Opening
• Based on what you know about European colonization of the Americas, hypothesize some effects it might have on Africa.
• Complete sentences
European ColonizationWhere the trouble began...?
Today’s Standard(s)
• The student will describe the interaction of physical and human systems that have shaped contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa.
• f. Analyze strengths and weaknesses in the development of Sub-Saharan Africa; include factors such as linguistic, tribal, and religious diversity; literacy levels; and the colonial legacy.
Early ContactEuro. explorers arrived in the 1400s
as Euro. settled Amer., workers were needed, Africans sold into slavery to fill labor need
Euro. bought slaves from African leaders with manufactured goods, usually guns
known as the gun- slave cycle
exploration of the African continent by Europeans began in 1795
Colonizationw/ tales of Af. beauty & treasures, Euro. scrambled to claim territories
settled conflicts among themselves w/ Berlin Conference in 1884- 1885 & divided up Africa while avoiding conflicts w/ one another
drew boundaries w/o regard for landforms, climate regions, cultures, ethnic groups, migration paths, etc
in order to occupy a possession, the nation had to prove that they controlled sufficient authority
except Liberia & Ethiopia all African countries were under European rule by 1900
Colonization Cont.Major players @ Berlin Conf.:France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal
Great Britain desired a Cape-to-Cairo collection of colonies
France took much of western Africa
Portugal took Mozambique and Angola
Italy's holdings = Somalia and a portion of Ethiopia.
Germany took Namibia and Tanzania
Spain claimed smallest territory - Equatorial Guinea
Colonial Case Study and Independence
The Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congowas once property of King Leopold II of Belgium
treated it as personal property & treated the people as slaves
exploited wild rubber for his own financial gain
under Leopold’s rule 1/2 of region’s population died
1908 turned over to Belgian gov’t & conditions improved
Belgian Congo Cont.1960 gained independence violence & unrest followed
few Africans trained in gov’t, education, or service industries
1971 military dictator Mobutu Sese Seko comes to power changed the country’s name to Zaire
1997 democratic gov’t came to power changed name to Dem. Rep. Of Congo
Independencestruggle for independence began as soon as Europeans arrived
after WWII pressure for independence grew
1st country to gain independence was Libya in 1951
today all African countries are again independent
Left over ProblemsEuropean political boundaries remain
problems caused by current political boundaries:
mixing of ethnic groups
landlocked states
only 1 climate in a country, limiting agriculture
most Africans want democracy, but some leaders say a one party system can achieve goals faster
unrest, & revolutions often threaten some African countries
Exit Ticket
• Answer this question in 5-8 sentences. Explain how the European Colonization has impacted Africa today