Things Fall Apart

1. What is an iron horse?2. Trace the stages of the African reactions to

the missionaries.3. What are some sources of misunderstanding

between the people and the missionaries?4. What was the significance of the evil forest to

the Africans? To the missionaries?5. Which Africans were attracted to the new

religion? Why?6. How might this story be told from the

perspective of the missionaries?

The Scramble for Africa

The Scramble for Africa

• In Class:– You ran around frantically

claiming stuff

– You used Post-it notes– Unclear motives: why

were you doing it?– Very Competitive– One group started earlier– Class discussion at the

end

• In History:– Europeans scrambled to

claim African territory in the late 1800s

– Used flags (and military)– Unsure of benefits: people,

land, resources– Very Competitive– Britain got a head start– Europeans met to discuss

the land divisions in 1885 (Berlin Conference)

The Scramble for Africa

• Much of Africa was still unexplored by Europeans until 1880s– European influence restricted to coastline– Slave Trade

• Technology allowed Europeans to explore African interior– Steamboats, Suez Canal, Advances in

medicine (quinine)

The Scramble for Africa

• Berlin Conference in 1885 sets ground rules for European colonization of East Africa– Guess who isn’t

invited?

The Scramble for Africa

• By 1914, over 90% of Africa is under European control

• Who remained independent?

In your groups, fill out the information about different areas of Africa using the provided cards

Percentage of Africa Controlled by European Countries in 1913

How did the scramble affect the current borders in Africa?

5-8 Million Victims! (50% of Population)

It is blood-curdling to see them (the soldiers) returning with the hands of the slain, and to find the hands of young children amongst the bigger ones evidencing their bravery...The rubber from this district has cost hundreds of lives, and the scenes I have witnessed, while unable to help the oppressed, have been almost enough to make me wish I were dead... This rubber traffic is steeped in blood, and if the natives were to rise and sweep every white person on the Upper Congo into eternity, there would still be left a fearful balance to their credit. -- Belgian Official

What or who does the snake represent? What about the man?

What is the message of this political cartoon?

Results•Untold misery and hardship for many Africans

•Loss of traditional culture

•African resources are raided and taken away

•Creation of artificial boundaries that ignored traditional tribal borders

•Increased number of European settlers

•Spread of firearms and Christianity

•Loss of freedom to self-govern

•Africa becomes the site of displaced European tensions

http://www.thelatinlibrary.com/imperialism/maps/africa1914.jpg

http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/isa/ninvest/imperial/scrambleafrica.htm