The Scramble Of Africa

During the turn of the 20th century, several European nations searched across the seas for several reasons such as: expand their nation by finding land to claim and search for natural resources. These reasons to voyage around the globe were driven by a policy known as Imperialism. A policy that extended a country 's power and influence through diplomacy or military force. A key historical example of Imperialism that began in the year of 1881, known as the Scramble of Africa. The event was the invasion, occupation, division, colonization and annexation of Africa carried through by European nations. Essentially nine European nations tried to take control over Africa and colonize it. Nations such as Britain, Germany, France, Belgium, Portugal and

From the immense amount of population Africa had, making nations turn heads towards cheap labor, other benefits included natural resources and huge amounts of open land. For starters, people who were driven Economically to take part of the Scramble of Africa included: nation government officials, bankers and business companies. Each group of people sought after the exploitation of the African people, their land and natural resources. A clear example demonstrating how Africa was exploited was on the date of 1870-1890, the dates which Europeans spent taking control of Kikuyu land owned by a native community of Africans. An article named “The coming of the Pink Cheeks,” by Chief Kabongo as told to Richard St. Barbe Baker, describes what happened to Chief Kabongo 's people in Kakuyu. In contrast, tribes such as Chief Kabongos, were forced to forget their “uncivilized” way and follow the rules of the King of Europe, as their new leader. This led to European nations to exploit the people without judgement, “He told that men were wanted in Narrabri to build the new houses made of stone, both for the Pink Cheeks to live and where they sat to make business and trading.” Essentially the Kikuyu land and it’s people were forced into slavery, as well as heavy taxes on homes the Africans had already been established before the arrival of the “Pink Cheeks” referring to the Europeans. This is only

Following the exploitation of several Africans, was the second factor that motivated acts such as Europeans taking control over Kikuyu land. The justification of their motives, were based on their Ideology that Europeans are the better race in the world made by God to help other “uncivilized” nations, filled with “savage” communities. In comparison, several Europeans grasped onto the belief, British Imperialist Cecil Rhodes, believed in, “that we [Britons] are the finest race in the world, and the more of the world we inhabit, the better it is for the human race…” A statement quoted from the Confessions of Fault in 1877, demonstrating a small example of the ideology several Imperialist believed in. Furthermore, the ideology European nations stood by also drove the people of Europe, such as pastors, businessmen and marketers to believe in “The White Man 's Burden.” Which although the White Man’s Burden is a poem, it gave several people the belief that white males had the burden to save the savages in Africa from their unethical inferior ways. In general, the ideology Europe was driven by led to the voyage towards several different countries to save the rest of the world from their uncivilized