African Colonization in the 1870's, Essay

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Before the Scramble for Africa of the late 19th century, Africa was hierarchical, authoritarian, and paternalistic, just like the European countries invading them. Insubordination and disobedience to the deference pyramids were punished by violence. Some tribes carried this violence out against their neighbors, from whom they stole cattle and other property. The strength of white settlers in Africa came from their technology. Before the nineteenth century, some African prophets and seers foretold of great human suffering at the hands of white invaders. There were many in tribes who resisted white settlement from the beginning, while other tribes studied the ways of the white man and tried to form alliances with the Europeans against their enemies. Many tribes were neutral, although their chiefs might accept gifts in return for cooperation. The presence of white man changed the dynamics of power in Africa in many ways.

New forms of power brought by the white man in the form of guns changed the degree of violence in Africa. Before the use of guns, it is quite likely that skirmishes between tribes were more like sporting than what we today think of as warfare. There were indeed very few casualties. With the introduction of guns, however, fatality during these skirmishes increased. Before guns, the ability of one tribe to exercise total authority over another was severely limited.

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This, to be sure, changed after the introduction of European tools of conquest. Even though many of the western powers pulled out in the latter half of the twentieth century, they left in place industrial structures in Africa which allowed them to economically exploit African countries. This economic setup, which sends commodities out of Africa and into the core countries with very little compensation, exist still today.

With oligarchies in place, European countries still controlled considerable the resources of Africa. Large transnational institutions such as the IMF and World Bank, furthermore, funded by the western governments, have set up lending schemes for Africa under the guise of assistance, although these loans are permitted only if countries in Africa follow special IMF and World Bank restructuring programs that oftentimes result in austerity measures for the people. These restructuring programs have been criticized by many as forms of neocolonialism. They typically entail the cutting of public services and devaluation of the currency. The turmoil after these measures tends to thrust a country's society into chaos, ending in dictatorship. (Burns)

1. Ranger, Terrence. (1995) the Invention of Tradition in Colonial Africa. New York: Wiley Publishing

2. Burns, Marshall. Disillusion and Hope….....

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