Africa South of the Sahara: Geography and History 301

TERMS & NAMESmissionaryHutuTutsi

The slave trade and colonialismdestroyed traditional cultures and social systems in Africa southof the Sahara.

Africa is still recovering from the effects of the slave trade and colonialism.

MAIN IDEA WHY IT MATTERS NOW

King Affonso of Kongo has sent a letter

to the king of Portugal, protesting the

criminal behavior of Portuguese mer-

chants and sailors in Kongo. Traders are

kidnapping the young men of his king-

dom to sell into slavery. They use

European goods to bribe Kongolese to

capture their own people. Even noble-

men and the king’s own relatives have

been taken.

Affonso says that European ways are

corrupting the Kongolese. Some of the

king’s courtiers believe the slave trade

can bring Kongo a great deal of wealth.

But the king’s position remains firm.

Movement • Elmina is a slave-trading

fortress through which the Portuguese

move enslaved Africans. �

THE ROYAL PALACE, KONGO, JULY 6, 1526

The Impact ofColonialism onAfrican Life

Africa Before the EuropeansBefore Europeans came, Africans had varied ways of life under differ-ent kinds of governments. Kings ruled great empires like Mali. Somestates had aspects of democratic rule. Some groups had no central gov-ernment. Some Africans lived in great cities like Timbuktu, while oth-ers lived in small forest villages. Some were nomadic hunters, and somewere skilled artists who sculpted masks and statues.

TAKING NOTES

colonization

independence

Causes EffectsProcesses

Use your chart to take notes about Africa Southof the Sahara.

The Slave Trade Slavery existed in Africa long before Europeans arrived. Rulers inMali and Songhai had thousands of slaves who worked as ser-vants, soldiers, and farm workers. Villages raided one another totake captives and sell them. Often, a slave could work to earn hisor her freedom. In the 1400s, however, Europeans introduced aform of slavery that devastated African life and society.

From Africa to the Americas In the early 15th century,European traders began to sell slaves. They raided towns to cap-ture unwilling Africans. Some Africans captured in wars were soldto European traders by other Africans. One estimate is that 10 to12 million Africans were forced into slavery and sent to Europeancolonies in North and South America from 1520 to 1860. Manymore were captured but died of disease or starvation before arriv-ing. About 1750, movements to stop the slave trade had begun. By1808, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Denmark hadmade it illegal to bring in slaves from Africa. However, it wouldtake longer for countries to make owning a slave illegal.

Impact on Africa In addition to the Africans captured and sold,many were killed during raids. About two-thirds of those takenwere men between the ages of 18 and 30. Slave traders choseyoung, strong, healthy people, leaving few behind to lead familiesand villages. African cities and towns did not have enough work-ers. Family structures were destroyed.

A T L A N T I CO C E A N

P A C I F I CO C E A N

Gulf ofMexico

Bight ofBiafra

Bight ofBenin

NORTHAMERICA

AFRICA

SOUTHAMERICA

EUROPE

0°

20°N

20°S

40°N

20°N

80°W100°W120°W 20°W40°W 0° 20°E 40°E 60°E

0° Equator

Slave trade route

0

0 1,000 2,000 kilometers

1,000 2,000 miles

N

Conditions onslave ships wereso bad that about16 percent ofslaves died during transport.

GEOGRAPHY SKILLBUILDER:Interpreting a Map1. Region • From what

part of the Africancontinent were mostenslaved Africanstaken?

2. Region • Namethree destinations ofenslaved Africans.

African Slave Trade, 1520–1860

European ColonialismWhen Europeans ended the slave trade, they did not lose inter-est in Africa. The Industrial Revolution had changed economiesin Europe and the United States. Africa could supply both rawmaterials, such as minerals, and new markets for goods.

Explorers and Missionaries Europeans knew little about theinterior of Africa, but many were curious. Scientists and explorerswere interested in African wildlife and natural resources. Europeanmissionaries also traveled to Africa. A missionary is a person whogoes to another country to do religious and socialwork. Missionaries wanted to convert Africansto Christianity and bring education and healthcare to Africa. Many also taught European waysof thinking, which often conflicted with, anddestroyed, African traditions.

Competition for Africa In the 19th century,European nations began to compete for controlof Africa. Each wanted the biggest or richestcolonies and control of trade. To avoid warsover territory, European and U.S. leaders met inBerlin in 1884. There, and in later meetings,they discussed how to divide Africa. NoAfricans were consulted. Over the next 20years, Belgium, France, the United Kingdom,Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and theOttoman Empire all established colonies inAfrica. By 1912, only Ethiopia and Liberiaremained independent.

During theIndustrialRevolution,inventionsincreased thespeed of makinggoods. This createda need for moreraw materials and markets.

