Scramble for Africa and European Colonial Rule Partitioned Africa Congress of Berlin • Modern African History – Congress of Berlin, 1884-1885 • Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium, Italy • Great Political Event – Dividing Line? – Emphasis on Moment of Political Change – Early/Modern Africa – Pre-colonial/Colonial Rethinking Africa: Economic Development • 1970s – Marxists – Economic Lens • Economic Factors – 1884 Inaccurate Dividing Point, Irrelevant – Precapitalist/Capitalist • Industrial Revolution – 18th c. Britain – Industrialization’s impact on Africa – Congress of Berlin – Formal Colonialism – Earlier Date for Economic Change - 1807 African/European Trading Relations c. 1800 • 1800 – 90% of export value – slaves • 1807 – Britain abolished slave trade – France and Holland followed • “Legitimate Trade” – change in economic relationship between Africa/Europe • 1807 – Slave trade did not end • Coexistence of trades after abolition Portuguese: Key Actors • Portuguese government resisted Britain’s end of trade • North versus South of the Equator • Increase in volume: Mozambique/Angola • Brazil’s independence (1822) – Rejection of Portuguese treaties – “Brazilians” – Bight of Benin – 80,000 slaves per annum 19th Century: Demand for New World Slaves • New World plantation system growing – US South – cotton – Brazil – sugar and coffee – Caribbean (Cuba) – sugar • Abolition – US (1863), Cuba (1886), Brazil (1888) – Vested interests • Africa – Vested interests – Rulers and elites, dependent on luxury goods/arms Britain: End of the Slave Trade • Four Factors in Preventing End of Trade – Geography • Slaving regions’ proximity to equator – Transportation/Communication • Differences in naval technologies • Inefficient communication systems – West African Coastline – Portuguese Government and “Brazilians” Abolition of Slave Trade: Statistics • 1850s – Slave trade as profitable as ever, even 45 years after abolition – British efforts at thwarting trade • Freed 1:16 slaves • First half 19th c. – 160,000 freed – Britain and Gun-Boat Diplomacy • Brazil capitulated – 1857 • 1860s – Trade in decline, largely over in West Africa • 1870s – Trade largely over in East Africa Why the dividing line: 1807? • 1807 – Division of Precapitalist/Capitalist? • “Legitimate Trade” – Parallel Process – Enormous cultural and economic changes • Industrial Revolution – – – – – European demand for raw materials - oil Machinery, Candles, Soap Peanut Oil – Upper Guinea Coast (Senegal) Palm Oil – Lower Guinea Coast (Nigeria) • Global Trade Networks – Spices – Zanzibar – Agricultural products (Mombasa, Malindi) “Legitimate Trade:” Social Change in Africa • Emergence of New Classes – West Africa • Rural Peasantry and Middle Class – Emergence of Peasantry • Peanut/Palm oils – anyone enter market – ordinary people, real opportunities in large-scale trade – Emergence of Middle Class • Commercialization of Labor – locally and Africans who could not produce for themselves • Migrant laborers and environment • Labor and kinship networks • Emergence of New Classes – East Africa – Small-scale shambas – production for markets – Middle Men – Asian population “Legitimate Trade:” Change in African Imports • Emergence of Classes – Change in Import Demands – No longer luxury goods alone – Textiles, hard wares, salt, tobacco • New mass market for new market of consumers • Emergence of a class-based society, and consumer society • Africans (1810-60) – Terms of Trade Scramble for Africa • Scramble for Africa – Not a single moment in time, rather a process – Congress of Berlin, 1884-1885 – Marks a political moment when formal colonization begins Scramble for Africa: Partition • 1860s – British government – committee on viability/benefits of colonies around world • Conclusion: Too costly, not worth expenditure – abandon colonies, outdated • British dominance in production – imperialism of free trade • Time of free trade/laissez faire policies Scramble for Africa: Partition • 1898 – 30 years later – Africa partitioned by European powers • President of France: “We have behaved like madmen...led astray by people called colonialists.” • What had changed in attitude of European powers – particularly the British – towards colonialism? What’s the Insanity? • Insanity – Scramble for Africa • Second largest continent – divided by European powers in span of some twenty years, 1875-1895 • What changed Europe’s attitudes towards colonies, and Africa in particular? • Europeans at the time: Scramble astonishing event • Many – mass