The Devastating Effects Of Belgian Imperialism On The Congolese People
Imperialism can be a good thing if carried out properly, but if not, it can bring a society of people to ruins. The Belgian imperialism enforced on Congo had devastating results; damage was brought to Congo hundreds of years ago, but is still relevant today because of its long lasting effects on the Congolese people.
In 1874, King Leopold began developing a colony which took place mostly in Congo. He sent out one of his followers to trick the Congolese Chiefs into signing treaties they didn’t understand. This gave the King of Belgium power over Congo. The initial reason for this movement was to take resources such as rubber and ivory and make a profit off them, but he soon realized that he could use both their resources and their service, even if it meant crossing some lines to get what he wanted. …show more content…
They burned down villages of people and made the men work harder to produce the rubber and ivory by using the wives as hostages. Along with these transgressions, they cut off the hands of millions of men, women, and children. The soldiers used this as punishment for anything as minor as talking back to something as major as protesting or stealing. The soldiers collected the hands and it became yet another symbol of dominance.
As a result, the Congolese people were very slow to trust those of non Congolese descent. Needless to say, native peoples were very poor, tired, and unhappy. They weren’t gaining much from working for King Leopold, and they lived in a constant state of exhaustion from working long days. Along with being physically injured, they were psychologically beaten down. Families were being torn apart and constantly surrounded by violence. They felt helpless, and basically were. The native people of congo had no influence in government and felt as though the suppression in their country would never
In 1874, King Leopold began developing a colony which took place mostly in Congo. He sent out one of his followers to trick the Congolese Chiefs into signing treaties they didn’t understand. This gave the King of Belgium power over Congo. The initial reason for this movement was to take resources such as rubber and ivory and make a profit off them, but he soon realized that he could use both their resources and their service, even if it meant crossing some lines to get what he wanted. …show more content…
They burned down villages of people and made the men work harder to produce the rubber and ivory by using the wives as hostages. Along with these transgressions, they cut off the hands of millions of men, women, and children. The soldiers used this as punishment for anything as minor as talking back to something as major as protesting or stealing. The soldiers collected the hands and it became yet another symbol of dominance.
As a result, the Congolese people were very slow to trust those of non Congolese descent. Needless to say, native peoples were very poor, tired, and unhappy. They weren’t gaining much from working for King Leopold, and they lived in a constant state of exhaustion from working long days. Along with being physically injured, they were psychologically beaten down. Families were being torn apart and constantly surrounded by violence. They felt helpless, and basically were. The native people of congo had no influence in government and felt as though the suppression in their country would never