Congo Free State Essays

1. Author's Background and Purpose A. The author wrote this particular story to share and describe his experiences that happened in in Belgium's "Congo Free State" in 1890. Joseph Conrad was born in Ukraine in 1857. His parents were of the Polish noble class. After his parents died he moved to Poland to live with his uncle. From there he moved to Marseilles, France to start a career as a mariner. Conrad slowly built himself up and soon became a British citizen. He traveled all around the world for

Leopold II, Congo Free State 1885-1908. Was the second King of the Belgians, remembered for the founding and exploration of the Congo Free State as a private venture. The Scramble for Africa, was the invasion, occupation, colonization and annexation of African territory by European powers during the period of New Imperialism. Which Belgian also took place when they weren’t a country. What makes up a historical hero their actions are selfless, they care for the safe of others and put their needs above

Republic of the Congo, formerly known as the Congo Free State while under King Leopold II’s rule. In short, this proverb describes the king of Belgium’s rule of the Congos in Africa; he wanted more control despite already ruling his own country. King Leopold II colonized the Congo by claiming it as his own property in hopes of gaining power, gaining more land mass, and obtaining natural resources for his own use and profit. The Congo was eventually annexed to Belgium. Given the size of the Congo, and the

February 5, 1885, The Congo Free State was established. This was a state 76x larger than Belgium, also ruled by Leopold II. In the Congo Free State, 10 million Africans died from war, starvation, birth reduction, and diseases, and there was a great loss of land. King Leopold was fully responsible for all of the effects of the Congo Free State on its people and the region. In 1885, right after the Berlin Conference, King Leopold II became the sole owner of the Congo Free State, a state at which had an estimated

Europeans used the influence of Imperialism in the Congo during King Leopold’s reign to try to discover raw materials and enhance economic trade in his colonial empire. Since Africa during this time period was unexplored, Europeans thought there had to be resources just waiting to be found. This would have expanded profits by an enormous amount because resources such as rubber and jewels were in great demand. Unfortunately, King Leopold went to drastic measures to fulfill his purpose in central Africa

doubt, the Genocide of the Congolese, or native people of the Congo Free State, lead by Leopold II of Belgium. When Leopold gained control of Congo, his job was to improve the lives of the native people. However what he did was create a systematic oppression of the Congolese. Due to Leopold’s hatred towards the Congolese, it is apparent that life for the native people of Congo became much worse. When Leopold gained control of Congo in 1885, he thought of himself and other Europeans as superior

During the second half of the 19th century, Leopold II, King of Belgium, claimed the Congo Basin during the scramble for Africa and attempted to maintain the area for his own profit, resulting in the annihilation of over half of the basin’s population through unspeakable violence and brutality. While the imperialism of the Congo may have been beneficial to Leopold II and Belgium, the impact on the Congo itself was much, much more serious and detrimental, and nothing that either side may have gained

Geurin Mr. Robinson I&S January 6, 2023 Exploitation of the Congo The Congo Free State was exploited through European Imperialism. European Imperialism was conquering foreign lands for natural resources and a new market. This is what created a European empire. Belgium colonized the Congo, a region in central Africa. Congo was home to many natural resources, such as rubber and ivory. Congo wasn’t benefiting from trade with Belgium; Congo would export rubber and ivory while Belgium would export articles

the taking. The last unconquered piece of land was up for grabs which evoked top nations into sending explorers to claim the land for them. Africa during the rule of King Leopold II had many unexplored areas included his newly acquired land the Congo. The King’s charm, altered treaties, and a money hungry drive have all lead to the underlying problem of exploitation of the natives. In Hochschild’s novel King Leopold’s Ghost he details to readers that Leopold II was a man who managed to achieve

