The Partition of Africa Section 2 Gina Pike

The Partition
of Africa
Section 2
Gina Pike
Group 5
3-2-11, 2nd hr.
Africa!
Known as the “dark continent”
Little was known about Africa.
Large continent, 4x the size of the
US.
Diverse cultures and languages.
The Regions of Africa
South Africa
North Africa
 Fertile land along Mediterranean
 Africa in turmoil in 1800s
 From the 1400s much of the area
was ruled by Ottoman Empire.
 Shaka united Zulu nation
 Zulus conquest: migration, wars, chaos
 1800s- Ottoman Empire began to
weaken
East Africa
 Major religion of Islam
 1830s- Zulus also battling Boers (from Cape
Colony)
West Africa
 New Muslim states created (based on trade,
farming, etc)
 Port cities= setbacks when
Portuguese arrived (Mombasa,
Kilwa, early 1500s)
 Leaders (Usman dan Fodio) preached jihad
(holy struggle) to purify Islam.
 The Asante Kingdom rose in forest region3
 East Africa kept sending trading
ships to Persian Gulf and the
Red Sea
•
Trades with Europeans and Muslims
•
 Trading ships= slaves
•
 Ivory and copper traded for
Indian cloth and firearms
•
o
Had limited power
Controlled smaller states
Felt no loyalty to central gov
Leaders wanted to overthrow controlling gov.
Summary of Regions
 North Africa: Ruled by Ottoman Empire, started to decline
 South Africa: Shaka united Zulu Nation, migration, wars,
chaos, Zulus in a war with the Boers
 East Africa: Islam! Ships exported copper and ivory for
Indian cloth and firearms, slaves were exported.
 West Africa: New Muslim states, jihad (Usman dan Fodio),
Asante kingdom (trade with Europeans and Muslims, limited
power, controlled smaller states,), wanted independence
European Contacts Increase
•
1500s and 1600s- Europeans traded along
the coast of Africa
•
No one traveled far into Africa (Malaria
and sleeping sickness)
•
Medical breakthroughs and river
steamships changed this
• Early 1800s- slavery slowly became
outlawed
• 1787- British organized colony for freed
slaves (Sierra Leone, West Africa)
• 1847- Liberia (right next to Sierra Leone)
gained independence
• Slave trade continues (Arab and African
slave traders) well into 1800s
• Demand for slaves remained
• Missionaries began to
travel to Africa, set up
schools, hospitals, and
churches, hated
slavery, thought
Africans needed
guidance
The Great Scramble Begins
 King Leopold of Belgium hired Stanley- explore Congo River
basin, arrange trade treaties with African leaders
 Leopold wanted of conquest and profit.
 Leopold’s activities in the Congo resulted in other countries
wanting claims of Africa: Britain, France, Germany
The Berlin Conference
 1884- International powers met In Berlin, Germany- discuss matter
before bloodshed, no representation of natives present.
 No European power could claim land unless they set up a gov office
there
 Accepted Leopold’s previous claims, insisted on free trade on the rivers
 20 years later- almost all of Africa divided up
 Only Ethiopia and Liberia remained independent
The Boer War
 1806- British won Cape Colony from
the Dutch
 Boers (Dutch farmers) hated Britsih
rule
•
Migrated North to create their
own republic
 Late 1800s- gold and diamonds
discovered in Boer Republics
 Boer War began (1899 to 1902)
 British won
 1910-British united Cape Colony
and former Boer Republics into
Union of South Africa
 New constitution- gov run by
whites, laid foundation for racial
segregation
 Algerians battled France
Africans Fight
Back!!
 Samori Toure-attempted to build own empire, fought French in W. Africa
 British battles Zulus in Southern Africa and in the Asante Kingdom (W.
Africa)
 Asante put themselves under Yaa Asantewaa’s rule (queen)
•
Led fight against British in last Asante War
 Nehanda- of Shona in Zimbabewe
•
Women military leader,
•
Captured and executed
•
Inspired other generations to fight for freedom
 Germans fought Yao in East Africa
•
Dominated during the Maji-Maji Rebellion of 1905
Ethiopia Survives!
 Divided between a bunch of rival princes
 Late 1800s-Menelik II began to modernize his
counrty
 Planned roads, bridges, and schools
 Imported weapons, military officers who trained
his army
 18960 Italy invaded Ethiopia
 Battle of Adowa- Manelik’s forces crushed
Italian invaders
Main Idea: Ethiopia crushes Italian forces,
remains independent
 Some Africans rejected their traditional culture for
western ways
 Others valued their traditional culture
 By early 1900s- African leaders pursuing independence
Impact and Results :)
 Western-educated elite class emerged
 North Africa: Ruled by Ottoman Empire, started to decline
Important
Ideas/Events
 South Africa: Shaka united Zulu Nation, migration, wars, chaos, Zulus in a
war with the Boers
 East Africa: Islam! Ships exported copper and ivory for Indian cloth and
firearms, slaves were exported.
 West Africa: New Muslim states, jihad (Usman dan Fodio), Asante kingdom
(trade with Europeans and Muslims, limited power, controlled smaller
states,), wanted independence
 Not many traveled into Africa’s interior due to illnesses and such
 1787- British organized colony for freed slaves (Sierra Leone, West Africa)
 Missionaries came to Africa, built schools, hospitals, churches
 1847- Liberia gained independence
 Leopold’s activities in the Congo resulted in other countries wanting claims
of Africa: Britain, France, Germany
 1884- Berlin Conference- Result: Africa divided up
 Ethiopia and Liberia- only independent countries in Africa!
 Boer War began (1899 to 1902), British won. result- Cape Colony + former
Boer Republics=the Union of South Africa
 Algerians battled France
 British battles Zulus
Important
Ideas/Events
 Germans fought Yao in East Africa
 Samori Toure-attempted to build own empire, fought
French in W. Africa
 Nehanda- of Shona in Zimbabwe, women military
leader
 Yaa Asantewaa- Queen of the Asante Kingdom, led her
people through the Last Asante War to defeat the British
 Ethiopia crushes Italian forces in Battle of Adowa,
remains independent
 Menelik II- ruler of Ethiopia, began to modernize his
country (late 1800s)
 Western-educated elite class emerged
 Some Africans rejected traditional culture and accepted
the western ways
 More countries wanted independence!