Betweenthe1870sand1900,AfricafacedEuropeanimperialistaggression,diplomatic

pressures,militaryinvasions,andeventualconquestandcolonization.Bytheearlytwentieth
century,muchofAfrica,andAsiahadbeencolonizedbyEuropeanpowers.TheEuropean
imperialistpushintoAfricawasmotivatedbyeconomic,social,andpoliticalfactors.It
developedinthenineteenthcenturyfollowingthecollapseoftheprofitabilityoftheslavetrade,
itsabolitionandsuppression,aswellastheexpansionoftheEuropeancapitalistIndustrial
Revolution.Theimperativesofcapitalistindustrializationincludingthedemandforassured
sourcesofrawmaterials,thesearchforguaranteedmarketsandprofitableinvestment
outletsspurredtheEuropeanscrambleandthepartitionandeventualconquestofAfrica.Thus
theprimarymotivationforEuropeanintrusionwaseconomic.

Beforethe
IndustrialRevolution
inthemidtolate19thcentury,demandfororientalgoodssuch
as(
porcelain
,
silk
,
spices
and
tea
)remainedthedrivingforcebehindEuropeanimperialism,and
(withtheimportantexceptionofBritishEastIndiaCompanyruleinIndia)theEuropeanstakein
Asiaremainedconfinedlargelytotradingstationsandstrategicoutpostsnecessarytoprotect
trade.Industrialisation,however,dramaticallyincreasedEuropeandemandforAsianraw
materialsandthesevere
LongDepression
ofthe1870sprovokedascramblefornewmarketsfor
EuropeanindustrialproductsandfinancialservicesinAfrica,theAmericas,EasternEurope,and
especiallyinAsia.Thisscramblecoincidedwithanewerainglobal
colonial
expansionknown
as"the
NewImperialism
,"whichsawashiftinfocusfromtradeand
indirectrule
toformal
colonialcontrolofvastoverseasterritoriesruledaspoliticalextensionsoftheirmothercountries.

ThereweremanyreasonsforthecolonizationofAfrica,includingeconomic,political,and
religiousmotives.ThemostimportantwaseconomicasadepressionwasoccurringinEurope.
CountrieslikeGreatBritain,France,Germany,Belgium,otherpowerswerelosingmoney,and
Africaappearedtobeawayoutofthedepression.TomakemoneyoutofAfrica,Europeans
useditsmanyrawgoods.Theyhoardedoil,ivory,rubber,palmoil,wood,cotton,andgum(for
paper).BecauseofcheapAfricanlabor,thesematerialswereeasilyacquired.Thesematerials
couldpossiblysparkanfinancialboominEurope.Theindustrialrevolutionwasalsomaking
progress,makingthesegoodsofutmostimportance.NewAfricanmarketssetupbythe
Europeanscouldalsoproducemorecommerce.Individualsalsowantedmoney.KingLeopold
ruledtheCongojustforhisownfinancialgain,notofhiscountry,Belgium.
AnotherreasonforthecolonizationofAfricawasbecauseofrivalriesbetweencountries.Britain
andFrancehadhatedeachotherforcenturiesduetotheinfamoushundredyearswar,andthey
bothwantedtooutdotheotherinAfrica.However,theraceforpowerwasnotlimitedtoBritain
andFrance.Othernationswantedtobenefitaswell,likeGermany,Italy,andSpain.Nationalism

wasquitepopularinmanyWesternEuropeancountries,everyonewantedtheircountrytobethe
strongest.
OnceAfricawasstartingtobecolonized,moralissuesbecameanconcernaswell.Onehuge
topicwastostoptheMuslimSwahilislavetrade.EuropeanswereshockedathowAfricanscould
dothis.TheyalsowantedtoimplementthethreeCs.Thosewerecommerce(tomakemoney),
Christianity(tosavetheheathenAfricans),andCivilization(tomakecivilized).David
Livingston,amissionaryanddoctor,wasanexampleofsomeonewhosupportedbuildingroads
forcommerce,endingslavery,andimprovingthehealthcareandeducationof
Africans.Europeanswouldfinditeasiertodothisinthe1800sbecauseofnewimprovementsin
technology.TheMaximgun,anearlyeditionofthemachinegun,wasfarsuperiortothenative
tribesmusketsorspears.Thiswouldhelpprotectattemptstobringcommerce,andstopany
resistancetothemissionariesbringingChristianitylikeDavidLivingston.Hence,manynative
religionswereseverelyimpactedorwhippedoutliketheIboandtheSwahilireligions.There
werealsonewadvancesinmedicine,allowing(toanextent)Europeanstobettersurvivemalaria
andyellowfever.Thus,thethreemajormotivesforthecolonization(economics,political
rivalries/nationalism,andreligiousproselytism)convergedduringthe1800sandpropelled
EuropetocolonizeAfrica.
Theecologicaleffectsofimperialismweremixedthroughouttheworld.Imperialismledtothe
dislocationofthousandsofsmallsocietiesespeciallyinAfricawhentheEuropeansdrew
haphazardandillogicallinesonthecolonialmaps.Industrialdevelopmentdisturbedthepristine
environmentofpreviouslyundamagedterritories,thetraditionalsocietieswerereplacedby
Europeanbusinessmenandinvestors.Whileslaveryhadgoneoutoffavorsometimeago,
AfricanandAsianmenandwomenwereviewedascheaplaborforEuropeanfactories
therefore,slaveryconditionspersisted.