Reasons For European Imperialism

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“I beg your majesty to defend me against everyone as I don't know what European kings will say about this let others know that this region is ours” said Menelik II, the leader of Ethiopia who managed to keep it free from Italian Imperialism. In the 16-19th centuries european slave traders could not get into inland Africa due to Malaria and the dense forest. In 1840 David Livingston started his 30 year trek into interior Africa, but by then slavery had become illegal all over Europe. Then when only 10% of Africa was colonized by Europe, Belgium took an area of land (Congo free state) that is 75 times larger than their country, and 7.75% of the entire continent of Africa to get rubber and ivory. The main reasons that Africa was colonized by Europe was because of National pride, Economic benefit, and ideological. …show more content…

This resulted in the entire continent to be taken over by europe except two countries, Ethiopia and Liberia. England specifically wanted to “advance their power by land and by sea”. Germany was also in it for national pride. They wanted to prove that they were “very capable, so seaworthy, so industrially and commercially minded”. The Europeans also invented useful things that could be used to acquire more colonies, like a treatment for Malaria, guns more efficient for killing, and ways to communicate quickly. Every country wanted to be the richest and most powerful of them all, and when they saw that they could take Africa with somewhat ease, they went for it. They wanted to be the proudest and most