Colonization in Africa
European colonization effected Africa negatively, as it resulted in the continent being taken advantage of, people and resources exploited, and their economical standpoint being very low. By looking at Africa’s experience with the Berlin Conference and the effects it had, we can see how greatly the continent was negatively influenced. The Berlin Conference brought King Leopold II into Africa, but the world did not know that it would result in genocide of about 5,000 people in Sierra Leone. Continuing into the 1990’s, four million people were killed in Africa as a result of the wars that the excavation of diamonds caused.
When the Europeans came to Africa, they were very forceful and they took advantage of the Africans. In the Scramble for Africa, “Representatives of fourteen European nations met in 1884 and 1885 to carve up the African continent” (Colonialism/Kenya DBQ). No Africans attended this meeting because the Europeans did not want anyone else besides them to control Africa, although they were the ones who inhabited the African continent at that time. Once King Leopold II came into power, everything changed. Leopold wanted control over Africa’s abundant resources, since they were so valuable. These resources supplied things that we use and see in everyday life. He wanted to exploit “raw materials such as wool, copper, and tin to supply their manufacturers; cash crops such as tea, coffee, and cocoa to fill their cups; and diamonds and gold to decorate themselves” (Colonialism/Kenya DBQ).
Not only did King Leopold II do this for the European colonization, he did this for money. King Leopold II used the profit from these resources for personal benefit. He was very greedy when it came to money and he did not care about anyone besides himself. Since the values of these resources were high, they were very costly and in large demand; “the average value of a diamond from Sierra Leone is $200 a karat” (Blood Diamonds). To achieve this profit, he found
When the Europeans came to Africa, they were very forceful and they took advantage of the Africans. In the Scramble for Africa, “Representatives of fourteen European nations met in 1884 and 1885 to carve up the African continent” (Colonialism/Kenya DBQ). No Africans attended this meeting because the Europeans did not want anyone else besides them to control Africa, although they were the ones who inhabited the African continent at that time. Once King Leopold II came into power, everything changed. Leopold wanted control over Africa’s abundant resources, since they were so valuable. These resources supplied things that we use and see in everyday life. He wanted to exploit “raw materials such as wool, copper, and tin to supply their manufacturers; cash crops such as tea, coffee, and cocoa to fill their cups; and diamonds and gold to decorate themselves” (Colonialism/Kenya DBQ).
Not only did King Leopold II do this for the European colonization, he did this for money. King Leopold II used the profit from these resources for personal benefit. He was very greedy when it came to money and he did not care about anyone besides himself. Since the values of these resources were high, they were very costly and in large demand; “the average value of a diamond from Sierra Leone is $200 a karat” (Blood Diamonds). To achieve this profit, he found
Cited: Page: Website name: Humanities 8. Date published: December 1, 2008. Date of access: April 13, 2013 http://aeshumanities8jeremiah.blogspot.com/2008/12/good-new-technology-new-jobs-found-new.html How Did Colonialism Affect Africa? Blood Diamonds. Jeffery Wright. 2006. Documentary. Rabbit Proof Fence. Phillip Noyce. Everlyn Sampi, Tianna Sansbury, Laura Monaghan. Rumbalara Films. 2002. Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart. New York: Anchor Books, 1994.