Explain What Was The Driving Force Behind European Imperialism In Africa

What was the Driving Force Behind European Imperialism in Africa?

Imagine America’s population had outgrown its available jobs and people began to become frustrated with their own government. Also, surrounding nations were growing with the potential of becoming a threat to America’s sovereignty. This is the situation that Great Britain and other European nations began to face in the 19th century. To solve the economic and political problems facing Great Britain, their government decided to expand their nation into foreign territories. This lead to imperialism, or the spread of one nation’s power and influence over another through military might or diplomacy. The goal of Great Britain’s imperialistic drive in Africa was to spread and protect its nationalism, support advances in technology, and ultimately improve its economic position in the world.

With the population growth in Great Britain and surrounding nations, it became necessary to colonize other territories to grow and expand their power. European countries believed this was necessary to protect their nationalism or identity. Many of the white Europeans viewed the dark Africans as savages, half-devil and half-child. The white European

During the 19th century, European nations were beginning the industrial revolution. There became a need for scarce resources and money throughout the region to support growth. In 1854, Great Britain imported approximately 4 million British pounds of goods from South Saharan Africa, while exporting less than that. This was an economic trade deficit for Great Britain they had to fix. By colonizing Africa, Great Britain could spread its influence and artificially create demand for their exports. By 1900, Great Britain was exporting more than 20 million British pounds of goods, while only importing about 8 million. Thus, Great Britain’s colonization and expansion into Africa grew its wealth and power.