Trade, partition
divid a region into separate political units
- tribal regions w/ fluid boundaries into states w/ fixed borders, European names
what were the 2 main functions of the outposts that Europeans established along the African coast
1. to provide links within the interior for trading in slaves and gold
2. a stopover point for ships sailing to Asia
who established a true colony on the southern tip of Africa
Dutch
on Cape of Good Hope
called: Cape Colony
who eventually took over Cape Colony in 1814
British
what were the early settlers known as in Cape Colony and who did they fight with
Boers or Afrikaners
- inconstant conflict with indigenous African people
-clashed with British overlords who tried to restrain their expansion
when the Boers left in 1835-1837 b/c British abolished slavery, what was it called
Great Trek
what were the three new republics that the Boers established
Natal, Transvaal and the Orange Free State
true or false: South Africa had enormous mineral wealth
true
1. Diamonds- led to railway construction, trade and employment boomed
2. Gold- industrial explosion and South Africa's economy surged
what is the name of the French colony in north Africa (many of the natives resisted french expansion)
Algeria
scramble for Africa
next 30 years after 1880, other countries saw prosperity in colonizing in Africa and wanted to do the same
what was a major contributor to the scramble for Africa?
instability in Egypt
fell into debt in 1870s after expense of building the Suez canal
france and Britain worked to keep Egypt stable b/c both invested a lot of money into it
1880, taken financial control of Egypt
what is the Suez Canal
linked the Mediterranean and Red seas brought India- (Britain's most valuable colony) much closer
what part of Africa did Belgium claim?
Congo Basin (where some of the worst treatment to the natives occurred)
Berlin West Africa Conference of 1884-1885
mtg to try to solve problems
goal; open the interior of Africa to free trade and bring civilization to the native peoples
written agreement- sounded better written than it actually turned out
underlying tone of cultural superiority
later diplomats signed treaties and had maps of Africa drawn to show who owned which part of Africa
why was resistance to imperialism largely unsuccessful?
because the natives were not equipped with modern weapons like the Europeans
what was one major African resistance campaign that was successful
in Ethiopia against Italy
Menelik (Ethiopian emperor) modernized country with modern weapons for his large military
Battle of Adowa won and made Ethiopia a sovereign and independent nation
what is imperialism?
a policy in which a state takes political and economic control of areas beyond its borders
why is this era considered new imperialism
because it was different from the old style in the 1500s- moving inland not just outposts on the coast, no longer just a trade relationship, more of a global world economy, now there are suppliers and consumers, looking for raw materials AND new markets
what led to the rise of this new form of imperialism
INDUSTRIALIZATION: need the raw materials and land to sustain the new industrialization and new markets
POLITICAL CAUSES: trying to increase their prestige and power
SOCIO-ECONOMIC ISSUES:poverty and labor strikes from industrialization at home, conquering other lands creates NATIONALISM (a unifying factor)
SOCIAL DARWINISM: survival of the fittest- the best culture/ society will last, Europeans felt that they were the better culture--- WHITE MAN'S BURDEN- felt it was their duty to turn heathens into themselves, cultural superiority
some used white man's burden as an excuse to go in and take over other lands, others genuinely wanted to help the less fortunate people
sphere of influence
an area w/ in which the political and economic interests of one nation are favored over other nations
who controlled India before British government had direct control of it
British East India company
what was the short term cause of the Great Rebellion aka Indian Mutiny
British distribution of cartridges greased w animal fat- indian soldiers had to bite off the end of it- extremely offensive to muslim and hindu religions b/c they forbade oral contact w cow and pig
what was the long term cause of Great Rebellion
the accumulation of hostility towards british bc they didnt respect their religious beliefs and dominated their political and economic lives