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“The thirst for power drove the European nations Into a frenzy to control the continent based solely on the false belief that they were superior, thereby Inflicting numerous evils upon both African land and its peoples”. This quote relates to the subject of 19th century European Imperialism in Africa. When the Europeans arrived in this new land, their first intention was not to take control, but to make use of its trading ports in order to maintain a successful trade reputation against competitors.
Soon after arriving, these innocent intentions turned rotten when the Invaders took advantage of the unsuspecting Africans and their homeland. Europe was after raw materials, markets for goods and national glory, and eventually felt as though It was their duty to “assist” the smaller nation as if it were their burden. The Europeans felt that what they were doing was just. In reality, European Imperialism had a negative impact on Africa due to the abolishment of traditional tribal culture, the abuse of the African laborer, and the tearing away of African freedom and faith.
When Europe invaded Africa In the 19th century, they Immediately replaced rotational African culture/religion with Charlatanry, no exceptions. Europeans declared themselves “missionaries of God”, and forced their religion upon the African “savages”. (Africans Imperialism. ) During this time, many Africans took park in specific ethnic groups, which were most likely strict when dealing with religious views. Giving the natives no option at all on what they can and can’t believe in was cruelty, and should not have been forced upon these innocent people.
The Africans were made to adopt the cultures of the Europeans as well, even though these stateless were impolitely unfamiliar to the vellums_ (Cultural Imperialism Examples. ) The Europeans imposed their views on the subordinate culture of Africa with force, believing that their way of life was superior to the natives’. These unwelcome visitors claimed that they were spreading Christianity and good, but were actually doing the devil’s work by taking advantage of the unknowing and showing no mercy. (Imperialism in the name of Religion. ) Christianity Is about love and caring for others, but what the Europeans did was the exact opposite.
Their thoughts and actions only benefited homeless, and showed little compassion towards the Africans, Just as many of their other following “accomplishments” have done. Once in Africa, European forces engaged natives In cheap, cruel labor with little to no pay. Africa yielded many raw and profitable materials that would benefit the Europeans, and so when they found not only goods, but laborers to work for those goods, they took immediate action. (Effects of Imperialism. ) Because the Africans did not have modernized weapons to equal the artillery of their Intruders, It was virtually impossible to fend them off.
Africans were turned down when they asked for more pay, and white employer groups would argue that they should not even be paid a cent at all. (Extending European control. ) White mine owners claimed that if they did not receive cheap laboring workers, their companies were sure to fail. They were not worried the least bit about how their employees felt, only of their own profit and expected to pay taxes that the Europeans had imposed onto them. (Extending European control. ) Every time an African tribe would stand up to their oppressors, they were turned down and sometimes brutally punished for their “disrespect”.
They were now being forced to live in special, designated areas for strictly Africans, and to survive they were forced to work on white plantations and in the dangerous mines, all of which are Just as cruel as the next example of neglect. As soon as Europe stepped foot on African soil, these peoples’ freedom was to be officially torn away from them. Every European man believed strongly in “Social Darwinism”. (Imperialism in the name of Religion. ) Social Darwinism is the belief which states that the strongest, or fittest, should survive and flourish, and that the mailer and weaker of the world are unfit and should be allowed to die off.
It was an extremely false belief of the Europeans, and wrong of them to believe that they were superior based on their skin color. The natives were treated as though they were of no value and were inferior to light-skinned beings. (European Imperialism in the 19th Century. ) Men, women, and children were exploited due to their color and forced to believe things they didn’t understand and to do things they didn’t want to do. Also, Europeans divided their newfound land up into regions with no regard at all for ribald, ethnic, or cultural boundaries that previously existed among the natives.
This wrongdoing has led to tribal warfare within the separated areas, all of which went uncared for by the Europeans. They were not the least bit concerned about the African natives, nor were they planning on doing anything to stop the disagreements. (European Imperialism in Africa. ) In the end, European Imperialists had no concern of the damage they had caused to Africa when they made their invasion, and were only interested in how they were about to benefit from the cultural reconstruction.
Many Africans lost their lives due to fending their homeland, refusing to work for little to no pay, and attempting to keep their previous lives the same. The Europeans claimed to be introducing God to the natives, but instead performed acts that God would never approve of. They inflicted pain onto their victims, forcing them to work long, hard hours in dangerous conditions. And at the first chance they received, they swept African freedom away quicker than anyone could’ve imagined. Although there were a few beneficial aspects, European Imperialism in Africa in the 19th century caused much more harm than it did help.