Final answer:
King Leopold's purpose in establishing a colony in the Congo was ostensibly to protect the people and provide humanitarian aid, but in reality, it was to exploit the region's resources for personal enrichment, leading to significant humanitarian abuses that were later exposed and halted by public outcry.
Step-by-step explanation:
King Leopold's Purpose in Writing
The essence of King Leopold's purpose in establishing a colony in the Congo was not as noble as he initially proclaimed. In correspondences such as letters and official documents, he suggested that his motives were to protect the local population from the slave trade and to bring civilization and philanthropy to the region. However, historical records and primary sources reveal a darker reality. Leopold's true intent was personal and monetary gain, and the exploitation of the Congo's abundant resources, such as ivory and rubber, at the direct expense of its people.
The facade of humanitarianism and free trade was used to gain the approval of other European powers at the Berlin Conference, allowing him to establish the Congo Free State as his personal fiefdom. Once in control, King Leopold and his affiliates resorted to atrocities and brutal methods to extract these resources, with devastating consequences for the Congolese population. These actions included raids, floggings, taking of hostages, destruction of villages, and mutilation - all in the pursuit of increasing rubber and ivory harvests.
Leopold's administration was marked by a cavalier attitude towards the land and its inhabitants, viewing the territory purely as a means to generate wealth. This approach saw a significant reduction in the Congolese population and unspeakable human rights abuses. It was not until a public outcry, fueled by journalists exposing the truth, that the Belgian Parliament took control of the colony in 1908, ending Leopold's brutal personal rule.