Britain’s strategic motives in Africa centred on thwarting the growth of rival European powers as well as securing its interests in Africa. However there was a clear symbiotic relationship between strategic and economic concerns, during the expansion period. One of the first incidents in Africa where this was made manifest was when Britain invaded Egypt in 1882. The Suez Canal was of major strategic importance as it allowed ships to access the empires ‘Jewel in the crown’ India faster, through the red sea instead on going around Africa, as well as faster transportation of Arab oil. The canal was also of economic significance as historian Simon Smith reminds us that ‘80% of the Suez traffic was British, and13% of Britain’s trade passed through the canal’ , this is due to most of Britain’s trade with India passing through the Suez.
To what extent were economic motives the most important reason for Britain obtaining influence and possessions in Africa from 1868 – 1902? There are many factors involved which allowed Britain to obtain influence and possessions in Africa during the scramble. The main factors are Strategic, The individuals in the field, humanitarian issues and properly the most important factor; economics. Economics could be described as the main reason for British interests in Africa to begin with but also remaining an important factor throughout this period. The British involvement in Africa was down to economic reasons; this is clear throughout the time period as most events which take place in Africa can be linked back to economy.
By the mid-19th Century the USA was growing westwards. The Northern states of the USA were become more industrialised and began to catch up with the South in economic terms. The South on the other hand, remained agricultural and grew rich on cotton and tobacco sales to Europe. Their economy was still based on slavery. This economic divergence led to tensions.
These inventions (refer to Document C for examples) caused great economic expansion across Europe. Yet at the same time, these exact inventions caused for a need of more raw materials. This is where Imperialism began to take shape, because before Imperialism in Africa had begun, there were still many examples of Europeans who’d enslaved africans on their own land. Which meant that once raw materials for machines that needed simple labor in a factory rather than the fields were needed to maintain their great economic boost; whichever European country had the most property in Africa, got to conquer the most land in its entirety (Scramble for Africa). Meaning these now obsolete slaves were being subject to have to watch European countries take over their lands and began industrializing on african soil because of how rich in materials the African land is.
Since Europeans were experiencing great economic gain, because they had the slaves and native peoples working for them, European countries with established colonies in the Americas began to become increasingly richer. This sparked a social change since an increase in finances led to an increase the power that kings and authority figures in Europe possessed. However, a negative social aspect that occurred due to Europeans immigrating to the Americas was that they brought diseases from their home countries that the native peoples weren’t exposed to before. This caused a devastating decrease in the population of the Native Americans throughout this time
Between 1500-1800 C.E. Sub-Saharan Africa experienced changes and continuity as they began to go further with their foreign relations. Culturally, Africa began to form syncretic cults that had Christian teachings and African traditions. Slavery continued to be one of Africa's main way of showing economic wealth. Africa experienced growth and change in their political organization and the rise and fall of kingdoms and states Before the syncretic cults, Africa's old traditions and beliefs surrounded deities, idols, and multiple gods.
European Imperialism in Africa and Asia European nations followed to establish trade contacts in Africa and Asia. Their influence in the non-Western world increased gradually in the next three centuries. Beginning in 1870, European nations moved rapidly to extend their control over almost all of Africa and in most of Asia. The industrialized nations competed with each other for natural resources and raw materials such as copper, rubber, petroleum, and cotton after the Industrial Revolution spread within Europe. The industrial middle class, who had gained greater influence in the governments in Europe, encouraged imperialist ventures to seize control in Africa and Asia.
Compare and contrast essay Although Europe, Africa, and the Americas differed in the effect of the population increase/decrease and economic impact they were similar in the trade routes that were utilized between 1492 and 1750 because of the Atlantic world. Europe benefited from the new contacts between them Africa, and the Americas. When they came into contact with the new world , they were able to bring back corn and potatoes, because of the new found cash crops brought back, the population increased. Economically this was beneficial, because with the new colonies established, Europe was able to develop mercantilism. It proved to be very beneficial to Europe and was practiced for quite some time.
Africans were forced into new modernization of agricultural technique which was introduced by Europeans. In essence, native Africans had to produce what they don’t consume and what they don’t produce in order to enrich the home country. Food produced by Africans was transported to the home country for profit. Meanwhile, non native whites profited richly from this economic system and native black populations remain in poverty (Korieh & Njoku, P.339-342). Underdevelopment There was several immediately obvious aspect of that underdevelopment that we need to elaborate.
Around 1450-1700 Western Europe expanded their Atlantic trade. They began exploring other parts of the world, and even building colonies in some of these places. They began to explore Africa as well as the Americas. Western Europe gained many things from this new land, which they were able to use in order to enhance their own economy. Western Europe’s expansion of Atlantic trade, through exploration and colonization, not only improved their own economy, but also the economy of America, through sharing new trade products and crops as well as beginning the slave trade.