The African culture was great and thriving even before European settlement. They had art, architecture, trade, and a thriving military to protect their great civilization. All of these things contributed to a civilization that no one could say was not thriving. One example of something that made African civilizations great and thriving was their art and architecture. The first document talks about how, “It is large and possesses a dozen mosques... The king had a palace of conical huts surrounded by a fence wall... The court of appeal is held in a domed pavilion around which stand ten horses with gold-embroidered trappings... ten pages holding shields and swords decorated with gold....[on the right] are the sons of the subordinate kings of …show more content…
In document 2 Ghana is described as, “[The empire that] controlled the land... It had the military forces...to maintain peace in the area, thereby assuring safe trade for the Arabs and the Wangara...[and] a strong army equipped with advanced weapons, and a foreign policy that led to peace and cooperation with other people”(Through African Eyes, ed. By Leon E. Clark, Praeger Press, Ny, 1970). The army in ghana was strong, but they still wanted peace. This shows how complex and advanced the civilization was. In document 3 it says, “Their sultan shows no mercy to anyone who is guilty of the least act of it. There is complete security in their country. Neither traveler nor inhabitant in it has anything to fear from robbers”(Ibn Battuta, Muslim traveler in his Travels to the kingdom of Mali, 1352). This shows once again how Mali had a strong military system. Even in well developed countries today travelers and inhabitants still have to fear robbers. Finally in document 4 it says, “...when he goes to war, and all his soldiers ride upon horses. The king has always 3000 horseman and a number of footmen that shoot poisoned arrows, attending upon him”(Leo Africanus, a Moroccan traveler, 1510). Because 3000 horsemen go with the king to war, and they have the technology to create poisoned arrows, the African people were thriving long before the Europeans came. All the evidence given proves that the civilizations of Africa were
Politics is the science that guides or influencing governmental policies. Politics plays important role in the daily life of everyone’s decision making all over history. The political leaders of Europe viewed the world as a stomping ground they took powers into their hand to take control over unconquered land. They believed that once they take over less advanced places they will be able to get richer by exploiting the uneducated and weaker people. According to an to an article from Africana Age called “The Colonization of Africa” by Ehiedu E. G. Iweriebor, “By 1900 much of Africa had been colonized by seven European powers—Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, and Italy. After the conquest of African decentralized and centralized
The proximate reasons behind the outcome of Africa’s collision with Europe are clear. Just as in their encounter with Native Americans, Europeans entering Africa enjoyed the triple advantage of guns and other technology, widespread literacy, and the political organization necessary to sustain expensive programs of exploration and conquest. (398)
The colonization of Africa gave the Europeans more workers and workspace that boost them economically and financially. According to Document D, many African colonies exports very many resources such as cotton for fabrics and various foods for processing and meals. The help of African colonies was very beneficial to Europe. The economical growth can be proven with Document E, where the amount of exports from Africa grew from less than 5 million British pounds in 1854 to over 20 million in 1900. So the most beneficial part of the African colonies was the boost they gave Europe in economical
http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/~patrick/151/africa.htm Patrick M. Patterson designed this website. A description of Africa before European imperialism is provided here. There are also explanations of the delay of imperialism and some causes of it.
Ancient civilizations have a lot of similarities and differences. Ancient civilizations had many different kinds of religious attitudes and traditions. The ancient civilizations had similarities and differences in the beliefs of death, culture, and religion. Ancient civilizations have many similarities and differences in the beliefs of death. Death is the end of living creatures and somehow everyone has to die once in their lifetime.
Colonialism impacted Africa in many different ways, some positive and some negative. Colonisation was the biggest factor in ending the slave trade between Africa and countries around the world. The Europeans brought to Africa modern things such as; legal systems, democratic institutions, improved economic institutions, and technology (railroads, mining, etc.) . Europe also helped to integrate them into world trade and to get their property rights secured.
During the late 19th century and the early 20th century many of the European nations began their scramble for Africa which caused Many Africans to suffer from violence like wars, slavery and inequality. Although the Europeans felt power as though they were doing a great cause in the African continent during the Scramble for Africa; Africans had many reactions and actions including factors as rebellion for freedom, against the white settlers and violent resistance.
