European Colonialism in South Africa and the Congo

1
European Colonialism in South Africa and the Congo
2
Definitions

• Colonialism
• The policy of a nation seeking to acquire,
  extend, or retain overseas dependencies.

• Imperialism
• The creation, maintenance, or extension of an
  empire, comprising many nations and areas, all
  controlled by the same government.

3
Map of Colonial Africa
4
Colonial Africa

• European imperialist rivalries and ambitions
  culminated in the 1880s in what The Times
  contemptuously called the scramble for Africa.

5
Geography

• Africa is a continent of many varying landscapes
  and biomes.
• Conditions range from the vast Sahara desert to
  the dark and mysterious Jungles to the wide open
  Savannas.
• Africa is home to the impressive Mount
  Kilimanjaro.

6
Geography

• Africa is home to two famous rivers, the Congo
  and the Nile.
• The Congo River is 2900 miles long and originates
  in Zambia. This river is instrumental in
  Conrads novel, Heart of Darkness

7
Geography

• Rainfall
• The Congo is located on the equator and receives
  an abundance of rain, 60 to 80 inches, to create
  a lush jungle.
• South Africa is more varied, some areas receive 2
  inches, others receive 30 inches.

8
Congo Economics

• Congo
• agriculture
• ivory
• rubber
• mining
• forestry

9
South African Economics

• South Africa
• agriculture (primarily livestock)
• forestry
• fishing
• mining
• manufacturing

10
Map of French Congo
11
Map of Belgium Congo
12
Congo

• Diogo Cam
• First European explorer of the Congo area
• reached Congo river in 1482
• found two empires (Loango Bakongo)
• Paul du Chaillu
• French explorer
• First white man to see a live gorilla

13
The Gorilla Trade
14
French Congo

• Pierre Savrognando Brazza of France
• Laid French claims to the right bank of the Congo
  River in 1879-1880

15
French Congo

• At the Conference of Berlin in 1885, the
  committee recognized the French claims to the
  right bank of the Congo River
• French organized the Equatorial Federation
• Designated Brazzaville the seat of government for
  new federation

16
French Congo

• Gave Concession Companies right to
• land, resources, and labor
• the products were gathered by Africans to pay
  their colonial poll-tax
• others had to transformed into direct forced
  labor
• companies purely parasitic on African life and
  labor

17
French Congo

• French Congo Results
• Due to Frances involvement in WWII, their
  colonial claims in Africa were falling apart
• At first, offered participation of the black
  culture in government activities
• France granted gradual independence to its
  colonies, the last in 1960

18
Belgium Congo

• King Leopold of Belgium
• Organized the International Association of the
  Congo in 1877
• Sent Anglo-American explorer Henry Stanley to
  establish trading stations and friendly relations
  with the natives

19
Belgium Congo

• Conflicting Territorial Claims
• Conflicting claims with Portugal and France led
  to the Berlin Conference of 1884
• Conference opened the Congo Free State, to trade
  with all nations and outlawed the Slave Trade
• Placed under the personal sovereignty of King
  Leopold II in July 1885

20
Congo Free State

• European exploitation of land, resources and
  forced labor continued unrest among the Africans
  and led to protests
• commission reported Africans victims of slave
  labor and other abuses
• King Leopold II instituted reforms which were not
  effective

21
The Pygmy in the Zoo

• Ota Benga
• Native living in the Belgium Congo
• Captured by Europeans, handed over to King
  Leopold II
• Missionary-Explorer, Samuel Verner from South
  Carolina bought Benga
• Verna placed him on display at the Saint Louis
  Exposition in 190, and later the Bronx Zoo in New
  York

22
Ota Benga
23
Congo Free State

• Belgian parliament voted in 1908 to annex the
  Congo Free State, being known as the Belgium
  Congo
• Expansion of the industrial facilities took hold
  in the Belgium Congo during WWII
• Uranium, copper, palm-oil and rubber

24
Congo Free State

• Fight for Independence
• Reforms initiated to prepare the Congo natives
  for eventual self-government
• Dec. 8, 1957, Africans took part in voting for
  elective places in township councils, winning 130
  of 170 seats
• Upon Nationalists demands, Belgium announced a
  schedule of independence, granted on June 30,
  1960, proclaimed the Republic of the Congo

25
South Africa

• 1652- Dutch establish a colony on the Cape of
  Good Hope
• Intended for a stopover station and storehouse,
  South Africa was later colonized by Dutch
  farmers. These farmers were known as Boers,
  later called Afrikaners.

26
Map of South Africa
27
South Africa

• 1795 - British occupy the Cape Region
• 1814 - British receive formal control
• Dutch paid 6 million Lira
• British missionaries and settlers migrated to
  South Africa
• 1822 - English declared official language
• 1833 - Slavery abolished

28
South Africa

• British measures were resented by the Boers
  causing about 10,000 Dutch to move to other
  regions in South Africa.
• Britain captured some of these new colonies
  established by Dutch settlers.
• 1866 - Gold discovered in the new Dutch area
  stimulate British migration to the new colony.

29
South Africa

• Boer War 1899 - 1902
• Boers defeated by the British
• Dutch colonies become British
• 1910 - Parliament establishes control over the
  Union of South Africa.

30
Apartheid

• Racial segregation and the denial of civil rights
  to African blacks and to Asians
• 1919 - Laws passed forbidding Asians from
  acquiring land
• 1920 - Complete residential segregation
• 1926 - Some skilled vocations closed to blacks,
  lasted until 1980

31
Apartheid

• Group Areas Act of 1950 -
• Separation of four main ethnic groups
• Europeans (white)
• Natives (black)
• Coloreds (part white)
• Asians (including Indians)
• Black opposition (nonviolent) grew, led to
  political parties being banned and many arrests
  and deaths

32
Apartheid

• 1975 - Major civil unrest (rioting, arson, and
  killing)
• 1984 - New constitution takes effect, led to
  gradual erosion of racial barriers