Imperialism in Africa

In the 1870s the Belgians
began to trade with Africans in
the Congo.

King Leopold

Fearing they would miss out
on various raw materials,
the other European nations
scrambled to establish their
presence on the continent.

Multiple Choice

Which country began trading with Africans in the Congo in the 1870s?

• Great Britain

• Belgium

• Portugal

• Italy

In 1884, to avoid conflict amongst themselves, European
leaders met at the Berlin Conference to set up rules for
colonizing Africa. No Africans were invited.

Berlin Conference

Berlin Conference

The European powers agreed that before they could claim
territory they would have to set up an outpost. Whoever was
the first to build the outpost gained that area of land.

Berlin Conference

Berlin Conference

Open Ended

Why do you think Africans were not invited to the Berlin Conference?

Cape Colony

In the mid-1600s, Dutch
farmers known as Boers
settled in southern Africa
in Cape Colony. The
Boers built CapeTown
as a supply station.
In the 1700s, the Dutch
herders and ivory
hunters began to move
north. The British then
acquired Cape Colony in
the early 1800s.

The Boers

Cape
Town

Cape Colony

Boers

AFRICA

In the late 1800s, the discovery of gold
and diamonds in the northern Boer
territory set off the Anglo-Boer war.

The war was
from 1899-1902
and involved
bitter guerrilla
fighting. The
British won, but
at a great cost.

The Anglo-Boer War

British
Boers

Multiple Choice

What resources were found in South Africa that set off the Anglo-Boer War?

• gold

• diamonds

• both are incorrect

• both are correct

The Zulus

In the early 1800s in southern
Africa, an African leader named
Shaka conquered and united
tribes to form the Zulu nation.

Zulu
Nation

Cape
Town

Cape Colony

Shaka
Zulu

The Zulus

The Zulus were skilled and
organized fighters. Shaka
used his power and fought
against European slave
traders and ivory hunters.

The Zulus

Zulu
Nation

The Zulus also fought the
Boers as they migrated
north from Cape Colony.

Cape
Town

Cape Colony

Boers

Multiple Choice

What was the nation that was fighting off the Europeans in South Africa?

• Navajo

• Boers

• Zulu

• Kush

The Anglo-Zulu War

The Zulus came into conflict with the British as well. In 1879
the Zulus wiped out a British force at the battle of Isandlwana.

However, it was not long before the superior weaponry of
the British overtook the Zulus at the battle of Rorke’sDrift.

The Anglo-Zulu War

European Territory

AFRICA

Cape
Town

Cape Colony

In 1910, with southern
Africa secure, the British
established the Republic
of South Africa and
instituted apartheid.
Apartheid – government
policy calling for
separation of the races.

South
Africa

Multiple Choice

What is apartheid?

• the separation of races

• the separation of genders

• the integration of races

• the integration of genders

Britain
France
Germany

Italy

Portugal
Belgium

Spain

Europeans

In Africa
By 1914

Britain’s claims in
Africa were second in
size only to France,
but included heavily
populated areas with
greater natural
resources.

Britain controlled
Egypt because of its
strategic location.

British
Territory

France was very
powerful in North
Africa, and later
spread into West and
Central Africa. The
territory France
controlled was as
large as the United
States.

French
Territory

The newly formed
German empire had to
fight many battles
against African natives
to take lands in the
southern half of Africa.

Germany would lose
its colonial territories
after its loss in World
War I.

German
Territory

The Italians crossed
the Mediterranean and
conquered Libya. They
then took Somaliland in
the horn of Africa, but
were beaten badly by
the Ethiopians.

Italian

Territory

King Leopold and other
wealthy Belgians
exploited the riches of
the Congo, and
brutalized the natives.
Many Africans were
enslaved, beaten, and
killed.

Belgium
Territory

Although the leaders of
the old imperialism, the
African claims of the
Portuguese and
Spanish were minimal.

Portuguese

Territory

Spanish
Territory

Multiple Choice

Which country had the largest colonies in Africa?

• Great Britain

• France

• Italy

• Belgium

After the slave trade was outlawed, abolitionists in the United
States promoted the idea of returning freed slaves to Africa.

Independent Africans

In the early 1800s, President Monroe
helped free slaves settle in Liberia. The
former slaves named the capital city
Monrovia in his honor.

President
Monroe

Liberia

Independent Africans

The Ethiopians kept their freedom through a successful military
resistance. Emperor Menelik II modernized the army, along
with roads, bridges, and schools.

When the Italians invaded they
were defeated so badly by
Menelik that no other Europeans
tried to take Ethiopia.

Ethiopia

Menelik

Multiple Select

Which two countries in Africa remained independent and not colonized?

• Liberia

• Egypt

• Ethiopia

• Kenya

Positive Results

Negative Results

1. Unified national states created

1. Encouraged tribal wars by creating

artificial borders

2. Improved medical care, sanitation,

and nutrition

2. Created population explosion

famine

3. Increased agricultural production

3. Produced cash crops needed by

Europeans, and not food for
Africans

4. Improved transportation and

communication facilities

4. Exploited natural resources:

minerals, lumber, rubber, human
rights.

5. Expanded educational

opportunities

5. Downgraded traditional African

culture - westernization

Region

Percentage Colonized

Australia

100%

Africa

90.4%

Asia

56.5%

Americas

27.2%

European Imperialism by 1914