African Independence

Colonial Africa

Between about 1500 and 1800 C.E., European contact with Africa was largely limited to the establishment of trading posts and forts along the African coast. During this time, Europeans were mainly interested in Africa as a source of slaves—they gave little thought to colonizing the continent. However, with the abolition of the slave trade in the early 1800s, other raw materials from Africa became much more important to European economies. At first, private companies led the way in seeking to exploit African resources. They were joined by explorers and missionaries who had their own agendas. Eventually, such private activities drew European rulers more directly into African affairs. As a result, by the mid-nineteenth century, several European countries embarked on a large-scale colonization effort that has come to be known as the Scramble for Africa.

The leading European players in the Scramble for Africa were France, Great Britain, Portugal, Germany, and Belgium. Between them, these five countries divided Africa into various spheres of influence and carved colonies out of their respective possessions. By the mid-1800s, the only independent African states were Liberia and Ethiopia. Britain granted self-rule to Egypt in 1922, but British troops and administrators would remain in the country until after World War II.

Europeans not only owned these colonies and exploited them for profit but also occupied virtually all positions in colonial government and denied native Africans any say in how the colonies were run. This situation persisted throughout the entire period of colonial rule. In a few colonies (notably French West Africa), a very small class of Africans were allowed access to higher education and served as local government administrators. The British also made use of local chiefs or rural leaders to enforce law and collect taxes in areas far from colonial cities. By and large, however, Africa was ruled by white Europeans, for white Europeans.

Throughout the 1800s, the colonizing powers had to deal with many local uprisings and challenges to their rule. Few represented serious threats to the existing order, however, and most were swiftly crushed. Then, in the early to mid-twentieth century, African leaders began to turn to other forms of protest and political activity, such as creating trade unions and political associations. Many of these organizations would grow into the continent's first independent political parties. These groups often made headlines, but little headway, against the colonial regimes in their countries. It was not until after World War II that a major push for independence began to gather steam in Africa.

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