Civilizing Africa Dbq Essay

Throughout time diverse regions have considered other societies to be barbaric, causing them to have the desire of “civilizing” them. Many individuals accept the rule of a higher and civilized region as they believe that their alterations will benefit them. Although, by enabling a higher power to acquire authority in another foreign nation, will diminish that regions culture and individuals will not truly possess respect, ultimately causing them to rebel against that foreign power after they comprehend their true nature. Likewise, after the Berlin Conference, which set certain rules for the partition of Africa, numerous European powers desired in colonizing Africa and obtaining control during the early 1800s, which was known as the Scramble

Africa desired in remaining a free and independent nation, as individuals believed that Ethiopia was protected by God. For example, Menelik II, the emperor of Ethiopia, who wrote a letter to Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Russia in 1891, stated, “I do not think for a moment that He will divide Ethiopia among the distant Powers…Without our use of force and without the aid of the Christians, our boundary on the sea fell into the hands of the Muslims.” (Document 3). Here, one is able to identify that Menelik is demonstrating to the other foreign nations, that he will not enable them to continuously conquer portions of Africa, without taking further actions as they possess the support of God. Additionally, rebelling against the Europeans was quite arduous as the European powers were an industrialized militaristic power. As stated here by Ndansi Kumalo an African veteran in 1861, “We were treated like slaves….We were ordered to carry their clothes and bundles. I had an old gun. They—the White men—fought us with big guns, machine guns, and rifles. Many of our people were killed in this fight: I saw four of my cousins shot.” (Document 4). Therefore, Kumalo comprehended that the European powers negatively impacted the Africans as they were required to revolt against them, as a result of being treated like slaves. Furthermore, although individuals were instilled by fear of the Europeans, unlike the men, women did not enable the Europeans to take control of Africa. For instance, Yaa Asantewa the Ashanti queen mother in 1900 states, “Is it true that the bravery of the Ashanti is no more? I cannot believe it. Yea, it cannot be! I must say this; if you the men of Ashanti will not go forward, then we will.