How Did Colonialism Affect African Culture

Imperialism can impact a nation in many ways; some of the changes may be good for a nation, and some of them may be bad. However, why did Americans and Europeans seek to imperialize Africa and Asia? How was the age of Imperialism depicted? And how did Americans and Europeans react to their nation’s imperial actions? Americans and Europeans believed it was their “white man’s duty” to civilize and educate the people of Africa and Asia, who were beneath them and not as civilized as them.

During the 18th century the slave trade prospered. Europeans manipulated Africans from the coast to attack nearby tribes and take captives (slaves). The slaves were exchanged for goods like guns and cloth. They were then shipped across the Atlantic in horrifying conditions. In spite of this the British forbidden the slave trade in 1807.

According to African Perspectives on colonialism, written by A.Adu Boahen in 1987, The elite produced by these colonial educational were with few exceptions people who were alienated from their own society in terms of their dress, outlook, and tastes in food, music,and even dance…. They worshipped European culture… and looked down upon their own( Document 2). Essentially what A.Adu Boahen is saying is that the Africans became more alienated from their culture as the European created the colonial education system. The fact that the creation of the colonial schools caused many Africans to be deprived of their culture and even look down upon it shows that European imperialism was harmful. In The Dual Mandate of British Tropical Africa, Fredrick Lugard states ,We are endeavoring to teach the native races to conduct their own affairs with justice and humanity, and to educate them alike in letters and in industry( Document 9).

Having varying effects, imperialism approached nations differently and implemented different changes. Many desired the beneficial changes imperialism would bring, not only to them, but to the world as well. Still, others saw the devastation brought about by imperialism. Although imperialist powers focused on benefits that were supposedly mutual and effective to both imperialists and their subjects, imperialism left a drastic, unfavorable footprint on the face of colonized regions. It was commonly believed by imperialistic powers that their influence was incredibly beneficial to all those involved.

In the race of European imperialism, European countries dominated innocent African colonies. The driving force behind this? Africa’s bountiful resources. Before Africa’s colonization, the European presence in Africa was extremely limited, mainly due to lack of exploration and diseases (Background Essay). However, this changed as European prominence became largely influential through the discovery of Africa’s resource rich lands.

This exchange had a profound impact on both sides of the Atlantic leading to significant changes in culture, cuisine and the environment. One of the primary routes of exchange was the transatlantic slave trade. African slaves were brought to the Americas to work on plantations and in mines. This trade had a profound impact on both continents with millions of Africans forcibly brought to the Americas over several centuries. The slave trade also facilitated the transfer of cultural practices such as music dance and religion between africa ans

The Atlantic Slave Trade, this part of the history talk about of the demand for agricultural labor in the Atlantic world created a strong market for African slaves and led to a dramatic increase in the seventeenth century.

Have you ever had the feeling of being more superior than anyone else, and that you could take anything/everything away from them in a period of time. This is what the European countries did to African community such as taking all of their culture, pride, land, and resources. Through 300 years(1500-1800) there were many new creations, inventions, and trades happening around Africa. And Africa went through a stage of horror by the european countries trying to take over parts of Africa. In a political point of view in “Document A” it showed all of the seven countries taking over Africa, In “Document C” it has showed that the technology was a key role in the imperialism, lastly is “Document E” that has showed how all of the money paid into another

By doing so, indirectly Europeans hindered the development of African societies and caused them to stagnate. Routes like the Triangular Trade were established, which shipped goods to Africa in exchange for slaves, and shipped those slaves to the New World for production of even more goods. When the Europeans had showed up to Africa, major trade hubs that spanned the Sahara to Egypt, existed, trading spices, salt, and other luxuries (Lect. 2, 1/22). However, the outstretched arms of colonization proceeded with a “better” plan, to remove any inkling of progress that could define an advanced African society. Slaves were taken from West Africa, prisoners from inland regions and taken out to the coast to be shipped off the New World and the colonies (Lect. 3, 1/25).

Imperialism In Africa Imperialism was a huge advancement for Europeans in the nineteenth century. Europeans sought to colonize Africa in search for raw materials and markets. Colonies in Africa were affected negatively by Imperialism, it brought many problems regarding military, economic, and social changes to the African society. Warfare, natives losing their land, and foreigners degrading the natives were all significant effects that were bad for the Africans.

Paul Leroy Beaulieu wrote, “It is not natural for the civilized people of the west to gather the marvels of science, art, and civilization and not share the opportunities with the savages in need. We have a duty to spread knowledge of medicine, law, and Christian religion. Such a transformation of a barbarian country cannot be accomplished by business or economic relations alone.” (Document S). This idea of superiority empowered African imperialism.

The transatlantic slave trade or triangular trade was a trade system involving Britain, Europe, Africa, America and the West Indies. Goods such as firearms and alcohol were taken from Britain to Africa in exchange for slaves. The slaves were then taken to America and the West Indies where they were exchanged for rum and sugar for the voyage back to Britain. It can be argued that the key reason for the development of the British economy in the 18th century was its role in the slave trade, although there were many other factors involved such as the industrial revolution and the British Empire.

In Basil Davidson’s video, “Different but Equal”, Davidson examines ancient Africa, and how Africans were perceived in ancient and modern times. Davidson discusses pre-colonized Africa and its history, and how racism prevailed in the past and in modern day. By discussing early civilizations, as well as modern day perspectives, Davidson allows the viewer to have expansive information on how individuals view Africans and their culture. In Davidson’s video, he discusses how people in the past have viewed Africa and African culture, and how that relates to our perception of Africa in modern times.

Marielle Apronti Prof. Oscar Williams AAFS 311 4 March 2018 The Trans-Atlantic slave trade was the most important factor when considering the early development of European capitalism. The arrival of the Portuguese to the West African Coast and their establishment of trading and slave ports throughout the continent set in stone a trend of exploitation of Africa 's labor and human resources. Europeans greatly benefited from the Trans-Atlantic trade, as it allowed them to aggregate raw materials such as sugar and cotton to manufacture products that funded the Industrial Revolution. In the book “Capitalism and Slavery” by Eric Williams he addresses the origin of “Negro” history, the economic and political impact of slavery in Great Britain, the role of the American Revolution and the decline of slavery in Great Britain.

Discourse on colonialism generally results in the different opinions of the colonizer and the colonized. The upshot of such discourse shows that colonialism has divergent interpretations. For the colonizer, it is ‘a civilizing mission’; to the colonized, it is exploitation. Such concept is better understood when both the views are studied with an objective approach. Things Fall Apart is a perfect novel to study colonialism as it deals with the perspectives of the colonizer and the colonized.