Imperialism in the South
Southern Africa: Imperialism
By Anthony Munoz Perez
November 13th, 2012
When you think about the imperialism in southern Africa what do you think about? Do you think about how the Europeans came and almost wiped-out many great African villages and tribes. Or do you think about how they used them for cheap labor just so they could make a good profit. Imperialism in Southern Africa has been going on for quite some time by the same countries British, Portuguese, and the Germans. All of these countries wanted the same thing: they either were in an economic issue and needed a way to make money, needed more natural resources, or to spread their Christian values. All of these things ended up affecting the native Africans.
It all started in the1500’s when the Europeans sent many missionaries in to southern Africa. They would send these missionaries in to try and convince the local Africans to leave their beliefs and adopt Christianity. This effected the Southern African people because in some areas they would drop their own beliefs which have been practiced for more than thousands of years. After they realized all of the natural resources they could get they would start sending in their troops to imperialize the people of southern Africa so that they could get all the natural resources they need. The main natural resources that the Europeans wanted from southern Africa were gold, silver, and ivory. The Europeans did all of this because most of them had some sort of an economic issue. They needed a way to make money in a cheap way but they also needed to make a good profit. So the Europeans used very cheap labor with the local African. The Europeans did this by forcing the local people of southern Africa to work for very little money, just so the Europeans could lots of money. All of these reasons over time ended scarring the local’s tradition and culture which they had held so dearly for thousands of years.
In the end the Europeans got the last word when they just leave the country that they have controlled. Leaving a country to fend on its own, not knowing what to do because they were never in a situation like that. The imperialism in Southern Africa had some bad effects on the southern African people, but it also had some good. Most of the Southern African people now are up to date with the modern world. “ without struggle there is no progress “ (Douglass). This quote by Fredrick Douglass seems to be true for the Southern African people for they are now progressing towards a better future.
By Anthony Munoz Perez
November 13th, 2012
When you think about the imperialism in southern Africa what do you think about? Do you think about how the Europeans came and almost wiped-out many great African villages and tribes. Or do you think about how they used them for cheap labor just so they could make a good profit. Imperialism in Southern Africa has been going on for quite some time by the same countries British, Portuguese, and the Germans. All of these countries wanted the same thing: they either were in an economic issue and needed a way to make money, needed more natural resources, or to spread their Christian values. All of these things ended up affecting the native Africans.
It all started in the1500’s when the Europeans sent many missionaries in to southern Africa. They would send these missionaries in to try and convince the local Africans to leave their beliefs and adopt Christianity. This effected the Southern African people because in some areas they would drop their own beliefs which have been practiced for more than thousands of years. After they realized all of the natural resources they could get they would start sending in their troops to imperialize the people of southern Africa so that they could get all the natural resources they need. The main natural resources that the Europeans wanted from southern Africa were gold, silver, and ivory. The Europeans did all of this because most of them had some sort of an economic issue. They needed a way to make money in a cheap way but they also needed to make a good profit. So the Europeans used very cheap labor with the local African. The Europeans did this by forcing the local people of southern Africa to work for very little money, just so the Europeans could lots of money. All of these reasons over time ended scarring the local’s tradition and culture which they had held so dearly for thousands of years.
In the end the Europeans got the last word when they just leave the country that they have controlled. Leaving a country to fend on its own, not knowing what to do because they were never in a situation like that. The imperialism in Southern Africa had some bad effects on the southern African people, but it also had some good. Most of the Southern African people now are up to date with the modern world. “ without struggle there is no progress “ (Douglass). This quote by Fredrick Douglass seems to be true for the Southern African people for they are now progressing towards a better future.