Africa Flashcards
What was the general attitude of Europeans towards African rulers and merchants before 1880?
They were content to let them represent European interests.
Between which years did European powers place virtually all of Africa under European rule?
1880 and 1900.
Which European countries were involved in the colonization of Africa during the late 19th century?
Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Portugal.
What raw materials from West Africa were of keen interest to Europeans?
- Peanuts
- Timber
- Hides
- Palm oil
What significant trade practice had declined in West Africa by the late 1800s?
The slave trade.
What action did Great Britain take in West Africa in 1874?
Annexed the western coastal states and established a protectorate in Nigeria.
By 1900, which country controlled the largest part of West Africa?
France.
What territories did Germany control in West Africa?
- Togo
- Cameroon
- German Southwest Africa
- German East Africa
Who seized power in Egypt in 1805 and created an independent state?
Muhammad Ali.
What reforms did Muhammad Ali introduce in Egypt?
- Modernized the army
- Set up a public school system
- Created small industries
What was the purpose of building the Suez Canal?
To allow transport between Europe and Asia without traveling around Africa.
Who signed the contract to begin building the Suez Canal in 1854?
Ferdinand de Lesseps.
When was the Suez Canal completed?
1869.
What is the meaning of the word ‘annex’?
To connect or attach.
Which colonial power controlled most of West Africa?
France.
What was the geographic reason for European interest in the Nile Valley in Egypt?
Its growing economic importance.
What year did the British buy Egypts share of the Suez Canal
1875
What year did the Egyptians revolt against the British?
1881
What year did the British take Egypt as a protectorate?
1914
Why did the British want control over Sudan?
To protect their Egyptian colony
Who was Muhammad Ahmad (Mahdi)
He revolted against the British who were trying to control Sudan.
Who was General Charles Gordon?
He was sent with a militaristic force to Sudan to restore authority over the revolting citizens.
What happened to Gordon’s army in Khartoum in 1885?
Gordon died and his army was defeated by Muhammad Ahmad’s.
What country’s colonizers did Menelik II defeat?
Italians
When was Sudan eventually colonized?
1898
What countries remained independent?
Liberia and Ethiopia
How many years did David Livingston explore Africa?
30 years, starting in 1841
Where did David Livingstone explore?
The interior of Africa, uncharted by Europe
What was Livingstone’s goal?
To find a navigable river that Europeans could use to commerce and create Christian missionaries.
Who took over for Livingstone after his death?
Henry Stanley
How did Stanley and David differ?
Stanley hated Africa and David was fascinated by it.
Who did Stanley first try to convince to colonize the interior of Africa?
The British
Who did Stanley end up encouraging to colonize the interior of Africa?
King Leopold II of Belgium
Who was Otto von Bismarck? What were his options of colonialism?
Otto von Bismarck helped unite Germany and created the realpolitik. During colonialism, he was still in power. He looked down on it and downplayed its importance, but converted because “we need it for the elections.”
Why did the British want the East of Africa?
To connect Cairo and Cape.
Who was Fredrick Lugard?
A British official who believed European powers were competing for the only land left to expansion. He believed it was purely for a rivalry.
Who are the Boers?
White supremacists of Dutch descent that live in South Africa.
When did the British take South Africa from the Boers?
During the Napoleonic Wars.
Why did the British like the Cape Colony so much?
It provided lots of resources and has militaristic advantages.
Once South Africa was annexed by British, what republics did the Boers create?
The Orange Free State and the Transvaal (South African Republic)
What did the Boers believe in their societies?
They thought white supremacy was ordained by God and non-Europeans were denied entry into these republics.
What other people did Boers particularly fight with?
The Zulu indigenous people
Who were the Zulu?
Powerful indigenous people lead by a talented ruler named Shaka.
Who were the Zulu defeated by?
The British in the late 1800s
Who was Cecil Rhodes?
A rich and influential British man that discovered diamonds and gold in Africa. He believed in the expansion of British rule from Cairo to Cape.
What happened when the British discovered gold and diamonds in the Transvaal republic?
They swarmed and looked for the fortunes
When did the Boer War happen?
1899 to 1902
Who won the Boer war?
The British
How did the British compromise with the Boers when they created a union of South Africa, consisting of the Boer republics and the cape colony?
They agreed only white people could vote
What was indirect rule?
When the colony’s country relies on existing political institutions and elites.
What was wrong with indirect rule?
Only the elites could stay in power, which limited bright young Africans. The colonizers also still made all major decisions and they African authorities had to enforce the decision.
What did African citizens lose in colonialism?
They could only have low paying jobs, they lost many farms and had to work in factories and plantations, some lost the rights to mine and resources in their own country
For middle class Africans, what did they lose?
They lost their power and only maintained certain low power government jobs. Even in the government they were paid less than Europeans.
