scramble for Africa” leads to the instability of Africa’s political structure. There was ineffective resistance of the African people against the Europeans. In an attempt to regain their independence, Africans took up arms against their colonial masters as soon as they perceived them to be at a disadvantage. In southern Africa, in The Republic of Namibia, the Herero people rose against German rule in 1904, killing over 100 German settlers and traders. German commander, General von Trotha, retaliated with a war aimed simply at extermination.
Africa has had a long and tumultuous road of colonization and decolonization the rush to colonize Africa started in the 17th century with the discovery of the vast amounts of gold, diamonds, and rubber with colonization hitting a fever pitch during World War I. However, the repercussions of colonization have left deep wounds that still remain unhealed in the 21st century. Early on, European nations such as Britain, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany and Belgium scrambled for territories. Countries wanted land so they could harvest the resources, increase trade, and gain power. The European colonization of Africa brought racism, civil unrest, and insatiable greed; all of which have had lasting impacts on Africa.
... reasons. They wanted new land and the natural resources that can only be found in Africa, they wanted the new market opportunities that having colonies in Africa would open up to them, and the wanted to stay in competition with other European countries. The motives of the Europeans quickly deteriorated as they started exploiting the native Africans and abusing the slave trade that they had promised to abolish with the three C’s. The African people suffered a great deal as many of them were killed, harmed, or forced into slavery for the smallest civil unrest. The Europeans involved in the imperial take over lost their humanity as they started to treat fellow humans as though they were no more than cows lined up for slaughter. In their attempts to imperialize Africa, the Europeans became what they hated, feared, and sought out to exterminate, they became savages.
Africa’s struggle to maintain their sovereignty amidst the encroaching Europeans is as much a psychological battle as it is an economic and political one. The spillover effects the system of racial superiority had on the African continent fractured ...
Some were successful while others were downright failures. Each colony took on different amounts of responsibility in the integrational process, though this was sometimes limited because of the specific countries feelings towards the colonizing power. The Congo ended in an autocratic dictatorship, unable to grow economically or structurally, while Ghana ended in the successful transition to a mostly democratic African state. Since Ghana was the first African country to gain its independence, it is baffling why other liberation movements failed. The issue is that each country took its own approach in the fight rather than following the example set by Ghana and Britain. Decolonization in Africa is unstructured, unstable, and often it results in/ is the result of violence. Many countries have fallen into times of war and dictatorship in which their needs are not being met. Humanitarian aid is difficult to come by in the country and the stability of each country is always changing. The stability is dependent upon the nationalism felt by those within the country itself; the more they work together, the more successful the outcome tends to be. African liberation has yet to result in one fully democratic state, which was the ultimate western goal of the countries. Liberation has been a struggle for every country, from issues of representation to the larger issue of establishing a government at all. It seems that decolonization tends to parallel the horrors that came with the original