European Imperialism In Africa

Until the mid 1800’s, Africa was a melting pot of cultures, with hundreds of different ethnic groups, religions, and languages. Although native Africans had had some contact with Europeans on occasion, nothing could possibly prepare them for the arrival of thousands of European colonists, hailing from highly advanced countries, and with technology, weapons, and laws completely unknown to the Africans. Their goal was to take advantage of the wealth of unexplored land and resources waiting to be claimed, through a practice known as imperialism, when one country conquers another to expand their territory and gain resources. For many Europeans, Africa was seen as a mysterious land of opportunity, waiting to be divided up amongst whoever could lay …show more content…
After the arrival of colonists, Europeans were seen as higher members of colonial society who were attempting to change the ideologies of the native population. Oscar Phelps Austin, the Chief of the United States Bureau of Statistics at the dawn of the 20th century, described the need for colonial installations. Under the direction of European colonists and, in some cases, installed puppet governments, natives grew tropical produce and cash crops like coffee and tea. In return, Austin claims, the “progressive nations” to establish means of education, sophisticated transport, providing African nations with what he called “[the] blessings of civilization.” [Document 1} However, Austin’s image of the ideal cooperative relationship with the Africans was not to be. Albert Adu Boahen was a Ghanaian historian who, in his 1987 book African Perspectives on Colonialism, wrote that “the effects of colonial education …show more content…
Jules Ferry, the prime minister of France from 1883 to 1885 claimed that “superior” races had a duty to civilize and educate other cultures they encountered. “We must say openly that indeed the higher races had a right over the lower races,” Ferry proclaimed before the French Chamber of Deputies in 1884. “I maintain that European nations acquit themselves with generosity, with grandeur, and with sincerity of this superior civilizing duty.”[Document 7] The exact criteria for “superior” and “inferior” races is never explicitly discussed, but Ferry’s intentions are clear. He believes, much like other Europeans of the time, that whites are of a higher quality than any other race, and that because of their more advanced weapons and technology, that they are actually better than those other cultures. Because of their perceived superiority, the Europeans believe that the needs of the natives are secondary to their own, and in their “education” of Africans often obliterated their culture to make way for European ideals. Frederick Lugard, the colonial Governor of Nigeria, wrote in 1922 that “[the colonial government has] put an end to human sacrifice and the ordeals of the witch-doctor. While these things survive they are severely suppressed.” [Document 9] The fact that Lugard is openly criticizing what was actually in integral part of African