Imperialism: Patrice Lumumba Of The Congo

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When the historic empires of Europe began to take form, Africa was a point of major interest. Powerful nations such as England, Germany, and the Netherlands each competed for territory and resources, but this age of Imperialism had long-reaching bipartisan effects. The efforts of Imperialism created a moral belief that European races were supreme, led to the overthrow of native leadership in the continent, and initiated the industrial and economic growth of the African continent.

Racism took strong root in the wake of imperialism, as the European people began to pride themselves for their cultural sophistication. Patrice Lumumba of The Congo said on its day of independence, ‘‘‘Who will forget that to a black one said “tu”, certainly not as …show more content…
King Baudouin of Belgium described some of the economic growth his nation fostered in the Congo, “The Congo was equipped with railroads, roads, air and maritime routes…have enlarged the country to the dimensions of the world.” He was, however, not the most objective source, as this was his last attempt to make the independence of the Congo seem peaceful and as a mere generosity of the Belgian empire. Examples of some of the financial growth present in Africa were the high-quality brick houses, taken in photograph by Laura Collins, with glass windows and plank doors, compared to the small shacks that had previously dotted the African landscape. She was a missionary who took images of various situations occurring in Africa. A final show of the industrial and economic growth of Africa was in Lumumba’s speech, with the invigorating words “We are going to show the world what the black man can do when he works in freedom, and we are going to make the Congo the center of the sun’s radiance for all of Africa.” He sought to support the Congo’s economy and utilize the many industrial facilities built by Belgium to make Congo a model for industrial growth in the African continent.

In this, we have seen the many effects on history that European imperialism has left on the world, through the creation of an industrial Africa, a shift in native balance, and the rise of European notions of superiority. More information and conclusions would be able to be made if I had access to more recent sources regarding social states in Africa or how racism continues today in Europe. Nevertheless, through these sources we see how both European and African politics and societal economies have been grown, stunted, and altered by the growth of
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