How Is Imperialism Affected By French Colonization

The French began their colonization of Africa in the 16th century, according to Beauclair. Prior to their colonization, Africa was a very different place. Pre-colonization Africa was made up of many different tribes and cultures, including the Tuareg, Nami and Kalahari tribes of Western Africa that we learned about this year. Each tribe had their own cultures, traditions and customs. The tribes governed themselves without a "national government", and there were no country lines put in place. When France began colonizing Africa in the 1800's everything began to change. The French entered Africa and began pillaging their lands for natural resources, they emptied gold mines and tore down forests (Balch). Another part of France's main goals in Africa was their attempt to "civilize" it. They entered African with the intent to spread Christianity and rid the

They are all major tourist destinations and while they are not the wealthiest countries in the western hemisphere, they are not struggling. Yet, one of the issues they face is that they struggle to maintain their own unique culture. French assimilation did not skip over the islands of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana. As we read in the assigned reading, School Days, French culture was superimposed on the people of the Caribbean islands. Their Creole culture was looked down upon, and children were forced to learn French language if they wished to be able to attend school. Today, on all of the islands, there is a gap between those who can speak French and those who cannot. While Creole is the everyday language of the Caribbean people on all of the French islands, French is still considered the language of the upper class. French continues to be the language spoken in schools and what is considered upper