African Reactions to the Scramble for Africa Essay Example

on the Congo River against British and African mercenaries to a German catholic missionary.

In a hurt, appalled, and hateful tone he used this description to show that these white men weren’t good, that they hurt innocent Africans who didn’t even know what they were being shit with and that it wouldn’t be a good idea to let them divide up Africa (Doc 9). A useful document needed is one from a Japanese ruler who was a lot more compassionate than the Europeans and who was not interested in taking the land from the Africans but rather becoming partners with the Africans.

His approach and tone would be peaceful, calm, and compassionate on the topic of partnership, the purpose would be for the Japanese and Africans to further profit and industrialize. This social contract would be presented a few years after the Berlin Conference. Some African groups were so outraged by the white settlers that they were either rebelling already or were planning to (Docs 5, 6, 7). In 1896, an Ethiopian made a painting describing the battle of Adowa in which the Ethiopians were victorious over Italian troops.

He made this for the other Africans who believed that they had to give in, when really they could rebel and even be victorious (Doc 5). In 1900, Yaa Asantewa (Ashanti queen mother) wrote a speech to chiefs in a angry, violent, and motivating tone about her reaction to all of the African chiefs being cowards and not fighting for what was truly theirs. She made this speech to motivate the chiefs into rebelling (Doc 6). Samuel Maherero was the leader of the Herero people and in 1904 he

wrote a letter to another African leader.

He wrote about rising to battle against the Germans in a mad and pleading tone to start fighting Germany for maltreatment (Doc 7). a document that would be useful would be a Buddhist monk’s account of the Europeans taking advantage of the Africans. These accounts would be written the three decades after the Berlin Conference in a pleading and calm tone. They would be about the pain and agony that the Europeans are putting the Africans through to try to stop the mad scramble for Africa .

These accounts would be read by the heartless Europeans Other native groups were peaceful towards the idea f dividing Africa whether or not they were going to actually go through with it (Doc 1, 2, 3). in 1866, multiple African rulers signed a document calmly that was for the Royal Niger Company. This document was about the agreement of development and was signed to set rules about giving up the land (Doc 1). In 1891 and Ashanti leader wrote a response to a British offer of protectorate status.

She wrote in a calm and dedicated tone to India and England about her conclusion of Ashanti ’s land status to let it be known that Ashanti will remain (Doc 2). In 1891, Menelik the second emperor of India wrote a letter in a faithful and calm tone to Great Britain , France , Germany , Italy and Russia about dividing up Africa . He did this so he would let it be known that Ethiopia will not be divided up because it’s already cared for (Doc 3).

A useful document would be from a Muslim trader

who has noticed the dvantage that the Europeans are taking and reports back to his lands. These reports would be around the time of the European Scramble and about the reactions of the Africans and the power of the Europeans. These reports would be in an awed tone and then be used to help Muslims try and take over a continent as the Europeans did. Three decades after the Berlin conference on Africa, this was from 1884 through 1885, Europeans began to wanted Africa ’s land and take control. This was called the Scramble for Africa .

Many African natives were affected by this socially and their reactions were somewhat different. A few African groups were against the white settlers taking over (Docs 4, 8, and 9). Some groups were already rebelling to this process and some were just about to start (Docs 5, 6, and 7). Other African’s just wanted peaceful whether they wanted their land divided or not (Docs 1, 2, and 3). All of these different reactions were caused by the arrogance of the European settlers that wanted what was not rightfully there. They were greedy and their wants caused African to rebel and lose land.