The statement, "Ironically, European exploration of and expansion into the African continent was often motivated by moral outrage against slavery" captures a paradoxical feature of European imperialism in Africa throughout the nineteenth century. While European nations did justify their colonial efforts with humanitarian rhetoric aimed at stopping the transatlantic slave trade, the reality was considerably more complicated. This article critically investigates this assertion, delving into the historical backdrop, motives, and outcomes of European exploration and expansion in Africa throughout the nineteenth century. Motivations for European Exploration and Expansion: European expansion into Africa was largely motivated by economic motives, …show more content…
The colonial ideology of racial superiority and the civilizing mission offered intellectual justification for European rule over African nations. These views strengthened the concept of European cultural and moral superiority, depicting colonialism as a benign undertaking aimed at bringing development and enlightenment to otherwise backward nations. Moral Outrage Against Slavery: Against this backdrop of economic, geopolitical, and cultural causes, moral anger at slavery appears as an apparent contradiction in European expansion into Africa. Linda Colley emphasizes the importance of moral considerations in determining British imperial policies, particularly in relation to the abolitionist movement and the transatlantic slave trade. The abolitionist movement grew in the nineteenth century, fuelled by humanitarian ideals and religious convictions that denounced slavery's intrinsic brutality and injustice. However, it is debatable if moral outrage over slavery had a direct impact on European exploration and development into Africa. While certain European countries used humanitarian language to legitimize their colonial activities, their actions frequently violated these stated moral
The author Kevin Bales ,and co-writer Ron Soodalter, discuss the issues pertaining to forced labor in “Slavery in The Land of The Free”. Free The Slaves is a non-profit organization in Washington that Bales founded to help end slavery not only in the United States, but around the world. The Abraham Lincoln Institute has the honor to have the established historian, Soodalter, serve on it’s board.The two authors also wrote a book by the name of “The Slave Next Door: Human trafficking and Slavery in America Today” (2009). One of the issues that Bales and Soodalter effectively touch on is how widespread the issue of human trafficking and slavery is in
On January 23rd in 1794, the Right Reverend, Richard Allen issued a plea to White people, titled To Those Who Keep Slaves, and Approve the Practice. In his address to them, he is issuing a plea, basically stating that it is not right, nor humane, and it is time to put an end to it.
In conclusion, during the 15th and 16th centuries Europeans visited the Atlantic Coast in the African states to observe for gold and silvers. They took advantage of the Africans to get their desires when the Africans acknowledged them to be equal which drove into Africa’s downfall.
Throughout the 19th century, European Imperialism had a major effect on Africa. As countries expanded in terms of wealth, resources, and innovation, more territory and workers were needed. The first solution to solve these problems was to begin colonizing in Africa. The driving force for imperialism in Europe and Africa was mainly economical. This economical approach was established through many ways including cultural and nationalistic ideas.
The "DBQ Project" What Is the Driving Force Behind European Imperialism in Africa? (2012): 257. pp. 177-177. Print.
Hans Christian Andersen once said , “Just living is not enough… one must have sunshine, freedom,and a little flower”. Every human being deserves to be free ,and to be able to make any decisions of their own. People are not property no matter the race or color of their skin. In Frederick Douglass speech “Hypocrisy of American Slavery” he mainly argued about how hipocrates Americans were.His speech was one of the most famous speeches about freedom ,and it changed the perspective of how people view the Fourth of July. This article can be reviewed using the Toulmin Model.
In conclusion, the motives concerning imperialism in Africa are a matter of expanding empires, helping natives, and natural resources. Europeans countries constantly tried to compete with their neighbors in fair ways to become the most dominating country. Just as much as they took possession of Africa, their will was also to assist Africa on their right path and put an end to any dilemmas they may be
The drive to end slavery in the United States was a long one, from being debated in the writing of the Declaration of Independence, to exposure of its ills in literature, from rebellions of slaves, to the efforts of people like Harriet Tubman to transport escaping slaves along the Underground Railroad. Abolitionists had urged President Abraham Lincoln to free the slaves in the Confederate states from the very outset of the Civil War. By mid-1862, Lincoln had become increasingly convinced of the moral imperative to end slavery, but he hesitated (History.com). As commander-in-chief of the Union Army, he had military objectives to consider (History.com). On one hand, emancipation might
Booker T. Washington went down in history as one of the most influential African Americans of the nineteenth century. He was born into slavery on a tobacco plantation in Franklin County, VA. At the time of his birth, slavery ceased to exist in the most Northern States, abolitionists began to demonstrate and influence state governments pushing toward the emancipation and sometimes the relocation of former slaves and descendants (National Park Service, 2016). In his autobiography Up From Slavery, he describes in great detail his experience growing up on the plantation up until the day of his emancipation. He goes through the trying times of the civil war, and the impact it had on his master’s family. Throughout the biography you are able
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
Persuasion Throughout history there have been many struggles for freedom and equality. There was the civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. There was the fight against government censorship in Argentina, spoken against by Luisa Valenzuela. And there was the struggle for women's equality in politics, aided by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
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.
Throughout the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, almost every country in Africa was imperialized by other countries in Europe. To imperialize is to conquer another country, whether it be in the means of politics, economics and/or culture, and control that land. The aftermath for the imperialized country was either beneficial or harmful. The amount of African countries that a European country imperialized varied. Great Britain imperialized fifteen countries in Africa, including Egypt in 1882, Sierra Leone in 1808, and the Union of South Africa in 1910. Although Great Britain’s reasons to imperialize were selfish, Britain helped each country progress afterwards.
“The Hypocrisy of American Slavery” was a remarkable speech given by Frederick DOuglass. The speech was originally called “The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro”. Douglass, born in Maryland of 1818, he was the son of a slave and her white master. In 1845 he became quite popular because of his autobiography on how he escaped slavery. Frederick was invited to honor Independence Day at the July Fourth ceremony in Rochester, New York at the Corinthian Hall. Though, he felt this was all a mockery, he still gave the speech, but it was on the ongoing idea of slavery to the united states. The universal message of his speech was that slaves cannot be expected to celebrate Independence Day when they are not free. Douglass used
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.