Belgium. At this time, Belgium had already explored the Congo basin and sent missionaries there, so delegates repressing King Leopold II at the conference unsurprisingly lobbied to preside over the region, which soon turned into a reality. Unlike other European nations that occupied African territory, though, Belgium did not immediately annex the Congo. Instead, the King made the region his own personal plantation under the name the Congo Free State. During this period, between 1885 and 1908,

his death. He was the longest reign of any Belgian monarch. Leopold was the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State, a private project undertaken on his own behalf. For which he took help of explorer Henry Morton Stanley to lay claim to the Congo, an area now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Although he played a significant role in the development of the modern Belgian state, he was also responsible for widespread atrocities committed under his rule against his

forced the Natives of the Congo into ruin. He put dollars over the lives of millions and eventually this caused his downfall as king. He used his position as king to lobby Belgium's Parliament to take on certain projects that would benefit him, one of which was the Congo free state of 1885(Hochschild 1). While he did help to create Belgium into the country it is today, he is known almost exclusively for the atrocities he created with the creation of the Congo free state. He was eventually found to

“The Congolese genocide is one of the biggest mass murders in modern history, counting eight to ten million murder victims and millions of others severely injured”(Korfiati). Belgian King Leopold ll was able to seize and abuse the Congo and its people, the Congolese, in Central Africa, from 1885 to 1908. He forced the Congolese into brutal slavery, exploiting resources in the region to profit from, becoming financially successful; however, genocide occurred. His main reason for such financial success

In the Belgian Congo, King Leopold II practiced the most brutal style of direct rule. Almost 10 million Congolese were killed when King Leopold II was in power. When King Leopold II was in power he used cutting off of hands as a punishment to the Congolese. We still see hands as a symbol in the Congo today. King Leopold II strictly used the Congo for slaves and resources. He used direct rule to enhance his greed, carelessness, and brutality towards the Congo. With an estimated loss of about 10 million

and reward them when they were profitable. Marlow states, "The word 'ivory' rang in the air, was whispered, was sighed. You would think they were praying to it." (Conrad 46) This was another reason the natives were being treated so poorly, King Leopold II enforced a system of commission for colonists who would find the largest quantities of ivory, and told them to obtain it by any means necessary. The colonists ran around destroying the Congo under the impression that they are helping

claimed him” which was not only his greed and thirst for power but also the darkness within humanity. Kurtz originally traveled to the Congo in hopes to enlighten and humanize the native African. However, once he was able to relish the power that belonged to him in the jungle, Kurtz could not resist the call of his own primitive greed. Within the jungles of the Congo, Kurtz experienced a power over the African men that he cannot receive in the civilized nature of Europe. The native offered “unspeakable

because of what the officers did to them. There was never enough ivory, never enough rubber to please his highness. So people were exploited till death, in the purpose of acquiring valuable and luxurious goods for the Belgian Kingdom. Leopold II wanted Congo to be a lucrative country. He directed all the Congolese action through officers. Everything he wanted was fulfilled. Despite the hard work and people exploited till death, the lands did not give enough wealth. Month after month, the King wanted more

infestation of European disease, exponentially decreased the Congo Free State’s population by millions. While these horrific events ensued in King Leopold II’s private colony, he aggregated a substantial amount of profit. With his expansive earnings, King Leopold II did not contribute a dime toward the natives that performed the grueling work; rather, he built extravagant buildings in Belgium for his own personal luxury. Author David Kenneth (n.d.) states that, “Leopold enacted laws preventing European traders

inspired by Conrad’s journey to the Congo in 1890. • There are two narrators: an anonymous passenger on a pleasure ship, who listens to Marlow’s story. • The first narrator speaks in the first-person plural, on behalf of four other passengers who listen to Marlow’s tale, and Marlow is a first person narrator. • Opens on the Thames River outside London, where Marlow is telling the story, events of the story take place in Brussels, at the Company’s offices, and in the Congo, then a Belgian territory. • The

The kingdom of Kongo (later changed to Congo) was a large kingdom in Africa that was stable until Europeans came and conquered the territory. The western world used Social Darwinism to make their imperialistic practices appear normal and accepted in society. White people believed Africans were savages and beneath them because they held rituals and lived under a different moral code than themselves. The Belgian king, Leopold II, used the Congo to seize resources from Africa. He mistreated the Africans