how did colonialism affect Africa?

Question

how did colonialism affect Africa

when europian countries took over Africa how did it affect them? what affect does colonialism have on them now even though there are indipendant?

Answer 1

I have no idea where the people who have responded so far got their answers but I spent a number of years on the continent and I can share with you what I learned.

First, colonialism in Africa is a period that begins around the early 1800's and lasts until the the early 1960's in some parts and the 1980'S in other countries such as Zimbabwe. So we are talking about a phenomenon that is only 1 generation ago. Most people's parents and indeed grandparents lived under colonial rule and they can tell you first hand, that it was no picnic. Life was exteremely difficult for many Africans since any benefits were enjoyed solely by the white colonialists.

There were 3 many reasons why European nations raced to Africa during this period:

1/ Commerce - as a source of raw material for European goods.
2/ Christianity - although this was used intially by many European govt's to further there commercial agenda.
3/ Expansion of national empires & adventure - Africe became the "wild west" of that time period and many people came either to either "strike it rich" or get away from the more formal envirnoment back home. There are so many scandals from this time......

Colonialism thrived under 2 policies:
1/ Divide and conquer - It was actual European policy to favor one tribe over another and foster the already existing culture-centric attitude. They knew that if you got people fighting each other they would have no time or inclination to get together and fight the small minority group of white settlers. 2% of the population was running the country...2% agst 98% of the predominantly black population.

2/ Forcible relocation & Scorch earth policy - Those that did not co-operate with either relocation from more fertile lands desired by European settlers, were literally burned out of their homes.

3/ Use of segregation and brutality - I meet a family once were all the siblings ranging in ages from 60-52 were born in colonial detention camps because there mother was a part of the resistance effort and she was imprisoned so often.

So what happends DURING colonialism to the continent:

1/ Africa was partitioned into various countries - this is part of the problem in today's modern Africa. You have tribes that were relocated into another's area, people who were partitioned into another country...all these factors festering the already existing cultural-centeric atmospehere and creating a recipe for the genocide, you now see today.

2/ Alot of resentment is brewing among the more oppressed tribes which is galvanized into a feeling of nationalism and revolutions are mounted to get the settlers out in most parts.....

So colonialism ENDS in most parts in the 1960's and what happens next:

1/ Suddenly you have a laregly uneducated and politically unsavvy population left to take over governance of a conitnent that has "not being their own" for almost 100 years.....since many of the better revolutionaries are killed during the struggle for independence you see a bunch of power hungry, no good-for-nothings coming into power.......another lovely ingredient to add into the stew ..........corruption is so bad in many countries that it is impossible to get by without being a part of the problem....

2/ In Kenya, for example, there are over 22 tribes and almost 52 dialects spoken......how do you build a consensus govt. under these coniditions? Very challenging and no one has the right answer. The feelings of nationalism during the struggle for independence are all but over .......

Hope that helps! There is some excellent reading material out there and I spent aloth of time in Kenya so I am very familiar with the country's history...........

Answer 2

We gotta be careful, here. At first I was thinking that this was one of those "Are you kidding me?" kinds of questions. But I'm going to assume that this is a serious "homework" kind of question. So, as usual, I wont do someone's homework for them, but I will drop a few hints that will, hopefully lead to some useful research.

Before the period of colonialism, most of central and southern Africal was composed of wilderness and scatterings of tribal groups. Some of these groups were generally ethnically connected, with very few political, or nationalistic entities.

Now, many years later, African maps show a rainbow of color and random seeming borders, drawn by, mostly, European settlers, explorers and traders. These, otherwise, arbitrary borders group, and separate diverse ethnic people according to the needs of the colonists and NOT the indigenous populations. The result being tribal and ethinic warfare which prevents or severely limits the ability of the Africans to manage and exploit thier own resourses, natural and economic.

This is changing, however, as the practices, begun by the colonials, gradually give way, thanks to the educational development of the Africans. They are learning how to manage themselves. Some are making deadly mistakes and others are succeeding.

This process is slow. Just as the colonial period lasted hundreds of years, it wil take time for the changes to settle into a system that benefits the people who live there.

While you digest these thoughts, I suggest you also begin to think about how the practice of kidnapping tens of thousands of people, and selling them off to slavery in countries, all over the world, fits in with the colonial expansion, and reduction.

Answer 3

before Africa had Great resources and still do but really it messed it up bad . well their poor now and most of it is a 3rd world country.European interests in Africa by Britain, as well as the The abolition of the slave trade, forcibly imposed on European Scramble for Africa leaves traditional cultures fractured and bleeding.When the French tried to make Africans into model French citizen without any regard for the culture and history of the indigenous peoples.They would try to instill French pride and love of the mother country in Africans without forcing them to abandon all native ideas and culture.Despite the attempts at assimilation and association, the average African colonial did not think of themselves as part of the French empire. In conclusion it mentally twisted them and because there was no consideration for the natives cultures and try to turn them into European it left them confused an because of the conflict left corrupt government.

Answer 4

It created a lot of countries that were the result of European political power, not the power of native rulers or the unity of native peoples. As a result, various peoples, such as the Yoruba, now live divided in Nigeria, Benin and a few other places, thus causing this once powerful people to be an impotent minority in those lands. Furthermore, various peoples long antagonistic to each other have had to live in the same nation, thus leading to conflict. Lastly, the European powers did, on pulling out, usually leave power in the hands of those with the least means to maintain it. Perhaps the Europeans wanted a government in place that would need them for support, or perhaps the powerless simply behaved incredibly sycophantically, but the result of that was African leaders who had to resort to violence to stay in power.

Answer 5

Very little. Africans were already being sold (by their own families) way before America came into the picture. England and the French, ect. were already using slaves. When people came to America they brought their slaves with and had to get more to work the fields ect. So America did not start slavery. So it did not really effect Africa except maybe a higher demand for slaves. Which is sad but alot of people dont realize that most of the slaves were not kidnapped or dragged to the ship they were sold by their own family members.

Answer 6

it brought south Africa almost out of being a third world

Answer 7

They were a LOT better-off WITH IT