7th Grade Notes

Here are the notes from 12-3

European Conquest of Africa
Chapter 12
Section 3
Europeans on the Coast
• Pre 1500’s Europe and Africa were trade equals
• 1500’s- saw Europe enslavement and forced migration of Africans
• 1800’s end of slavery and Europeans turned their attention to Africa’s natural resources
• 1900’s Europeans carve up and divide Africa amongst themselves
• Portuguese Exploration
• Portuguese were looking to by pass Northern African traders and deal directly with West Africa
• Gold and Ivory
• Sailing improvements- triangle shaped sail and the astrolabe
• A Change in Trade Relations
• Europe and Africa were originally trade equals
• Trading goods for goods
• 1498 Portuguese ships rounded southern tip of Africa and up the east coast
• They were amazed by east Africa’s wealth
• More Portuguese ships quickly arrive
• Seized control of east Africa’s wealth and would control it well into the 1600’s
• European Trade Spreads
• Dutch, French and English soon follow
• Set up trading posts all along Africa’s coasts
• Dutch settle the Cape of Good Hope
• Europeans spread all over Africa sometimes by force if needed
• Relationship between Africans and Europeans sours
Atlantic Slave Trade
• Slavery was common in Africa before 1500
• Was a temporary situation
• Property, bought and sold like goods
• Europeans living in Africa bought slaves and sent them back to Europe and to America
• Europeans rarely freed their slaves
• The Demand for Slaves
• Americans originally used Native Americans as slaves but they did not hold up well.
• African slaves were healthier and stronger
• Better at farming, miners, and metal workers
• Easier to adapt to the climate
• Unfamiliar with the territory so less likely to run away
• Slave Trade Begins
• Some African nations refused to take part
• Others sold conquered Africans into slavery
• 1780- 80,000 slaves were being shipped across the Atlantic per year
Horrors of Slavery
• Branding
• Filthy conditions on ships
• Over crowding
• Little food or water
• 20 percent death rate on the ride over
• Beatings
Europeans Colonize Africa
• African’s resisted European colonization, but old guns and Europe’s modern weapons were a problem for Africa
• Scramble for Africa
– European countries competed, but did not want it to lead to a European war
– 1848- Berlin Conference- divided Africa
– 1900 majority of Africa is colonized
– 1914 only Ethiopia and Liberia are independent
• Effect of European Control
– European countries used a variety of governing techniques to control African
– From direct control secondary governments, the ultimate result was Africans were powerless
– Encouraged rivalries among ethnic groups
– Europeans took the best land for farming
– New political boundaries formed without consideration to tribal, ethnic groups
– As long as Europe controlled Africa the conflicts were limited…when the left, chaos