The Resistance Research Paper

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The Resistance

The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically. This is the definition of Colonialism that can be found online if the reader googles colonialism. What is not mentioned in the definition is how this term systematically unbalanced, the world and created a plethora of turmoil and greed. The colonization of Africa was not an easy feat, the European colonizers often refused to engage in fair and equal trade with African royalty. However, the advanced weaponry Europeans wielded convinced the natives of the land they were superior.
In the late 19th and 20th centuries, these imperialist of European descent seized and colonized the indigenous African’s land and they did same in Asia as well. The Europeans forced their beliefs upon people and struck down anyone who opposed them or their god. Europeans believed that monetary riches and power gave them entitlements to claim land that was not theirs. In their foolish thinking they also believed their economy, medicine, education and technology would be beneficial to the colonized Africans. White Supremacy also grew from this twisted way of thinking. Brute force and trickery resulted in the enslavement and loss of land Africans endured. The control of their own economy and trade routes were ripped from their hands and replaced with capitalism and a sprinkle of gluttony. African culture and traditions were thought to be inferior and were constantly frowned upon by the Europeans. Europeans did not understand nor respect the sacredness of cattle in the African world. There are plenty of stories and tales of Europeans entering compounds and settlements to steal and kill the native’s main food supply. Europeans decided to take a more strategic approach thus the Berlin Conference was created. At the conclusion of the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, Europe’s most powerful nations discussed the rules for colonizing African territories, The French, Italians, Belgians, Spanish, Portuguese, Germans and British set strategies for the enduring control and occupation of the continent of Africa. The conquest started years before the conference convened. The Berlin Conference took a systematic approached tied with a military conquest mindset. Africans utilized all options in response the raping and robbery of their resources and land. To stop European imperialism some African tribes placed an embargo on European colonizers. Halting trade and refusing the settlement of missionaries who were known to trick Africans into selling their land for unequal trade or compensation. Some indigenous people tried to get their relationship with Europeans strictly business. It is not uncommon to here smaller African tribes to work with one particular European group exclusively and refuse trade and services from other European nations in hopes to pit the Europeans countries against one another. When all else failed Africans fought back militarily, only one country succeeded in stopping the colonization of their country. By 1893, Ethiopia had bought 83,000 European rifles and 29 canons. When the Italians invaded in 1896, the Ethiopian Army directed them straight back to
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Chief Bambatha was displeased the way the Europeans treated his people. Britain had subjugated the chief’s people to pay one pound of tax and the Europeans stole their land. The Zulu chief commanded that Britain return the stolen land and lift the tax placed upon his people. However, this revolt was not good enough the chief and a few thousand of his supporters were slaughtered. South West Africa, Zimbabwe and Eastern Africa had their fair share of revolts and rebellion against the British Crown, German Imperialist and other European nations. They all followed the same pattern. Defeat. The Maji Maji revolt in East Africa was created by Kinjikitile "Bokero" Ngwale. He was a Tanzanian spiritualist and a leader of the 1905–1907 Maji Maji Rebellion against colonial rule in German East Africa. The reason behind the revolt was the forced labor and taxation of the African indigenous by the German government. The belief in African spirit mediums and a massive Ethiopian presence was shared among these revolts thought the land. The primary goal of Ethiopian spirituality was to renew and restore the culture and traditions of the native

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