Prior to the arrival of European traders, the continent of Africa had developed sophisticated society as it demonstrated its ability to maintain advanced civilizations, withhold three major empires, and gain wealth through trade. Although European traders did advance organized society in Africa, it would be false to say that prior to their arrival Africa was underdeveloped.
...e, unlike the surrounding nations which were powerful, rich empires, Africa consisted of small tribes and kingdoms. These kingdoms’ greatest exports would consist of gold, salt, and slaves, in exchange for the goods imported from the surrounding empires.
Brief History From the 1500s to the 1700s, African blacks, mainly from the area of West Africa (today's Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Dahomey, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, and Gabon) were shipped as slaves to North America, Brazil, and the West Indies. For them, local and tribal differences, and even varying cultural backgrounds, soon melded into one common concern: the suffering they all endured. Music, songs, and dances as well as traditional food, helped not only to uplift them but also quite unintentionally added immeasurably to the culture around them. In the approximately 300 years that blacks have made their homes in North America, the West Indies, and Brazil, their highly honed art of the cuisine so treasured and carefully transmitted to their daughters has become part of the great culinary classics of these lands. But seldom are the African blacks given that recognition.
African countries have coasts, forests, desert, and a lot of arid land. It was too costly to develop models of control for each type of regions. Long distance transportation was an issue as well. There were few shorelines and river transportation was hard, especially because of rapids and seasonal shallows (Herbst, 2014). Overland travel was very difficult due to lack of good roads. For African states, the natural boundaries hindered trade, which means they didn’t have access to knowledge and technology like Europeans did. This provided an edge to European nations in
After the Europeans began to colonize Africa, they saw great results rather quickly. European influence had caused the opening of many lumber, mining,and planting corporations, as well as many other means of wealth. Document 4 shows this when it says, “...who were largely responsible for the for the opening of the region to the lumberman, miner, planter, and other means of wealth.” By having colonies in the prosperous continent of Africa, countries would have a terrific source of income. By having a colony in Africa, Europeans would have easy accessibility to cheap labor, and be part of the slave trade. Document 1 shows this when it says, “These holdings are worked by natives under their direction. The foreigners take wealth out of the country. All the hard work is done by the enslaved natives.” This would make an already outstanding profit into an even better one. There are many positive effects for the Europeans when they conquered Africa. However, some may argue that the negative effects outweigh the positives. The want to conquer Africa often led to violent conflict, this led to many battles, and wars, resulting in a lot of money, and men lost. Document 7 shows this when it...
During the time of European expansion, many in Europe only knew of Africa, though the letters of self-appointed anthropologist and adventurers who described Africa as a dark continent; the people were dark skinned and primitive; they worshiped idols and practiced mysticism. This was evident in the way that British colonist described the Africans and Africa as “the savage was the very embodiment of dirt and disorder, his moral affliction all of a piece with his physical degeneracy and his pestiferous surrounding” (Comaroff 216). The land was dark, warm and moist; full of jungles that had all kinds of hidden dangers. The animals were ferocious and fierce, every step whether on land or on the river was a step into the unknown. The idea that Africa was Europe before it became civilized, excited people who were weary of their mundane life and wanted to have an adventure. Unfortunately, this image of Africa and the Africans never diminished; in fact, it only grew. Soon, it was the duty of the Churches of Europe to go to Africa and bring them salvation, it was the duty of the empires to go there and bring with them the light of civilization. This image of Africa as a place of primitive cultures and decay created the stereotype of what Africa was in the eyes of the world. This same stereotype, a dark, primitive place, still occurs ...
At first most Europeans were not interested in visiting West Africa and left it alone. The Portuguese however established a trading post, but only because they were looking for a way to reach India. It really was not until after Columbus discovered America that Europeans took interest in West Africa. Europeans stayed and continued to rule Africa until after the Second World War. After this the movement for independence started and the European nations really did not have the means to continue governing the colonies. (Suds)
An overwhelming majority of African nations has reclaimed their independence from their European mother countries. This did not stop the Europeans from leaving a permanent mark on the continent however. European colonialism has shaped modern-day Africa, a considerable amount for the worse, but also some for the better. Including these positive and negative effects, colonialism has also touched much of Africa’s history and culture especially in recent years.