When the age of imperialism began in the mid 1870s, it effected Africa in many ways. European countries took over most of Africa’s many colonies as if it was a game. The Europeans took their resources, enslaved the Africans, and had changed the course of history. What was the driving force of imperialism in Africa? Well, European imperialism had several driving forces behind it including the need for resources, and technological advances. However, the most important cause of imperialism was political competition.
One of the driving forces behind European imperialism was the need for resources. The Europeans didn’t know anything about Africa and was unknown to them until the mid 1800s. When the Europeans discovered