Britain’s reasons for expanding:
- Finding new markets
- Trade goods
- Raw materials
- Surplus population
- White man’s burden
- Defenses
Colonies in Africa were established because:
- Slave trade
- Exchange goods
- Refreshing stations
In the course of the 19th century 3 developments sped up the explorations and
colonization of Africa:
- Scientific development
- Abolishment slavery
- Finding new markets
Explorers
Name Goal Succeeded? Death
Mungo Park Discover the origin Failed. He had to Drowned during an
Scottish of the Nile River turn back because attack by local
of a lack of tribes.
resources needed
to continue
Richard Francis Discover the origin Failed At home
Burton of the Nile
John Hanning Discover the origin Succeeded (later Shot (himself by
Speke of the Nile (First confirmed by accident??) before
European to reach Livingstone) meeting with
lake Victoria) Burton
David Livingstone Looked for the Failed Later during his
source of the Nile travels in Africa
and Congo rivers
Sir Henry Morton Find Livingstone Succeeded At home
Stanley
At the beginning of the 19th century, more than 80% of the African continent was ruled
by Africans. By the end of the century, less than 10% of Africa was ruled by indigenous
people. Only inaccessible or undesirable areas (the desert wastes etc.) had escaped
colonial rule of one sort or another.
,From Cape to Cairo
The drive north was a result of numerous white English settlers in 1821. Forced by the
English the Boere went north. They found gold and diamonds and the English travelled
north after them.
Rhodes was fascinated with the British Empire and wanted colonies in Africa in a strip
from Cairo to Cape town connected by a railroad. He dedicated his life to this dream
and wasted no time and spared no (black) people in the process, taking land wherever
he could. Rhodes’ workers led a miserable existence and eventually ran off. Rhodes got
into a fight with a local tribe (Lobenguela). The two short battles between Jameson’s
1,000 men and Lobeguela’s 18,000 resulted in a devastating victory for the whites, who
had eight machine-guns and two cannon. The Matabele fought with spears.
The Suez Canal
The ruler of Egypt, Ali, did not trust the British. He gave the French permission the start
working on a canal to connect the Mediterranean with the Red sea. This brought India
closer to Europe. In 1875 external debts forced Egypt’s ruler Ismail to sell his shares.
These were bought by the British. This gave Britain a controlling interest in the canal
and influence in Egypt. They first shared the interest with France but managed to take
full control in 1888.
Begrippen
Scramble for Africa – France, UK, Belgium, Italy and Germany dividing Africa.
, South Africa
Early explorations and Europeans
Portuguese Dias, whilst looking for a route to India, rounded the point of Africa and, on
his return voyage, discovered Cape of Good Hope. Nine years later Vasco da Gama
sailed the same route and opened the way to India. He named Natal (east coast of
South Africa).
The Portuguese opened up trading stations west and east of South Africa but were not
interested in South Africa.
However, interest in South Africa had grown by 1600 because England, France and The
Netherlands started to go east too. Soon they discovered that they needed a halfway
station (refreshing station) for fresh foods and water to battle scurvy. Table bay was a
convenient spot and the Europeans started trading with the Khoikhoi.
In 1647 a Dutch ship wrecked in Table Bay. The crew, the first Europeans, stayed for a
year until they were rescued but the stories of their stay motivated the VOC, the
Vereenighde Oostindische Compagnie, to establish a permanent settlement in 1652.
They sent out Commander Jan van Riebeeck with three small ships and 125 men to
build a fort and a hospital and to take care of provisions for passing VOC ships. His
instructions were to keep peace with the Khoikhoi herdsmen. The idea was to barter for
meat with the 'Hottentots', as the Dutch called the Khoikhoi, and to grow vegetables
themselves.
The first settlement was a failure because the men were badly paid. Van Riebeeck
asked for independent farmers but the company disliked the idea because it thought the
farmers would choose their own interests above the of the company. However nine men
were released from the VOC’s service in 1657. These free burghers were allowed to
start farming.
This started the history of South Africa as a land of farmers and the long series of
conflicts over whom the land belonged to. The farmers faced all kinds of restrictions
from the Company which made it hard for them to make a living. They soon started to
trade with the Khoikhoi (which was forbidden) as well as fight them. The Khoikhoi raided
the farms which, after all, had been built on their land and trading-routes. Van Riebeeck
tried to enforce separation of the two groups (following the Company's instructions) by
planting a hedge of bitter almonds all around the settlement. This may be seen as the
first attempt to segregate white settlers and coloured people, the first attempt at and
failure of apartheid.
By the turn of the century there were 130 free citizens. There weren’t many European
women this is why intermarriage was common and this produced coloured people.
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