Imperialism

By Emily yvonne
  • 1400

    Golden Age of Exploration

    Europeans sailed south around the continent of Africa.
  • 1400

    Reaching wealth

    They hoped to reach wealth of silks and spices found in India and China.
  • 1400

    Learning about what?

    By sailing the learned more about the people and cultures of Africa.
  • 1400

    The result

    As a result of sailing, Europeans began to trade with African people living south of the Sahara.
  • 1400

    Slavery

    Slavery became apart of the economy of Africa before the arrival of the Europeans, but the Europeans greatly increased the trade in enslaved people in Africa.
  • 1500

    Trading

    European traders began to sell Africans guns and European made goods in exchange for slaves.
  • 1500

    Transport

    Once the slaves were sold they were then transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas to work on sugar, rice and cotton plantations.
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    Removal

    As many as 13 million people may have been forcibly removed from their homeland. It is estimated that 20% or more of those taken did not survive the Middle Passage.
  • 1500

    The Middle Passage

    It was the journey across the ocean from Africa to the Americas.
  • 1500

    Increase in goods

    Th increase in the number of guns available to people living in Africa, caused greater fighting among different groups which weakened everyone and made it easier for Europeans to take over.
  • 1500

    Trading posts

    Slavery was just beginning in the 1500s. The Europeans began to build trading posts in Africa in the 1500s and by the early 1800s, they were colonizing or taking over another country for the resources it can provide.
  • 1500

    Seizing for resources

    Europeans knew that Africa had many resources and important trade routes they wanted to control. Britain began by seizing Egypt to gain control of the Suez Canal.
  • 1500

    France territories

    France took control over most of western North Africa.

  • Spain and Italy territories

    Spain and Italy also gained territory in Morocco and Somalia.

  • Ethiopia invasion

    The only country to remain uncolonized was Ethiopia though Italy did invade the country in 1930.

  • The worst colonies

    Belgium Congo was the worst of colonies established in 1930.

  • In Belgium Congo

    Nearly all Africans suffered under colonial rule as their land was taken. They were forced to work for little or no pay and any attempt to rebel was violently crushed.

  • Devastation of Africans

    Though Europeans banned slavery, and built schools, hospitals, roads, and railroads, European colonization devastated the people and cultures of Africa.

  • Independence for Sudan

    Sudan gained their independence from Great Britain in 1956.

  • Independence in Africa

    Countries that had been colonized were economically devastated. Things were made more difficult because the Europeans had drawn country lines without regard to where different ethnic groups were located.

  • Independence in Belgium Congo

    Belgium Congo became independent in 1960. The country was unable to create a stable, fair government.

  • Independence in Rwanda

    Independence came to Rwanda in 1962 after which violence broke out and the Hutu took control.

  • Kenya’s Independence

    The Kikuyu people of Kenya began a political organization in the 1920s to fight for freedom from Great Britain. It took years but Kenya became independent in 1963.

  • Nelson Mandela’s arrest

    In 1964 Mandela was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for his actions. Mandela would not be silenced and continued to protest from prison.

  • Joseph Mobutu

    Joseph Mobutu seized power in 1965. He renamed the country Zaire and ruled uninterrupted for 32 years. The suffering of the people of Congo continued due to his corruption and violence.

  • Steven Biko’s murder

    One member of the ANC, Steven Biko was arrested and murdered by police.

  • Igbo

    In 1976 the Igbo people tried to declare themselves independent. They named their new country Biafra.

  • The actions of Igbo

    The actions of the Igbo launched a civil war in which over one million people died before the Igbo agreed to remain part of Nigeria.

  • Southern rebellion

    After independence, the people in the south rebelled against northern rule leading to two civil wars from 1956 to 1972 and from 1983 to 2005.

  • The rule of President Hosni Mubarak

    The Arab Spring Egypt was under the leadership of President Hosni Mubarak in the beginning. He was a dictator who had controlled Egypt for 30 years. He was forced to resign in 2011.