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Right now I've been assigned to write a 5-minute speech for my International Relations class; I chose as my subject the effects of colonialism on Africa. Does anyone here know of useful information sources (books, websites, etc.) that explore what European domination did to Africa?
Posts: 7103 | From: Fallbrook, CA | Registered: Mar 2004
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I think it would be good to also mention the psychological effects and the thoughts of the General population. In Ethiopia I spoke with a few individuals that commented on how they "Wished" they were colonized like Kenya because maybe they would have more modern technology and infrastructure.
Using their very successful Airlines as an example I explained how there is not need to be dominated/colonized by foreigners to make such advances, many countries get those SAME advances and machinery simply through TRADE.
It was like a light bulb went off, they had totally forgot about trade. I see similarities in the way some White people I have spoke to comment on Africa. They pretty much say the same things and I give the same answer.
But is a continental problem, those 2 countries that technically were not colonized are both still in the same boat as the other 52. Some mistake Ethiopia and Liberia to be shining examples of an African state that has not been colonized. In some ways YES, Pride. As far as infrastructure, development, Trade, GDP, Life expectancy = Absolutely not.
Posts: 2463 | From: New Jersey USA | Registered: Dec 2007
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astenb - I wonder if you understand the bucket of worms that you have uncovered. There IS something wrong with them.
Posts: 22721 | Registered: Oct 2005
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Ethiopia was colonized by Italy--albeit for about 5 years. Recall that the Italians carted off some indigenous artifcats including the Obelisk.
Italian colonial literature also informs us that the Italians developed an extremely racist attitude towards Ethiopia's peoples.
And for all intents and purposes Liberia was a virtual colony of the U.S. note that its capital was named after U.S. president Monroe and many of its counties are named after Euro-Americans. The U.S. dollar was also the Liberian currency until Samuel Doe came along.
There is no need to be colonized to partake in the diffusion of ideas and technology. Japan was not colonized as a U.S. protectorate until after its WWII defeat. China was colonized only as far as Hong Kong and its coastal areas such as Macau--which was held by the Portugese for a long time.
Posts: 5492 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Your talk is assumedly 5 minutes so you really have to encapulate a lot of history in a very brief time period.
Your best approach would be to offer a brief comparison of Africa before colonization and after colonization. So you might want to begin with Diop's Pre-Colonial Black Africa and Black Nations and Culture, then compare what obtained before to what happened during colonization. You might consult authors like Roland Oliver, Ajai and Crowder, Joseph Ki-Zerbo and the UNESCO History of Africa for details.
However you might want to explore the idea of how the Atlantic Trade prepared the way for the ultimate colonization of Africa.
Bear in mind that what colonization really did was to appendage African territories to the nations of Western Europe for the purpose of exploiting Africa's human[the settler colonies of Kenya, Zimbabwe, Angola, Mozambique and South Africa greatly exploited Africa's human resources to create wealth for the settlers. The worst case scenario was the Congo where King Leopold of Belgium chained and enslaved thousands of Congo's inhabitants to create wealth from rubber and minerals. It is claimed that 10 million people were killed, maimed or died in the process] and natural resources.
The ultimate effect of colonialism was to abort ongoing attempts at indigenous state formation and to replace such with artificial and forcefully imposed colonial identities, languages and nationalities.
Posts: 5492 | Registered: Nov 2004
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