How Did The Europeans Want To Colonize Africa

Africa was a foreign and unexplored land with little resistance to being over powered, and ample resources that the Europeans used to their own advantage. In the late 19th century, the Industrial Revolution had greatly improved the Europeans’ ability to travel, communicate, and their means of production. This economic boom (inflation) meant that processed goods were in higher demand, which required more raw materials and cheap labor. In search of these things, the Europeans set their sights on Africa and began to quickly colonize the land. The European countries had an array of reasons to colonize Africa, but the main motivations were to build and expand the economy, gain political power, and spread European ideology. The land was successfully
The inventions from the Industrial Revolution allowed the Europeans to gain control of Africa easily and expand their power. It was a competition to see which country could attain the most colonies in Africa because it would boost national pride, prestige, and security as a country. This map, shows how Africa was divided among the countries and which European countries held the most land, therefore power. Only two colonies were left unclaimed, Ethiopia and Liberia, which showed the natives’ lack of power against the Europeans. Britain, France, and Germany were among the most powerful countries that claimed the most territory in Africa. Whoever had the best economy, the most land, and the most valuable resources was the most powerful country because they had the most political control. Due to all of the conflict between countries, the Berlin Conference was held to divide Africa between the powers in Europe in a way they agreed upon. They strategized and sought after the colonies with the best resources or access to trade. One of Europe’s main motivators to colonize Africa was the need for political control and power by attaining the most valuable