Roger Casement And The Congo Essay

The question being explored in this investigation is: How impactful were the policies of King Leopold II's rule in the Congo Free State from 1890 to 1892, influencing the lives of the Congolese citizens? To answer this question, the conditions within the Congo free state during King Leopold II’s rule from 1885-1908 must be evaluated, and the conditions of the Congolese citizens before King Leopold’s rule. The first source being evaluated is the article titled “Military Violence against Civilians: the Case of the Congolese and Zairean Military in the Pedicle 1890-1988”. This is relevant as it was written by Professor Mwelwa C. Musambachime, whose studies focus on the political issues within Eastern Africa. The second source is an article titled
A limitation of the purpose is that this author uses specific events, including certain causes and effects, to create a narrative, making the partiality within this source clear as the professor is of African descent. The second source is “Roger Casement and the Congo” written by William Roger Louis, a professor at Yale University who taught the comparative history of colonialism. This case study focuses on presenting an analysis of Roger Casement, who is best known for his humanitarian work through exposing the abuses men, women, and children face around the world. Roger wrote the casement report in 1904 which detailed the abuses occurring within the Congo Free State, which was at the time King Leopold II’s private dominion. The source provides information about the abuses of the rubber trade and the inhumane conditions within Congo. It details the public outrage over what was revealed by Roger Casement in the Casement Report. The value of the source is its origin because Louis has a doctorate in philosophy and was the director of the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center at the University of Texas at
A Sleeping Sickness epidemic exploded in the 1890s and some towns reached an infection rate of 20% of the population. Diseases like smallpox and malaria decimated the local populations of Congo. The brutal treatment of King Leopold’s subjects only amplified the spread of disease within Congo. Medical care for the Congolese populations was virtually non-existent as they were forced into labor and unsanitary living conditions. The mortality rates only increased as the diseases ravaged the local populations, it is estimated that these diseases killed half of the population in the areas surrounding the lower Congo River. The colonial exploitation of Congo greatly affected the health of the public as well as the well-being. This effectively shows the lack of care and ultimate perspective. The Administrator-General of the Congo Free State Francis de Winton wrote about the current situation in Congo 4 years before 1890 in the year 1886, in the “Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society”. Winton highlights the significant ivory trade and discusses the rapid development in the rubber trade. Winton characterizes the Congolese people as being a “negative race” explaining that they lack gratitude and