insanity – everyone crazy at the same time? Rational actors… What’s the Insanity? • Historiographical Debate – what is this? – Different interpretations of an historical moment or process – Informed by broader trends in the field – Informed by one’s own assumptions and biases – Historians speak to each other and are constantly revising each others works “New Imperialism” • All five interpretations try to explain and understand phenomenon of “New Imperialism” • End of 19th c – Europeans reversed attitude towards formal colonies in the tropic • Divided Africa, Pacific Basin, and SE Asia • Interpretations: Interplay between objective and subjective – positionality of author Historical Interpretations: Five to Consider • Five Historical Interpretations: – Joseph Schumpeter – irrationality – William Langer and AJP Taylor – WWI and diplomatic approach – Ronald Robinson and John Gallagher – Africa and the Victorians – Marxist Interpretation • J.A. Hobson, R. Hilferding, Vladmir Lenin – Eric Hobsbawm – search for markets and profitability E.J. Hobsbawm • Neo-Marxist, British Historian – The Age of Empire, 1875-1914 (1988) – Also writes the Age of Revolution, Age of Capital, and Age of Extremes – British key players in Scramble – Also global economic concerns and changes E.J. Hobsbawm • Argues: – Britain first country go through Industrial Revolution, 1780-1815 – Accepts Hobson’s idea of “underconsumptionism” – Impoverishment of British working class – Britain moves into world-trade vacuum, no competition for international markets – Free trade, or laissez-fair ideology, ruled, no reason for colonies, 1860 – Britain didn’t need formal colonies E.J. Hobsbawm • Ideal situation over, 1870 – 3 Reasons: – First, competition in the industrial world • Other countries – US/Germany – emulate Britain • Industrial espionage, pirating of British ideas • Competing states, tariff barriers, Britain excluded, trade walls going up all over world – Second, Second Industrial Revolution • First Industrial Revolution – Textiles, British dominate • Second Industrial Revolution – chemicals/metals – US and Germany • Britain’s economic position eroded, 1870 E.J. Hobsbawm • Third – Things begin to go wrong for the British in Africa itself by 1870s – British position as partners with those on the periphery changes vis-à-vis partner status – 1810-60, Terms of trade favored Africans – Changes, cost of manufactured goods up, raw material prices hit rock bottom in 1890s – Africans accuse British of dishonesty – Fluctuations in international prices E.J. Hobsbawm • Result: – Traders demand more to keep markets open, gov’t protect their interests – Keep Africans in check, protection – Establish formal colonies – Protected markets – alternative to US and German markets – needed this to survive – Other countries, pre-emptive strikes when Britain begins to establish formal footholds – Not Hilferding’s cartels, but small merchants setting off Scramble “White Man’s Burden” • Formal Empire – African’s ability to govern • Colonial Justifications – Africans inability to govern – Humanitarian effort • Rudyard Kipling – European or “White Man’s” duty to bring peace and administration or civilization where there had been none – Europeans the “humanitarian peacemakers” – Only with intervention could Africans prosper Introduction: African Independence • 1950s/1960s – Claims of “White Man’s Burden” rejected as imperial rationale • Propaganda to cloak greed/evils of colonial system, and justify European presence • Last decade – re-evaluation of complete dismissal of “White Man’s Burden” – Scholars – Some truth to it – 19th c – In some places, like W. Africa, as well as East, Central, and Southern, instability – Some regions Africans welcomed Europeans Missionaries and Africa • Rise in Missionary Activity in Africa – Lack of missionary interest, 18th century – Nonconformist churches, 19th century • East and Central Africa - Zanzibar – David Livingstone – Scottish missionary, 1840s – Published accounts, exploration and Royal Geographic Society – Richard Burton and John Speke – 1857, Nile – Henry Morton Stanley – “Dr. Livingstone, I presume?” (1871, Lake Tanganyika) – Evils of slavery – dies 1873, 11 month trek, Westminster Abbey, April 1974 – “Commerce, Christianity, and Civilization” Markets and Christianity • Scramble for Africa – about search for markets and profits • Time of European depression of 1870s – Markets collapsing domestically – Excessive supplies, desperate for market • Europe and Africa – Not for exploration, widen