In the years before the European Scramble for Africa, European nations met at the Berlin Conference in 1884. The fourteen countries represented at the time included Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway Turkey, and the United States of America. Out of these fourteen nations, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal had the most power in the conference, and controlled most of colonial Africa at the time. In the three decades after the Berlin Conference on Africa, European powers occupied and colonies areas in Africa, which later became known as the Scramble for Africa. During this period, the African leaders reacted to the Scramble for Africa in different ways including, by political or cultural behavior, fighting back or surrendering.
The European invasion of Africa lead the Africans to respond in several different ways, one of which being responding with political or cultural behavior. (Documents 1,2,3, and 8). In document 1 the Royal Niger Company made a standard form contract for multiple African leaders to sign in order to imperialize the Delta. The British government discussed not entering a war with the Africans or interfering with any of the native laws and customs for control of the Nile River. The contract was meant for the tribal leaders around the delta and it discussed the legal and land usage right. In document 2, An Ashanti leader had a negative reply to protectorate offer. The Ahshanti leader replied negatively, saying that the kingdom of Ashanti will never commit itself to any such policy. This document is anti-imperialism and is told by a someone who was asked to join the empire and declined. The Ashanti leader wrote the document to make a stand against Britain as well as to maintain his kingdom. In document 3, The emperor of Ethiopia, Menelik II, wrote a letter to great Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Russia in 1891. Within the letter Menelik II talked about maintaining Ethiopia as a whole. The occasion for this letter was because they wanted the seacoast boundary to not be lost. The emperor of Ethiopia believes that because the all powerful had protected Ethiopia up until then, that he will continue to do so in the future. In document 8, a German Military officer reported to the German Military Weekly newspaper on the 1950 Maji Maji rebellion. The purpose for this article was to tell other Germans about a magic medicine he had seen. This magic medicine was supposed to have the power to produce “a good harvest, invulnerability, as well as strengthen women and children.” The magic medicine consisted of the ingredients water, maize and sorghum grains. This is told from a Germans point of view and it shows how desperate and sad they are about the imperialism. The military officer tried to tell them they will get though all the bad of imperialism. An additional document that could be added to this section could be a document with the point of view from a European to see how they react when the Africans tried to fight back against them.
Besides reacting in a political or cultural way some Africans decided to react by fighting back (Doc 4,5,6,7). Ndansi Kumalo was an African veteran of the Ndebele Rebellion against the British advances in 1896. After surrendering the Africans quickly discovered they did not like the consequences of doing so. They discovered that they were no longer going to stand being treated like slaves, so they started a rebellion. The Africans started the rebellion not having any idea on exactly what they were doing. The White men fought with better technology therefore leaving many of the African people dead. This article shows to be pro imperialism and anti imperialism because at first they surrendered to the white people but then the Africans decided they did not like how they were being treated under British control. An image located at the Museum of Natural History of the Battle of Adowa in 1896. The reason behind the painting was the Scramble for Africa. This picture was directed to the people of Ethiopia. This piece was painted to show how victorious the Ethiopians were in their battle against the Italians. This painting is biased towards the Ethiopians because it shows many dead Italians. Yaa Asantewa, Ashanti queen mother made a speech to the chiefs in 1900. Yaa Asantewa discusses raising protecting the king and rising against the white men. The reason for her speech is for the scramble for Africa and because the white men are trying to take their king away and the men aren’t fighting back. She directs herself to the men, she tries to put them to shame, saying that if they do not fight then the women will. This document is both anti imperialsm as well as pro imperialsm, because the Yaa Asantewa does not want to surrender she wants to fight for their king, while the men do not seem interested in fighting for their king. In 1904 the leader of the Hereo people, Samuel Manerera, wrote a letter to another African leader. Samuel Manerera writes that the Germans are killing his people for no good reason. The reason behind Samuel Manerera writing this letter is the scramble for Africa. Manera states that they would rather die fighting than die from maltreatment, imprisonment, or other calamity. An extra document that could be used could be one from an European officer on their view of what it is like fighting and killing innocent people, this could be helpful because you would be able to compare and contrast what a European had to say compared to what an African had to say.
The third and final way in that the Africans reacted to the scramble of Africa was by surrendering to the white men.(Documennt 4, and 6) In document 4, Ndansi Kumalo first talks about how when they surrendered they “were told to back to our homes and live our usual lives and ten to our crops.” Soon after living like this, they realized they were being mistreated and begin treated like slaves. They were forced to do tasks, and the whites were too overbearing. After surrendering and then being mistreated, they realized something had to be done so they rebelled. Then in document 6 Yaa Asantewa’s men want to surrender and not fight against the white men but the queen wants to take up arms against them. She gets disappointed the men do not want to fight for their king and would rather “sit down and see their Ling be taken away without firing a shot.” Both of these documents show the Africans surrendering to the European power and completely giving into imperialism. An additional document that could be added could be a map showing all of the colonies that surrendered to the European power instead of fighting back.
During the three decades after the Berlin Conference on Africa, European powers occupied and colonies areas in Africa, which later became known as the Scramble for Africa. This period of time had a large impact of Africans and is still remembered today. During this period, the African leaders reacted to the Scramble for Africa in different ways including, by political or cultural behavior, fighting back or surrendering.