The European Imperialist Colonization of Africa: Motivated by Economic, Political, and Social Factors
INTRODUCTION
By the end of the 19th century Europe had colonized Africa. The Europeans had many reason for why they wanted to colonize Africa. They were generally all political and economic reasons. It was easy for Europeans to colonize and take over Africa because slave trade had made the Europeans believe that Africans were inferior to them. This was in fact the justification for the Europeans to have such an imperialistic way of thinking. Between the 1870s and 1900, Africa faced European imperialist aggression, diplomatic pressures, military invasions, and eventual conquest and colonization. At the same time, African societies put up various forms of resistance against the attempt to colonize their countries and impose foreign domination. By the early twentieth century, however, much of Africa, except Ethiopia and Liberia, had been colonized by European powers. The European imperialist push into Africa was motivated by three main factors, economic, political, and social. It developed in the nineteenth century following the collapse of the profitability of the slave trade, its abolition and suppression, as well as the expansion of the European capitalist Industrial Revolution. The imperatives of capitalist industrialization—including the demand for assured sources of raw materials, the search for guaranteed markets and profitable investment outlets—spurred the European scramble and the partition and eventual conquest of Africa.
The Scramble for Africa
The 19th century in Europe was a time of industrialization. Factories in Europe required raw materials to be manufactured into marketable products. As a result, Europeans sought both a source of raw materials, as well as, a market for manufactured goods in Africa. This economic motivation played a large role in the colonization of Africa.
The political impetus derived from the impact of inter-European power struggles and competition for pre-eminence played an important role in the process.
By the end of the 19th century Europe had colonized Africa. The Europeans had many reason for why they wanted to colonize Africa. They were generally all political and economic reasons. It was easy for Europeans to colonize and take over Africa because slave trade had made the Europeans believe that Africans were inferior to them. This was in fact the justification for the Europeans to have such an imperialistic way of thinking. Between the 1870s and 1900, Africa faced European imperialist aggression, diplomatic pressures, military invasions, and eventual conquest and colonization. At the same time, African societies put up various forms of resistance against the attempt to colonize their countries and impose foreign domination. By the early twentieth century, however, much of Africa, except Ethiopia and Liberia, had been colonized by European powers. The European imperialist push into Africa was motivated by three main factors, economic, political, and social. It developed in the nineteenth century following the collapse of the profitability of the slave trade, its abolition and suppression, as well as the expansion of the European capitalist Industrial Revolution. The imperatives of capitalist industrialization—including the demand for assured sources of raw materials, the search for guaranteed markets and profitable investment outlets—spurred the European scramble and the partition and eventual conquest of Africa.
The Scramble for Africa
The 19th century in Europe was a time of industrialization. Factories in Europe required raw materials to be manufactured into marketable products. As a result, Europeans sought both a source of raw materials, as well as, a market for manufactured goods in Africa. This economic motivation played a large role in the colonization of Africa.
The political impetus derived from the impact of inter-European power struggles and competition for pre-eminence played an important role in the process.