Without the colonization of Tanganyika, resources may have not been obtained as easily and may require more force. B. Congo Free State was a colony to Belgium, specifically King Leopold II. Leopold took control of the country and began leeching the resources from the lands, such as ivory, palm oil, and rubber. In return, handles, soap and candles, and waterproof clothes were made.
George Washington Williams, an African American legislator, and Kande Kamara, an African colonial subject, both experienced some of the most brutal products of European Imperialism. Williams, in the late nineteenth century, toured the Belgian controlled Congo and witnessed the harsh measures King Leopold implemented to maintain absolute control and bleed the country of its resources. Kamara, on the other hand, bore witness to the end result of overzealous imperial ambitions when he was forced to fight for the allies in the trenches of WWI. These two men’s experiences, although considerably different, both shed light on Europe’s colonial philosophy of racism and ethnic superiority and its position of immense power during this period.
Amadou Hampaté Bâ is extremely detailed throughout the book, The Fortunes of Wangrin, in explaining the colonial world in West African societies. He provides multiple examples in this work of fiction that precisely describe the factual aspects of African colonialism that we have discussed in class. I will point out a few of the examples that Bâ uses such as: limitations colonial governments set on Africans, the Métis relationships within colonies, and issues that arose, not only between Europeans and Africans, but within the native African communities as well. I will then point out certain details from the book that do not perfectly reflect the components of colonialism that we have studied in lecture.
Hochschild's argument successfully claims that European imperialism in Africa (specifically that of King Leopold) led to devastating effects on the natives and their land. The nineteen-chapter, two part book starts off with a brief introduction. This introduction sets up the first part of the book, where the Hochschild describes the early life of Leopold and his main explorer: Henry Morton Stanley. From the first European-completed expedition of the Congo River and its basin to the Berlin Conference, Hochschild explains the story behind Leopold’s reception of the Congo - specifically how he gained power of the Congo with only the permission of
It was imperialism that prompted the Belgians to take over Congo, strip it of its resources, turn it into a company focused on making profits, but not caring for its workers. To say they were mistreated under Belgian rule would be a huge understatement. They were brutally killed, tortured, systematically murdered for not meeting the impossible standards and demands of their Belgian Overseers. The occupation of Congo by the belgians oversaw a genocide, and their sudden withdrawal led the way for power grabs, since they left no structure or government or people behind to guide the Congo once it was independent. Despite this, Kingsolver is saying that it is the tendency of the oppressed throughout history to inevitably rebel and fight back.
As Frantz Facon once stated that “imperialism leaves behind germs of rot which we must clinically detect and remove from our land by from our minds as well”, one can assert without much exertion that such European powers, in the course of Imperialism, indeed, brought about an array of irreversible impairments such as ethnic tensions, slavery, increased local warfare, and many others. Rwanda, for instance, is a country that is rife with the presence of such an irretrievable deficiency. Rwanda, indeed, has shown a startling economic growth and become an emergent leader country in Central Africa. The World Bank has recently eulogized Rwanda’s recent remarkable development success, which it
In The Legacy, Basil Davidson discusses the legacies of colonialism in Africa and gives an insight on modern Africa and the successes and downfalls that it possesses. Moreover, he states that many of the issues seen in modern day Africa are not new and have their roots in the long years of European colonialism that profoundly shaped and continues to shape the continent. Throughout the documentary, various themes regarding postcolonial Africa are mentioned in depth. A few of the themes that Davidson highlights are modernization, ethnicism, corruption, inequality, dictatorship, and neocolonialism.
This quote taken from the Haitian Declaration of Independence can be broken down into sections showing how Jean-Jacques Dessalines was able to rally his Country together to fight for their right to become a sovereign State. To begin, the declaration uses the phrase “Native Citizens” to bring a sense of nationalism to all citizens who are reading at the time. This sense of nationalism to start off the quote is attempting to rally the people of Haiti together, which is an idea that will continued to be brought up. The declaration follows this by telling all people to cast their gaze on their island. To understand what the next part of the quote one must know that the Haitian Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on January 1st,1804, an era in which gender equality didn’t exist and the man was thought of as the only liable worker and soldier.
According to Document H, Letter to Leopold II, people tried to trick many Africans into giving them land. In document H it says,” Mr. Henry Stanley and several Zanzibar soldiers used carefully rehearsed… sleight of hand tricks when making treaties with the native chiefs of the Independent State of the Congo… whole villages have been signed away to Your Majesty.” This shows how the colonizers were trying to gain land, maybe to gain wealth that came from the trade there, for their country. Document E, Letter to Sir George Grey, states,” … Sir George Napier, marked down my limits on a treaty he made with me.
Both groups have been able to delve into the negative and hurtful consequences of this practice, and have been able to experience a further realization of their actions. The congolese people reluctance and resistance has allowed them to grow closer together as a community, and one united body. The Price’s regret of their actions led them to be better christians and better people in general. Throughout these character changes, the author has clearly showcased the truly negative effects of colonialism, as both groups are forced to change their lifestyle in order to accommodate for it. All in all, Kingsolver brilliantly portrays colonialism as a harmful to natives and missionaries, showing, on a global scale, how those involved with it throughout history have been able to grow, although not exactly morally or
Pain. Deception. Hatred. These words are rooted in the minds of the African countries whenever the mention of Imperialism. This practice of extending a government's reign to gain economic control, using missionaries as facades, hurt many African’s during 1750 to 1914.
When Belgium colonized Congo, the Congolese people’s world quickly changed from the past, influencing their lives heavily. Ten to twenty-three million people died during Leopold’s rule from 1885 to 1908 (Kenneth). The Congolese people weren’t treated fairly and faced many hardships. Most Congolese people died because of King Leopold’s treatment, including war, starvation, forced labor and disease(Bland). This goes to show how poorly King Leopold treated the people and how he didn’t care about the Congolese people, only the reward.
People who share a common history should create an independent nation. In Cecil Rhodes “Confession of Faith,” the imperialist author his views and preferences on nationalism. During this time period, Africa was in a state where it could be taken over by Britain, due to the lack of a strong government. Rhodes envisions this opportunity “to seize every opportunity of acquiring more territory.” This act is the result of imperialism, but not nationalism.
Regardless of socio-economic background or where you live, in Finland, every child is assured the same type of education with a similar curriculum. The Ministry of Education promotes equality in education and insures a basic education for everyone. This is an initiative that has been in place since 973. A core curriculum has been established by the Finnish National Board of Education, and this education is free for Finnish citizens, including course materials and school lunches. Moving in this direction, The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers have developed U.S. Common Core State Standards Initiative for schools in the U.S., which “are the first step in providing young people with a high quality education.”
In Night, the author describes what he had to encounter just because he was a Jew - cruel beatings, starvation, and forced labor. In To Kill a Mockingbird, characters Tom and Boo were treated unfairly either because of their color or because of rumors that were spread about them. In the “Rwandan Genocide,” the Tutsis were murdered by the Hutus out of jealousy and spite. Each of these literary works incorporates human rights that were breached.
