Reasons for the Colonization of Africa

There were many reasons for the colonization of Africa, including economic, political, and religious motives. Probably the most important was economic as a depression was occurring in Europe. Countries like Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, other powers were losing money, and Africa appeared to be a way out of the depression. To make money out of Africa, Europeans used its many raw goods. They hoarded oil, ivory, rubber, palm oil, wood, cotton, and gum (for paper). Because of cheap African labor, these materials were easily acquired. These materials could possibly spark an financial boom in Europe. The industrial revolution was also making progress, making these goods of utmost importance. New African markets set up by the Europeans could also produce more commerce. Individuals also wanted money. King Leopold ruled the Congo just for his own financial gain, not of his country, Belgium.

Another reason for the colonization of Africa was because of rivalries between countries. Britain and France had hated each other for centuries due to the infamous hundred years war, and they both wanted to out-do the other in Africa. However, the race for power was not limited to Britain and France. Other nations wanted to benefit as well, like Germany, Italy, and Spain. Nationalism was quite popular in many Western European countries, everyone wanted their country to be the strongest.

Once Africa was starting to be colonized, moral issues became an concern as well. One huge topic was to stop the Muslim Swahili slave trade. Europeans were shocked at how Africans could do this. They also wanted to implement the three “C’s”. Those were commerce (to make money), Christianity (to save the heathen Africans), and Civilization (to make civilized). David Livingston, a missionary and doctor, was an example of someone who supported building roads for commerce, ending slavery, and improving the health care and education of Africans. Europeans would find it easier to do this in the 1800’s because of new improvements in technology. The Maxim gun, an early edition of the machine gun, was far superior to the native tribes’ muskets or spears. This would help protect attempts to bring commerce, and stop any resistance to the missionaries bringing Christianity like David Livingston. Hence, many native religions were severely impacted or whipped out like the Ibo and the Swahili religions. There were also new advances in medicine, allowing (to an extent) Europeans to better survive malaria and yellow fever. Thus, the three major motives for the colonization (economics, political rivalries/nationalism, and religious proselytism) converged during the 1800’s and propelled Europe to colonize Africa. These motives are reflected in my ending quote from King Leopold, “To open to civilization the only part of the globe where it has yet to penetrate…is, I dare to say, a crusade worthy of this century of progress”.