The conclusion of the African slave trade did not mark the loss of Europe’s interest in Africa. It marked the beginning of a new era; European imperialism in Africa. But what urged Europe to control all of Africa? Political competition, technology, economics, and cultural attitudes all propelled Europe 's colonization of Africa. In 1870 Europe only owned 10% of Africa. Due to Europe’s technological advantage over Africa, it wasn’t difficult to seize Africa’s land, therefore European countries scrambled to get their share. Because of the strong political competition, Germany held a conference in 1884 and 1885 to divide Africa among European countries in a “Peaceful” and “Reasonable” manner. Switzerland chose not to attend this event called the Berlin Conference and African leaders did not get invited. Europe had colonized approximately 90% of the continent by 1914, ignoring how unjust not seeking African participation had been. African leaders had no representation during the proceedings to divide their land. With only the countries of Liberia and Ethiopia remaining independent, Europeans were at their height.
The first main driving force for European imperialism in Africa was political competition. European political rivalry for Africa’s land only intensified the already tense situation, giving further reason for European countries to colonize Africa. When European countries realized the incredible natural resources Africa held during the first few years of exploration,