Congo Cba 10th Grade World History
Before King Leopold the II of Belgium colonized the Congo, it was known for its independence. It was the ideal place to be for the Europeans. It was geographically diverse, it had mineral enriched soils, deposits of gold, diamonds copper and manganese, and it had a large animal population, lots of plants. King Leopold saw potential in the Congo and made it his. He had an American man, Henry Stanley; secure treaties with all the local chiefs. With those he had complete power of the land. Imperialism on the Belgian Congo had a negative affect in many ways, including geographically, politically and psychologically.
One of the major impacts is psychological. Psychological impacts are ones that mess with people’s emotions. King Leopold was a man who did not care about other peoples emotions or their state of being; he cared about himself and how much money he was going to make with the Congo. To quote a Congolese states on the amount of psychological torture he put some of the Congolese people in: “I ran away with two old people, but they were caught and killed, and the soldiers made me carry the baskets holding their cut-off hands. They killed my little sister, threw her in a house and set it on fire.” (8) The person that is talking sounds like a child. If a child was going through this, which many did, witnessing something this horrifying can be very emotionally scarring.
Another impact would be economical. An economic impact is one that affects the business part of things, such as labor systems. “Tell them [the rubber agents] that we cannot and therefore will not find rubber; we are willing to spend our strength at any work possible, but the rubber is finished. If we must either be massacred or bring rubber, well, let them kill us; then we suppose they will be satisfied.”(20) This quote is from a village headman to Reverend Harris, a British missionary. This is from a workers point of view. It shows economic impact because it has to do with the rubber
One of the major impacts is psychological. Psychological impacts are ones that mess with people’s emotions. King Leopold was a man who did not care about other peoples emotions or their state of being; he cared about himself and how much money he was going to make with the Congo. To quote a Congolese states on the amount of psychological torture he put some of the Congolese people in: “I ran away with two old people, but they were caught and killed, and the soldiers made me carry the baskets holding their cut-off hands. They killed my little sister, threw her in a house and set it on fire.” (8) The person that is talking sounds like a child. If a child was going through this, which many did, witnessing something this horrifying can be very emotionally scarring.
Another impact would be economical. An economic impact is one that affects the business part of things, such as labor systems. “Tell them [the rubber agents] that we cannot and therefore will not find rubber; we are willing to spend our strength at any work possible, but the rubber is finished. If we must either be massacred or bring rubber, well, let them kill us; then we suppose they will be satisfied.”(20) This quote is from a village headman to Reverend Harris, a British missionary. This is from a workers point of view. It shows economic impact because it has to do with the rubber