African Imperialism

Western countries colonize large areas of Africa and
Asia, leading to political and cultural changes.

6.1.5 Interpreting Europe’s Increasing Global
Power – Describe Europe’s increasing global
power
between 1500 and 1900, and evaluate the merits
of the argument that this rise was caused by
factors internal to Europe (e.g., Renaissance,
Reformation, demographic, economic, and
social changes) or factors external to Europe
(e.g., decline of Mughal and Ottoman empires
and the decreasing engagement of China and
Japan in global interactions). (See 6.3.1; 6.3.2;
5.3.2)

6.2.4 Imperialism –Analyze the political, economic, and
social causes and consequences of imperialism by
using historical and modern maps and other evidence to
analyze and explain the causes and global consequences of
nineteenth‐century imperialism, including encounters
between imperial powers (Europe, Japan) and local peoples
in India, Africa, Central Asia, and East Asia
describing the connection between imperialism and racism,
including the social construction of race
comparing British policies in South Africa and India, French
polices in Indochina, and Japanese policies in Asia (See
7.3.3)
analyze the responses to imperialism by African and Asian
peoples.

6.3.2 East Asia – Analyze the political, economic,
and social transformations in East Asia by
explaining key events in the modernization of
Japan (Meiji Restoration) and the impact of the
Russo‐Japanese War
describing key events in the decline of Qing
China, including the Opium Wars and the Taiping
and Boxer Rebellions
6.3.3 Africa –Evaluate the different experiences
of African societies north and south of the
Sahara with imperialism (e.g., Egypt, Ethiopia
and the Congo).

MAIN IDEA: Ignoring the claims of
African ethnic groups, kingdoms,
and city‐states, Europeans
established colonies.
WHY IT MATTERS NOW: African
nations continue to feel the effects
of the colonial presence more than
100 years later.

European
countries
colonized areas in
Africa south of
the Sahara; as a
result the local
populations were
enslaved,
exploited, and
sometimes
exterminated.

Armies, rivers, disease discourage exploration
Imperialism —seizure of a country or
territory by a stronger country
Missionaries, explorers, humanitarians reach
interior of Africa

Race for colonies grows out of national pride
Racism: belief that one race is better than
others
Social Darwinism: survival of the fittest
applied to human society

Technological inventions like steam engine,
Maxim gun help conquest
Perfection of quinine protects Europeans
from malaria

Within Africa, Africans are divided by
language and culture

14 nations agree on rules for division (1884–
85): countries must claim land and prove
ability to control it
By 1914, only Liberia and Ethiopia are free of
European control

Zulus Fight the British
British defeat Zulus and gain control of Zulu nation
in 1887
Boers and British Settle in the Cape
Boers,or Dutch farmers, take Africans’ land,
establish large farms
Boers clash with British over land, slaves move north
to escape British
The Boer War
Boer War between British, Boers begins in 1899
British win; Boer republics united in Union of South
Africa (1910)

Imperialism in Africa

This question is based on the accompanying
documents (1‐6). Some of the documents
have been edited for the purpose of the
question. The question is designed to test
your ability to work with historical
documents. As you analyze the documents,
take into account both the context of each
document and any point of view that may be
presented in the document.

Industrialization stirred ambitions in many
European nations. They wanted more
resources to fuel their industrial protection.
They competed for new markets for their
goods. Many nations looked to Africa as a
source of raw materials and as a market for
industrial products. As a result, colonial
powers seized vast areas of Africa during the
19th and 20th centuries.

Using information from the documents and your
knowledge of social studies (textbook chapter 27.1),
answer the questions that follow each document in Part
A. Your answers to the questions will help you write the
Part B essay in which you will be asked to:
Discuss the factors leading up to European
imperialism in Africa.
Discuss the role European imperialism played in the
lives of Africans during the second half of the 19 th ‐ and
first half of the 20 th century.
Describe how Africans viewed imperialist European
nations, and discuss whether relations between Europe
and Africa were permanently altered.

