How Did Imperialism Affect The Congolese Culture

When Belgium colonized Congo, the Congolese people’s world quickly changed from the past, influencing their lives heavily. Ten to twenty-three million people died during Leopold’s rule from 1885 to 1908 (Kenneth). The Congolese people weren’t treated fairly and faced many hardships. Most Congolese people died because of King Leopold’s treatment, including war, starvation, forced labor and disease(Bland). This goes to show how poorly King Leopold treated the people and how he didn’t care about the Congolese people, only the reward. Congo was impacted harshly during the colonization period because King Leopold changed the culture and economy to make it beneficial for him and his country.
A social impact of the colonization period was the poor education system of Congo.

When King Leopold established the Congo Free State, he destroyed the link between the Congolese people and their homeland (Kenneth). King Leopold made one single country between Belgium and Congo. He combined the ethnicities of both of these cultures, taking away the Congolese people’s heritage and culture. In addition to this, the Roman Catholic Church forced their religion and values on the Congolese people, taking away their beliefs, and using violence if necessary. The Belgians forced their values upon the Congolese people in order to assimilate their religion and gain more power. The Belgians also spread their language around, minimizing the use of tribal languages in an effort to diminish Congo’s culture completely. The Belgians made it clear that they were in charge and showed violence if the Congolese people continues to speak their native languages. If the people had the same beliefs, they would be more likely not to rebel. King Leopold and the Belgians prosper when Congolese people change their beliefs because this means that they have gained more power over the