European Imperialism In Africa

Words: 870
Pages: 4

The people are running from a nearby rock avalanche, their dark faces glistening in the African heat. The local medicine man falls to the ground, unmoving. The people stop. The avalanche stops. But footsteps are heard in the distance. Several men, whose skin resembles an elephant’s tusks, emerge from the trees with odd contraptions in their just as white hands. One man raises his into the air, and the echo sounds as if the rocks are falling from above. The African people cower. They had never seen white men before—or the guns the white men held. They could not possibly know that their new discovery would become their inevitable demise. Africa was not the only continent exploited by the imperialistic white man. The Americas and Asia also became colonies and then territories of Europe. Europe was the leader in imperialism at the beginning, however, other “civilized” nations began to imperialize as well. Imperialism is when one country extends its rule over another: sometimes by force. The main goals of …show more content…
In 1841, a British man named Dr. David Livingstone went to Africa to spread Christianity and provide the people with modern medicine. Within eighty-three years, all of Africa was claimed by European countries. Before Dr. Livingstone, Africa was known as the “Dark Continent” because Europe had not discovered its possible profits. Dr. Livingstone was altruistic in his exploration of the continent, but when he stopped sending reports of the unspoiled riches, Henry Stanley was sent from Britain to find Livingstone. Stanley opposed Livingstone's ideas for Africa. He began using Africa’s minerals for British profit. Europe realized that they had struck a diamond mine. In 1885, fourteen European countries divided up Africa and created rules and regulations of their ownership during the Berlin Conference. These rules were broken immediately after being