Colonization In Africa

1451 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Identify impact of european colonisation of africa

DID THE EUROPEAN IMPACT AFRICAN CIVILIZATION IN THE EARLY DAYS?

Joshua E. Awatha
Prof. Lisa Bratton
March 14, 2014

The impact of the Europeans in Africa during the early days is a controversial topic. Different individuals have different opinions; some feel that European colonization brought civilization to Africa. They believe that Africa during the early days was a primitive, uncivilized and undeveloped place. Therefore, they believe that Africans benefited heavily from European colonization.
A different opinion exist, some feel that the European colonization of Africa was not aimed at colonization. The colonization brought about violence, ethnic tension, slavery, and division of Africa. They argue that Europeans had personal interests in Africa that were meant at exploiting and intimidating Africans to slavery.
Africa had been open to trade long before the European invasion mainly with the Arabs and Indians. The first Europeans to Africa came as missionaries, mainly to preach Christianity and introduce education. According to Andrew,1 though missionaries in Africa came to spread and introduce the gospel, they served as a foundation to colonization. The missionaries had already studied the African culture and mapped the continent, sending the information back home. This information was in turn used by the colonizers to conquer the Africans. The missionaries introduced education in Africa but taught against violence and war; therefore, it is ironic that their statesmen used the same negative virtues to conquer Africa. The missionaries had been able to conquer the minds of the Africans into subjection long before the colonizers landed in Africa.
The colonizers brought civilizat...

... middle of paper ...

...outh Africans settled for poor housing with little or no health care, water, security, education and viable transport, and employment. This led to the death, imprisonment, torture and suffering of the South African people under the European colonizers apartheid rule.
In conclusion, the arrival of the Europeans to Africa impacted negatively on the continent. It led cruelty, hatred, division, mistreatment and color discrimination towards the Africans. This led to wide suffering, murder, torture, poverty, under development and exploitation of the African resources. The consequences of European colonization can be felt in Africa to date in the extreme activities such as the genocide in Rwanda. Africa is also characterized by ethnic violence, slums, landlessness and underdevelopment which can all be traced to the European invasion of the continent.

Show More
Related

  • European Imperialism Dbq Essay

    549 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Africa's Advanced Civilization Before European Arrival

    746 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Scramble For Africa Dbq Essay

    792 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Age Of Exploration Dbq

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    Africans felt the impact of European exploration through the slave trade, the rise of new nations, and the rise of European power in Africa. Europeans entered into the slave trade taking thousands of native Africans from their homelands. Due to profits gained from slave trade, many new African states were settled including the Asante Kingdom and Oyo Empire. Europeans like the British, French, and Dutch

    Read More

  • Imperialism In Africa Dbq

    635 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prior to the 19th century, the Europeans traded mainly for African slaves. It turns out they were not immune towards certain diseases and therefore had an increasing risk of becoming sick. For years to come this continued, but not much land was conquered. Eventually, conference between only the Europeans was held to divide up the land appropriately, and the scramble for Africa began. The driving forces behind European imperialism in Africa were expanding empires, helping natives, and natural resources.

    Read More

  • European Imperialism In Africa In The 20th Century

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    The results of European colonialism shows that the aim of colonialism is to exploit the human and economic resources of an area to benefit the colonizing nation. As a result, the nation that is colonized is affected negatively. In reality, how Europe really affected Africa as a whole is much

    Read More

  • European Imperialsim in Africa was Justified

    455 Words  | 1 Pages

    Unfortunately, even though European imperialism in Africa was justified, many Africans are still suffering from the effects to this day.

    Read More

  • European Imperialism in Africa

    1417 Words  | 3 Pages

    Europe, in the late 1800’s, was starting a land grab on the African continent. Around 1878, most of Africa was unexplored, but by 1914, most of Africa, with the lucky exception of Liberia and Ethiopia, was carved up between European powers. There were countless motivations that spurred the European powers to carve Africa, like economic, political, and socio–cultural, and there were countless attitudes towards this expansion into Africa, some of approval and some of condemnation. Europe in this period was a world of competing countries. Britain had a global empire to lead, France had competition with Britain for wealth and so did other nations like Germany and Russia.

    Read More

  • Imperialism in Africa

    347 Words  | 1 Pages

    When the Age of Imperialism began in 1875, it effected Africa in many ways. Nowhere was the competition for colonies more intense than in Africa. Europeans went after North and South Africa splitting up the continent. Egypt and Sudan were taken over by Britain to obtain the Suez Canal. Imperialism helped to develop Africa’s economy and turned it into a continent of colonies.

    Read More

  • Colonization Of Africa Essay

    1666 Words  | 4 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Negative Affects of Imperialism in Africa in the 19th Century

    1758 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout history, imperialism by one nation on another has had many negative influences on the nation being colonized. The legacy of European imperialism in Africa in the 19th century was negative. Imperialism negatively affected Africa politically, economically, and culturally. In terms of political changes, European imperialism negatively affected Africa. Firstly, European colonization created enormous conflict between colonists and the African people.

    Read More

  • European Imperialism in Africa

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    The ways of the Europeans had many physical and emotional costs for the people of Africa. The imperialism process also took a toll on the people of Europe. The European imperialistic colonization in Africa was motivated by the desire to control the abundant natural resources and a desire to exploit new labor and markets.... ... middle of paper ...

    Read More

  • Present Day Ghana In The Nineteenth Century

    1798 Words  | 4 Pages

    Europeans desire and self-determination to control Africa left a long-lasting legacy for many regions of present-day Africa. Europeans ultimate goal of was to better themselves, but once they arrived in Africa, new ideologies arose. Colonialism tremendously affected language, politics, and religion throughout the continent. During colonialism, the many policies that were set in stone by the Europeans would change the framework of Africa. The Gold Coast which is now present-day Ghana was under the rule of the British in West Africa.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Imperialism in Africa

    557 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the 19th century, Europe found a way to use Africa for its 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. As the Europeans started to invade Africa and split up the land, they paid no attention to the already existing natural boundaries. Over time, villages with different cultures had set these boundaries.

    Read More

  • Colonialism In Africa Essay

    989 Words  | 2 Pages

    In order to properly understand the effects of colonization, one must look at its history. Most of Africa was relatively isolated from Europe throughout early world history, but this changed during the 17th to the 20th centuries. Colonization efforts reached their peak between the 1870s and 1900 in the “Scramble for Africa” which left the continent resembling a jigsaw puzzle Various European powers managed to colonize Africa including Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, and Spain. This intense imperialist aggression had three major causes. The primary reason was simply for economic gain. Africa is refuge to vast, unexplored natural resources. European powers saw their opportunity and took it. Another motive was to spread the Christian religion to the non-Christian natives. The last major incentive was to demonstrate power between competing European nations. African societies did try to resist the colonial takeover either through guerilla warfare or direct military engagement. Their efforts were in vain, however, as by the turn of the century, only Liberia and Ethiopia remained not colonized. European powers colonized Africa according to the guidelines established by the Berlin Act (1885). Many of the colonized nations were ruled indirectly through appointed governor...

    Read More

More about Colonization In Africa

Open Document