How Did European Culture Affect West Africa

Throughout the century European had come to Africa to find profitable business. In the West Coast of Africa, the living environment still look the same as many of hundred of years ago. Many European have come to these shoreline to find businesses and sources that can be profitable. Trading post are set up as partnership between maritime traders from Europe and local Africans, but by the 1880s this partnership began to change. The effect of the changes had European power interested in overseas empire industrialized. French and Britain led their country and begun to invade the continent of Africa to look for raw materials for the factories and market for manufactures. Many of these European countries all want a piece of the African Cake to have
an advantage over their rivals and these outcome caused the scramble of Africa.
By 1914, two countries were not in European possession and the countries are Liberia and Ethiopia.
Britain have control of multiple countries such as Egypt and the Sudan and having great wealth in South Africa and great colonies like Kenya and Rhodesia. In the 1830s, France had invaded Algeria. After a new conquest, France have added more colonies to the empire such as South of Sahara and also the island of Madagascar. Germany also have colonies like the Camerons and South West Africa. The competition was intense between the European countries, each of the leaders want to have an competitive advantage and in order for them to gain more power,they needed more colonies. According to Boahen, Jules Ferry quoted in saying “Colonies are for the rich countries one of the most lucrative methods of investing capital.” The European invested in capitalism that is based on industrial production. These outcome caused European power such as Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and Italy to industrialize colonies and to monopolize the colonies markets. There was endless races between the European power to obtain raw materials like cotton. palm oil, rubber and other minerals that can be productive in factories The Europeans power were not only thinking about power but also their status and security. Other countries who did have colonies overseas all rush to Africa to take part in the African Cake to have possession of land. The African Cake is a symbol of power and greatness.
The Belgian king was determine to have a piece of the African Cake. In 1884, the Congress and competing government had a meeting in Berlin to discuss their disputes. Some of the information that was discussed was that before a land can be claimed, the leaders need to inform their competitors. The Berlin Act was ratified on 26 February 1885. This Act was helpful between the European power because it settle military dispute between the imperialists.
There was some people who were resistant toward European invasion, resistance can be diverse. Sometime conquest can be difficult and it can lead to brutal violent. A religious figure like the Senegalese leader offered peace but was still sent into exile. Fierce warriors fought France invaders multiple time but at the end the warriors was still defeated and sent to exile. African people fought the European to protect their own land, war led to many bloodshed. Modern Ghana was rule by Asunto Heaney, who defended their territory against Britain but they grew desperate to have peaceful settlement. The people in Africa was not economic stable by themselves so therefore they could not maintain a long-lasting warfare against any imperial powers. But in some African state, leaders believe that they should form alliance with the European.