geographic knowledge – Not primarily humanitarian, don’t overlook importance of increasing violence/slave trade Markets and Christianity • Economy and Ideas: Christianity – Conflict in interior, demands of Christian missionaries, fell on receptive ears • Explicit link between Christianity and trade – David Livingstone, Africa’s most famous missionary • “Commerce, Christianity, Civilization,” 3Cs • Livingstone: emphasized Christianity’s dynamic force, role it would play in opening up Africa to western trade/commerce Markets and Christianity • Most people – particularly Europe’s decisionmakers – Motivated by underlying economic reasons – Ideas like Christianity v. important in reinforcing moves into the interior – Particularly true, conversions linked to creating peace and environments conducive to trade – Every colony/region have own trajectories – Changes take place in later 19th c., examined in broader changes of larger world processes Scramble for Africa • 1890 – Africa under European control, what did colonialists discover? • Myths not precisely accurate • Effective Occupation – Very expensive proposition • Costs of Empire – European taxpayers • Fiscal Problem – Make new colonies pay – exports and tax revenue Classification of Empires: Colonial Administration • Classify Empires by country administering them – French system – “assimilation” – British system – “separate development” – OR – “direct” versus “indirect” rule • Administration approach – misleading • Nature of the political economy – Various types both between and within colonies Historical Change • Historical change is often uneven • Typical and important for study of Africa • Unevenness not due to different administrative systems • Rather, due to emergence of different economic systems, which the administration reflects • Results – very different patterns of life for African people Paths to Economic Development • Four ways to generate tax revenue: – Grant Concessions – Leopold II in Congo Free State – Use Migrant Laborers or Labor Reserve Areas – work in distant places of employment – Southern Africa and the mines – Push local Africans into Peasant Production for markets – Uganda and Senegal – Bring European Settlers to create “real” colonial situation – Kenya and Southern Rhodesia East Africa and Zanzibar • Zanzibar on the eve of colonial rule • Seyyid Said (1856) and Succession – Divided Empire – Seyyid Thuwain (Oman), Seyyid Majid (Zanzibar) – Seyyid Majid – British naval protection (1861) – Political vulnerability and lack of military force • Threats from Thuwain, N. Arabs, and Seyyid Bargash • British navy and instability…slave trade East Africa and Zanzibar • Zanzibar on the eve of colonial rule – Sultan Barghash (1870-88) – Fragility of empire • Cholera epidemic – 10,000 in Stone Town • Hurricane of 1872 – 85% of clove plantations • British abolition of slavery – Abolition of slave trade and slavery • • • • 1873 – abolition of trade by sea 1876 – abolition of trade by land 1897 – abolition in Unguja and Pemba 1907 – abolition in Kenya Coast East Africa and Zanzibar • Zanzibar and colonial rule in E. African context • Germany – mainland of Tanganyika (until WWI) • British Protectorate (1890) – Zanzibar and 6 mile coastal strip – British/German trade for islands in the Baltic Sea • British colonial rule in Zanzibar – Economically viable – agricultural production and taxation – Politically – Busaidi Sultanate (like Kabaka, Uganda) – Bombardment of Stone Town (August, 1896), succession crisis – Destruction of Beit al-Sahel and Beit al-Hukm – “House of Wonders” untouched East Africa and Zanzibar • British colonial rule – “Divide and Rule” – Colonial Institutions – categories of race and ethnicity codified – Executive Council – Arab and Asian representation – Legal codes and African customary law – Historic fluidity now reified East Africa and Zanzibar • British colonial rule – Economy and free market principles • Arab Indebtedness to Asian lenders. Threat of insolvency and fear of agricultural collapse • British agricultural subsidies failed. • Marketing Board – Clove Growers Association (CGA) in 1928 – controlled prices and export (1937) • Protection of Arab landlords at expense of Asians. Forbid Asian land ownership of plantations • Boycotts in India on demand side • 1938 – “Heads of Agreement” – guaranteeing export to Asians, but prices remained fixed • NOT a free market – interference of state in economy, put another way, economy embedded in institutions
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