African Imperialism DBQ

Beginning in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, modern imperialism included not just the colonization of an area of land but also the domination of the society, economy, and military. European countries, especially Britain, France, and Germany, as well as Japan, the United States, and Russia, all eagerly snatched up pieces of land. Africa was one area of imperialist interest. After the Berlin West Africa Conference from 1884-1885, the claiming of land intensified in the scramble for Africa. In three decades, most of Africa had been divided and controlled by imperialistic powers. Some African leaders were passive toward European control, peacefully accepting foreign rule or diplomatically refusing imperial control. Most Africans,

however, resisted colonial rule and violently fought against the new authority.
In some countries, European rule was not resisted but instead accepted. Several African rulers of the Niger River delta and regions nearby allowed the Royal Niger Company, which was authorized by the British government , to govern their region. According to the contract, the chiefs recognized that British rule would benefit their territory, so they agreed to give the company most of the political control. In exchange, the company would administer the region, allow native rule to continue, and pay landowners for any land that they took (Doc 1). While other countries did not consent to imperial rule, they did not violently rebel. Instead, their rejection was carried out diplomatically. In response to a British offer of protection, Prempeh I, an Ashanti leader, gently stated that the offer was carefully considered but rejected because the kingdom of Ashanti wanted to continue its traditions. He then asserted that the Ashanti would maintain a friendly relationship with the Europeans (Doc 2). Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia, also did not outright refuse colonial rule. In his letter to the imperial powers, he merely expressed his trust in God to protect his country from occupation and return their former maritime prosperity (Doc 3). Although the Niger River delta region received European rule with willingness, other places rejected imperial rule but affirmed their opposition in a diplomatic, neutral tone.
Not all Africa countries welcomed outside rule and often revolted in response.

Yaa Asantewa, Ashanti queen mother, urged the chiefs of West Africa to fight against the British for their disregard of Ashanti authority. She also stated that if the chiefs failed to react, the Ashanti women would rise up and fight the white men themselves, until the last of them had fallen (Doc 6). Samuel Maherero, leader of the Herero people, shared the same sentiments. Upset with the brutal rule of the Germans, Maherero implored another African leader to help him rebel and encourage other chiefs to join their cause. He claimed that it was better to die fighting for their country than to die from maltreatment by the Germans (Doc 7). Rebellions against European authority were usually disasters for the Africans. In 1877, in a battle on the Congo River against the British and the Americans, many Africans died because of the use of powerful, quick guns. Their village was pillaged and burned. Mojimba, an African chief, described his anger towards the white people, who thought that they could steal his people's land and possessions just because they had guns (Doc 9). Ndansi Kumalo stated that when the British arrived, his people were treated like slaves. The British were domineering and disrespectful. As a result, the Ndebele people rebelled. However, they were no match for advanced British weaponry, and every attempt at independence was met with defeat and numerous deaths (Doc 4). Another example of resistance towards colonial rule occurred in German East Africa in 1905. During this rebellion, the Africans relied on maji-maji, or magical water, for protection against bullets and harm from attackers. Unfortunately, the water did not work, and thousands of Africans died (Doc 8). Ethiopia, like most other African countries, refused foreign rule. However Ethiopia was only one of two African countries that remained independent, successfully pushed the Italians out in the Battle of Adowa in

1896 (Doc 5). Many Africans were discontented with often unjust colonial rule and fought against European conquest.
Document 8 was written by a German military officer about the 1905 Maji Maji Rebellion in German East Africa for a German military newspaper in 1906. In this account, the military officer described the magic water used by the insurgents to protect themselves (Doc 8). This source is reliable because it was written in an objective tone. As a German military officer, the author had a motive to mock African traditions to show how superior the Germans were against the Africans in the conflict. He could have exaggerated the description of the magic medicine to make it seem absurd and ridiculous. However, the military officer just presented a neutral description of the uses and perceived benefits of the water. In 1886, the Royal Niger Company was commissioned by the British government to govern the Niger River delta in its place. The company created a document that African rulers signed to give up their sovereignty (Doc 1). This source may not be reliable because it was written by the colonizing country, who may have made it seem like African leaders were eager to give up their authority to a foreign country so that their country and its people would improve. This standard form may have hid the fact that some African rulers may have been forced to sign it, or that some African leaders were manipulated into believing that signing the contract was the best thing to do by withholding some parts of the treaty. This source's reliability can be questioned because it was written by the British for the African rulers.
An additional document that would help assess the actions and reactions of Africans toward imperialism would be an African peasant or laborer's journal. Most of the given documents were written by high ranking African officials like tribal leaders, and a peasant journal would give a different perspective. It would reveal the impact of European imperialism not just politically but also socially and economically. A journal from a lower class individual would focus more on the personal effects, such as whether the quality of life had improved or if the culture changed, rather than political independence. Perhaps some peasants welcomed European rule if it improved life with the introduction of industrialism or European education and customs. A peasant's journal could provide a different viewpoint than the rulers of Africa.
In the imperialistic age of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, places like Africa were carved into colonies exploited by imperialist powers such as Britain and France. Foreign rule was received with mixed reactions. While some leaders accepted European rule, others diplomatically rejected imperial control. Many African leaders struck back violently towards European conquest, determined to push the Europeans out. However, despite the constant rebellions, only Ethiopia and Liberia remained free in a world controlled by land-hungry nations.