European Nations race to Africa

Europeans, who had been on the West Coast of Africa trading, usually didn’t travel past their ships or coastal trading posts. Europeans did not encourage any exploration into the interior of Africa due to the high rate of mortality from African diseases such as malaria, small pox, and tuberculosis. It wasn’t until the first half of the nineteenth century when the core of Africa was opened up by European explorers who were mostly from Britain, France, and Germany. Initially, they all possessed a great curiosity of the unknown, which at that time was the interior of Africa that had not yet been opened up to them. Some of the explorers such as Dr. David Livingstone and Henry Mortons Stanley were focused on the humanitarian view point when exploring Africa. 

They were looking to put an end to the African slave trade and to open up Africa to Christianity, commerce, and civilization, which came to be referred to as “Livingstone’s 3 C’s.” In return the Europeans hoped to reap the rewards and fame for their discoveries of the exotic landscapes, flora, animal life, and of course the, what they believed to be, “savage” Africans. But, that changed with the abolition of Slavery.

Great Britain, France, and Belgium all had an interest in raw materials found in Africa for their industrialization.  They sought such items as peanuts, palm oil, cocoa, rubber, copper, and tin. They not only sought raw material, but cheap labor and a market ready to purchase their products. With the abolition of Slavery, they chose to abandon the trade and sought to extend what was known as “legitimate” commerce. To do that Europeans would need to follow the explorer and missionaries into the interior of Africa so they could exploit the commercial goods they now needed due to the Enlightenment period followed by the Industrial Revolution, which made way to new advancements of scientific and technical inventions. The Enlightenment period and the Industrial Revolution paved the path that transformed European status, society, and power and changed its authority in the world.

Europe, Germany, Italy, France, and Great Britain all experienced confirmation of national greatness because of new technology and a new self-confidence brought on by new accomplishments.  It wasn’t until the 1880’s when the discovery of diamonds and gold also became a motive and lead to the “Scramble for Africa.”  With incentives, approval and authority backed by technology and medication; In 1884-5, the European imperial powers, Great Britain, France, Germany, Portugal, Belgium and others gather to discuss their rightful place in Africa.

Great Britain was more interested in the biblical motive of colonizing Africa. They were following “Livingstone’s 3 C’s,” and wanted to end slavery, convert them to Christianity, and civilize the continent all for the bettering of the continent as a whole. Great Britain saw themselves as the most “advanced” and took it upon themselves as their job to “enlighten” to continent.  

The European nations like Europe, Germany, Italy, France, and Great Britain were able to  follow the path left previously by other humanitarian missions from explorers and evangelical missionaries that traveled inward to bring faith to the people of Africa.  But, I don’t think that the explorer and evangelical missionaries that were driven to abolish slavery by ending the African Slave trade, would realized that they helped open Africa to commerce, Christianity and civilization.

Men like Dr. David Livingstone and journalist henry Morton Stanley took what they had seen, learned, and explored writing for Europeans to read. Working toward trying to end slavery, abolitionist focused on drawing attention to the Africa, especially the West Coast demanding the presence of the Royal Naval Squadron, which resulted in leading to the intervention and conquest of the interior of the continent.

Protestant missionaries contributed along with other missionaries that organized societies to financially support trips to bring around the foundation of the evangelical movement. When the missionaries worked with the people of Africa, the people felt unmoved by the message but where intrigued by the skills, talents, and goods that were available if they accepted the missionaries’ Christian faith.

Some of the other ideas that came along with Livingstone’s were the western ideas of hygiene, medicine, education, and monogamous marriage.  This continued to be part of the colonization that the outside super powers of the world worked toward when they moved forward, with no real plan of success to take by force their piece of the “cake” from the people of Africa.