Q2 - Lesson #29 - The Colonial Era in Africa

We'll start with the reading quiz on 27:2.

We introduced the topic of imperialism last session, largely through our look at the Scramble for Africa. Today, we'll continue along this general theme, taking more of a look at the colonial era that followed. When we return, we'll turn our attention to India.


Let's make sure we have the basic language of imperialism down. There are four major forms of imperialism:
  • colony
  • protectorate
  • sphere of influence
  • economic imperialism
Make sure you've got a solid understanding of the two basic "styles" on imperial rule:
  • indirect control
  • direct control
Here are a couple of interesting graphs from the Statistics on the Extent of European Colonialism.

Let's spend about ten minutes with a DBQ activity that provides a solid overview of imperialism in Africa.

The Congo - Then and Now: We mentioned last week that the Congo has had a turbulent history from King Leopold II to the present. Here's an article from a couple years back updating the situation for you. Basically, estimates are that as many as 5.4 million people have died due to "Africa's First World War" over the past decade. Congo's Death Rate Unchanged Since War Ended - The New York Times, January 23, 2008. If you want a more in-depth understanding of this very complicated event, check out Chaos in Congo: A Primer from The New York Times in 2000.

The Colonial Era: We touched upon a number of these issues yesterday, so I'll share with you a set of my old notes on the Colonial Era in Africa that might be useful in the activities that follow. In particular, let's look at the various ways in which people responded to colonialism.

The Colonial Ledger: This is simple. Click on the title to download a simple chart. A "ledger" is a book used in accounting and elsewhere to keep track of transactions. Here, you are asked work with two or three others to brainstorm a list of effects of colonialism. Some may be positive, while many are certainly negative. Try also to classify them as economic, political and social. You should have a total of at least 12 impacts, with some in each of the six categories.

Primary Sources on Imperialism: Here are a number of primary sources related to imperialism. Some are ones we will work with, and others are simply provided for your information.

Colonialism in 10 Minutes - Scramble for Africa - This is a YouTube clip from a recently released documentary film, Uganda Rising. I think it does a good job of giving you a quick overview of the Scramble for Africa, while it also links the past to the present in the country of Uganda very effectively.


HOMEWORK for next session - Tuesday, January 3rd
 
Please complete the TAKE-HOME quiz for Chapter 27, Section 3, "Europeans Claim Muslim Lands." (pp. 786 - 790).

Please continue your reading in Chapter 27 with Section 4, "British Imperialism in India." (pp. 791 - 795) You will take a quiz on this in class when you return. It will be fill-in-the-blank.

Your WWED? comments should be posted to Blog Entry - Lesson #27.
 
Just a reminder that your Cartoons: Industrialization and Imperialism assignments are due on Friday, January 6th. You can find the directions for that back on Lesson #25.


About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Mike Vergin published on December 16, 2011 12:00 PM.

Q2 - Lesson #28 - Imperialism and the Scramble for Africa was the previous entry in this blog.

Q2 - Lesson #30 - British Rule in India is the next entry in this blog.

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