Document 2
Source: Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia, letter to Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy,
and Russia, 1891.
I have no intention at all of being an indifferent spectator, if the distant Powers hold onto
the idea of dividing up Africa. For the past fourteen centuries Ethiopia has been an island
of Christians in a sea of Pagans.
Since the All-Powerful has protected Ethiopia up until now. I am hopeful that He will
keep and enlarge it also in the future, and I do not think for a moment that He will divide
Ethiopia among the distant Powers. In the past, the boundary of Ethiopia was the sea.
Without our use of force and without the aid of the Christians, our boundary on the sea fell
into the hands of the Muslims. Today we do not pretend to be able to recover our seacoast
by force; but we hope that the Christian Powers, advised by our Savior, Jesus Christ, will
restore our seacoast boundary to us, or give us at least a few ports along the coast.
Summarize the "African response to European imperialism."
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