King Leopold II: The Role Of European Imperialism In Africa

King Leopold II - A cruel ruler in Congo that made profits off of mainly ivory and rubber. He eventually was forced to sell Congo to the Belgian government because people found out how harsh his rule was.

Cecil Rhodes - Believed in colonialism and colonized Zimbabwe and Zambia. He greatly exploited the resources there and made a large profit off of diamond mining. He was one of the most significant and influential promoters of Britain's imperial interests.

Henry Morton Stanley - Worked with King Leopold and known as the Breaker of Rocks because he forced laborers to chip away at rock to build roads and railroads. He was criticized for his cruelty towards Africans, whom he regarded as suitable only for labor and exploitation. He thought of them

According to the theory, this is a natural process that should occur. It is significant because it was rationalization for imperialism. Europeans believed that it was right for them to take over African countries because they were stronger.

“The Dark Continent” - What Africa was referred to because of the lack of information about it, the ignorance, and the skin tone. It is significant because it sparked an interest for explorers to find out more about Africa

Berlin Conference - The European powers literally divided Africa up between themselves. It regulated European colonization and trade in Africa. There were no Africans involved in the decisions because the Europeans thought of Africans as less than human.

Domestic System Of Production - Goods were produced at home with hand tools by the worker, they manufactured the entire item and worked flexible hours to the demand. They had multiple sources of income like farming, gardening, aside from labor, and could keep all the profits and make own decisions. It is significant because that was what life was like before the

An example is europeans looking for new lands to sell the goods that they were producing. Political, the desire to gain power and expand territory. An example is King Leopold claiming Congo because he wanted power over others. Ideological, based on cultural values and the belief that the white race is superior and that only the strongest nations and empires will survive. An example is european countries taking over African countries to civilize them and change them to adopt the ways of the white men. Religious, the desire to spread christianity and spread European morals and beliefs. An example is missionaries going to Africa to force their religion on to the people there, even though they have their own religion. Exploratory, the desire to explore unknown territory and investigate other cultures. Europeans were interested in exploring Africa because there was not a lot of prior knowledge and wanted to find out the treasures