DOCUMENT 1
I contend that we [Britons] are the first race in the world, and
the more of the world we inhabit, the better it is for the
human race. …It is our duty to seize every opportunity of
acquiring more territory and we should keep this one idea
steadily before our eyes that more territory simply means
more of the Anglo‐Saxon race, more of the best, the most
human, most honorable race the world possesses.
—Cecil Rhodes, Confession of Faith, 1887
1A –Is Cecil Rhodes in favor of or opposed to imperialism,
and what rationale does he give for his stance.
1B –What one idea does Rhodes think Great Britain should
be focused on?

2A –How does imperialism in Africa in 1878 compare to 1913?
2B –What does the map of ethnic boundaries suggest about
the number of ethnic groups in Africa in 1913?

3A –What does the photograph suggest about colonization?
3B –What advantages and disadvantages might colonizers
bring.

DOCUMENT 4
Nor is violent physical opposition to abuse and injustice
henceforth possible for the African in any part of Africa. His
chances of effective resistance have been steadily dwindling
with the increasing perfectibility in the killing power of
modern armament.
Thus the African is really helpless against the material god of
the white man, as embodied in the trinity of imperialism,
capitalistic exploitation, and militarism.
—Edward Morel, The Black Man’s Burden
4A –How does Morel feel about violent protest by
Africans?
4B –What does Morel feel Africans can do in the face of
imperialism?

5A –What does
this map say
about African
resistance to
imperialism?
5B –Why
might the
areas not
shown to have
resisted done
so?

6A –What do you
think the arms in
this cartoon are
meant to depict?
6B –What does the
representation of
England suggest
about the
cartoonist’s view of
British imperialism?

ESSAY: Write a well‐organized essay that includes an
introduction, several paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Address all aspects of the task by accurately analyzing at
least four documents. Support your response with
relevant facts, examples and details. Include additional
outside information.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Industrialization stirred ambitions
in many European nations. They wanted more resources
to fuel their industrial protection. They competed for new
markets for their goods. Many nations looked to Africa as
a source of raw materials and as a market for industrial
products. As a result, colonial powers seized vast areas of
Africa during the 19th and 20th HISTORICAL CONTEXT: Industrialization stirred ambitions
in many European nations. They wanted more resources
to fuel their industrial protection. They competed for new
markets for their goods. Many nations looked to Africa as
a source of raw materials and as a market for industrial
products. As a result, colonial powers seized vast areas of
Africa during the 19 centuries.
th and 20th centuries.

Using information from the documents and your
knowledge of social studies (textbook chapter
27.1) write and essay in which you:
Discuss the factors leading up to European
imperialism in Africa.
Discuss the role European imperialism played in
the lives of Africans during the second half of the
19th ‐ and first half of the 20th century.
Describe how Africans viewed imperialist
European nations, and discuss whether relations
between Europe and Africa were permanently
altered.

MAIN IDEA: European nations
expanded their empires by seizing
territories from Muslim states.
WHY IT MATTERS NOW: Political
events in this vital resource area
are still influenced by actions from
the imperialistic period.

In the 18th and 19th
Centuries, the political
and economic power of
the Islamic countries
was overwhelmed by
European colonialism.

MAIN IDEA: As the Mughal Empire
declined, Britain seized Indian
territory and soon controlled
almost the whole subcontinent.
WHY IT MATTERS NOW: India, the
second most populated nation in
the world, has its political roots in
this colony.

MAIN IDEA: Demand for Asian
products drove Western
imperialists to seek possession of
Southeast Asian lands.
WHY IT MATTERS NOW: Southeast
Asian independence struggles in
the 20th century have their roots in
this period of imperialism.

The U.S. sought to
establish the Open Door
Policy with regard to
trade with China.
“Boxers” sought to
drive foreigners out of
China, but were
defeated when foreign
forces marched on
Peking.