EUROPEAN TAKE OVER AFRICA

Being dominant and the thought of bring peace to the Africans was one thing whiles governing and transmuting them to the Europeans liking was another. Prior to 1884, the European colonies had limited themselves in the involvement in the traditional land of Africa. They took cautious steps in securing the power to rule. The colonies as a whole believed Africa was a “no man land” therefore they took measures in building new sates and implementing their own laws and regulations through which the Africans were going to have to follow. Their idea and goal was to take over the economy of the African continent going through their political leaders.

            The Britain started off with their official policy formulated by Lord Fredrick Lugard, a Nigeria High commissioner; this was they referred to as “indirect rule”. With the tradition of the of the African culture being incompatible to the Britain’s, they planned to change the political system to gain power over the people but they couldn’t wipe out the leaders right away; they therefore decided unless they partially maintain Africans political structure and other institutions and instead act as their advisors, their intention to rule the continent will be unsuccessful. For example, they kept traditional kings and chiefs in power as well as the ethnic loyalties and traditions governing marriage and land. In addition, they allowed the continuation of the African languages to be spoken in couple of western schools in the colonies which in return they believe “would guarantee their success of the colonial experiment, ensure everlasting peace, and require the use of fewer financial resources” (Azevedo, 116); in other words, if the Britain’s shared political power with the African leaders (kings, chiefs, etc.), they will feel as important and that could possibly prevent them from rebellion against the Britain’s. In addition, the Britain will also get cheap labor by recruiting or better yet forcing the Africans, which will evidently fairly less cost.

With the colonies main target being power and wealth, the African economy was definitely going to suffer as a consequence. The European began disturbing the peace of Africa’s economy when they forced African authorities and gave them additional power through which their main responsibility was to collect taxes, conscript manpower for involuntary labor and the military; as well as controlling the harvest of certain cash crops in their region—these mistreatment led to African authorities susceptibility because they were seen as tools of colonialism. Note, the taxes that were impose on the African continent weren’t beneficiary to them in any kind of way and “the cash crops made the newly carved territories dependent on one or two commodities that, following independence, became a source of problem when Africans made an attempt to diversify the economy. Furthermore, international fluctuation of consumer needs and resulting prices made Africans economies vulnerable to external forces, and the emphasis on exports overlooked the real needs of the Africans” (Azevedo, 118). Also, from the movie The History of Racism, King Leopold II; who was full of greed sent somebody to Congo to secure that country for him; on that part of the continent, he created a scene as though he was willing to educate what he called the “savage people”. He formed ninety-thousand strong army some of which were Africans to go to village after village; there they seized women from their husbands and forced men to go to the farms to collect a monthly quota of wild robber. This continued for 20 years therefore there weren’t people in the village to do what a normal community will do to feed itself such as fishing, harvesting, farming, etc.—Congo as a result died from over labor and starvation.   African’s primarily relying on one or two agricultural goods were pretty disturbing with the simple fact that they basically didn’t have anybody to sell these goods internationally.

As it has been briefly elaborated above, the exports were strictly in favor of the processing of products overseas, consequently divesting the Africans of industrial plants. Everything and anything the colonies touched on the continent politically, economically, (taxes, railways, harbors), and other amenities that were built to sternly expedite the exports of merchandises from industrious areas to European markets and plants. Africans as being told through history remained the major tank of economical labor for the European government, companies, and enterprises until they gained individuality.