A Wealth of Animals WhenEuropean explorers came to Africa,they saw impressive sights—lionsand cheetahs stalking zebras, ele-phants trumpeting messages totheir young, giraffes delicately nib-bling the tops of trees. Today,Tanzania’s Serengeti National Parkis where modern explorers watchanimals in the wild—animals thatmost non-Africans have seen onlyin zoos.

The Serengeti is home to anastonishing variety of life. It is alsothe last place in Africa where hugemigrations of animals take place.The sight of a million gnus, zebras,and gazelles moving majesticallythrough the park is one of thewonders of the world.

Africa South of the Sahara: Geography and History 303

PRÍNCIPE (Port.)

SAO TOMÉ(Port.)

~

30°N

40°N

20°N

10°N

10°S

0°

20°S

30°S

40°S

Equator

50°E 60°E40°E30°E10°E 20°E0°10°W20°W30°W

Tropic of Capricorn

Tropic of Cancer

FRENCH WEST AFRICA

MOROCCOTUNISIA

ALGERIALIBYA

ANGOLA

BELGIANCONGO

CABINDA(Port.)

NIGERIA

LIBERIA CAMEROON

GOLDCOAST

SPANISHSAHARA

RIO DEORO

SIERRALEONE

SPANISHMOROCCO

IFNI

RIOMUNI

FERNANDO PÓO

TOG

O

PORTUGUESEGUINEA

CAPEVERDE IS.(Port.)

CANARY IS.(Sp.)

MADEIRA IS.(Port.)

THE GAMBIA

EGYPT

ANGLO-EGYPTIAN

SUDAN

ERITREA

ETHIOPIA

ITALIANSOMALILAND

FRENCHSOMALILAND

BRITISHSOMALILAND

BRITISHEAST

AFRICA

GERMANEAST

AFRICA

GERMANSOUTHWEST

AFRICA

UNION OFSOUTH AFRICA

UGANDA

NORTHERNRHODESIA

SOUTHERNRHODESIA

BECHUANALAND

SWAZILAND

BASUTOLAND

ZANZIBAR I. (Br.)

WALVIS BAY

COMOROS IS. (Fr.)

NYASALAND

MADAGASCAR

FRENCHEQ

UA

TORI

AL

AFR

ICA

MOZAMBIQ

UE

Mediterranean Sea

Moz

ambi

que

Cha

nnel

Red S ea

ATLANTICOCEAN

INDIANOCEAN

0

0 400 800 kilometers

400 800 miles

Belgian

British

French

German

Italian

Portuguese

Spanish

Independent state

N

European Colonies in Africa, 1912

GEOGRAPHYSKILLBUILDER:Interpreting a Map1. Region • Which

country had the greatest number of colonies in Africa in 1912?

2. Region • Which countries remainedindependent?

Africa South of the Sahara: Geography and History 305

Impact of Colonial RuleWhen Europeans divided Africa, most colonizers cared mainlyabout gold, diamonds, and other resources. The Europeans knewlittle about Africa’s political and social systems. Many Europeanslooked down on Africa’s rich cultures and tried to make Africansmore like Europeans.

Europeans also worsened conflicts among ethnic groups. Forexample, the Belgian rulers of Rwanda-Burundi insisted thateveryone carry identity cards saying whether they were Hutu, theethnic majority, or Tutsi, the minor-ity that had ruled the Hutu. Manypeople did not know which of thesethey were. The Belgians decided thatanyone who owned more than tencows was Tutsi. The Tutsi got the besteducation and jobs. Soon the Hutuwere resentful, and a violent conflictbegan. In 1994, the conflict betweenthe Hutu and the Tutsi escalated intoa brutal civil war. The Tutsi were vic-torious and formed a new governmentin Rwanda.

Write an opinion paper explaining the negative effects of colonization.

SECTION ASSESSMENT

Using Graphics2. Use a chart like this one to list the

ways in which Europeans changedAfrica, and the effects of thechanges on African life.

Main Ideas3. (a) How did Europeans change the

institution of slavery in Africa?

(b) Why did European interest inAfrica turn from the slave tradeto colonization?

(c) How is the modern conflictbetween the Hutu and Tutsi a result of the actions ofEuropean rulers?

Critical Thinking4. Comparing

How was the way of life of manyAfricans different after the arrivalof Europeans?

Think About◆ goals of missionaries and

European countries◆ history and traditions of ethnic

peoples

Terms & Names1. Explain the significance of: (a) missionary (b) Hutu (c) Tutsi

Change Effect

Movement • During and after the civilwar, thousands of Tutsi were massacred, andthousands of Huturefugees, such as these, weredriven from theirhomeland. �