7: Consolidation and Expansion of the British Empire in Africa
Reasons South Africa with its diamonds and gold was wealthy. Other areas provided key raw
Britain was materials. SA and the Suez Canal were essential for Britain's route to India. There was a clear-
interested cut humanitarian issue to justify western intervention e.g. the slave trade. Britain's African
in Africa Interests were easier to defend, British Naval strength could count for more there and her
military weaknesses show less in skirmishes with Africans than in wars with standing armies
Approach The Empire was largely for strategic or trading purposes. Occasionally they responded to
in the other powers - matching settlements by the French/Germans. Private chartered companies
1880s were used to occupy and administrate territory. The approach was generally cautious but
there was some direct intervention e.g. in Egypt and South Africa
Change of People in Britain were more supportive of formal intervention. The conservative 'party of
approach empire' were elected in 1895 and help power until 1906, they were determined to uphold
from 1890 Britain's position in every part of the world. British protectorates were expanded to provide
security to pre-existing ports, markets or resources. New territories were taken to limit the
advance of other European powers in wake of the Berlin Conference (1885-5), which had
also made it easier to expand. Chartered companies proved increasingly inefficient, formal
control was seen as a better way to protect/develop British interests
Gold Britain was tired of skirmishes with the Ashanti tribe bordering the colony. They demanded
Coast that King Prempeh turned over his empire to a British Protectorate. He refused leading to the
Anglo-Ashanti War. Britain conquered Ashantiland in 1896 and it became incorporated into
the Gold Coast colony. This removed the indigenous threat to British trade and it checked
French interests in the region
Nigeria The Royal Niger Company established their claim by virtue of occupation and agreement
with the French in 1890 (Britain recognised France's influence in Madagascar). This ended
any French interest in the area. The British government took direct control from the RNC
because pre-existing trade could continue more sustainably without it, in the North in 1900
and the South in 1906. It reunited as a colony in 1914
British East Britain exploited a succession dispute between the native Mazrui and the Muslim Sheikh
Africa Mbaruk. Mbaruk took up arms against the British, obtaining weapons from the Germans, it
(Kenya) took the British 9 months to defeated them but eventually Mbaruk fled and the territory
became part of Britain's East African Protectorate in 1895 - not officially declared a colony
until 1920. Provided access to the fertile land of Uganda, formed a buffer against German
interests in Tanzania and could grow tea and coffee
Uganda In the 19th century, Anglican and French Catholic missionaries and Zanzibari Muslims had all
permeated Buganda and achieved significant success. King Mwanga executed 30
missionaries in an attempt to assert his authority which provoked a civil war, during which he
fled. He was forced to sign a treaty in 1890 with the Imperial British East Africa Company
which handed over revenue, trade, and administration of justice to them. These powers
were transferred to the Crown in 1894 and Buganda became a protectorate as part of
Uganda. It had rich fertile soil that could be exploited for raw materials and it opened up
the interior of Africa (Lake Victoria) to trade
The Used to consolidate Britain's formal takeover of both East Africa and Uganda, it linked the
Ugandan colonies together and with the Indian ocean. It was 660 miles long, took 5 years to build,
Railway cost £5 million and took the lives of 2500 labours. It was known as the 'lunatic line' because
of its engineering ingenuity and because of the difficulties surrounding its construction.
Chamberlain justified the line by saying it: enabled access to new markets; encouraged
colonial settlement and tourism; facilitated export of tea and coffee and protected the
source of the Nile against Britain's potential enemies
Zanzibar In 1890 Britain and Germany signed a treaty recognising German control over Tanzania and
Britain's declaration of Zanzibar as a protectorate. They installed a 'puppet', Sultan Hamad.
He died in 1896 and Khalid became sultan without Britain's blessing, he was ordered to step
down, refused, and prompted the shorted was in history (38 minutes) in which Britain
launched a naval bombardment and Khalid was forced to step down. He was replaced by
the pro-British Sultan Hamud. Zanzibar was seen as a key for the defence of trade in the
Indian Ocean and it also helped check German ambitions in the region
Somaliland Britain already had a protectorate in Somaliland (established in 1888) but this was reinforced
by admin and military personnel in 1898. It had few resources but was useful to defence the
Red Sea and the route to the Suez Canal. It also checked French and Italian ambitions in
the region
Rhodesia Rhodes had established a British presence in 'south Zambesia'. It became known as Southern
Rhodesia from 1895 after Rhodes used force to establish British settlers in the area. In wars
Reasons South Africa with its diamonds and gold was wealthy. Other areas provided key raw
Britain was materials. SA and the Suez Canal were essential for Britain's route to India. There was a clear-
interested cut humanitarian issue to justify western intervention e.g. the slave trade. Britain's African
in Africa Interests were easier to defend, British Naval strength could count for more there and her
military weaknesses show less in skirmishes with Africans than in wars with standing armies
Approach The Empire was largely for strategic or trading purposes. Occasionally they responded to
in the other powers - matching settlements by the French/Germans. Private chartered companies
1880s were used to occupy and administrate territory. The approach was generally cautious but
there was some direct intervention e.g. in Egypt and South Africa
Change of People in Britain were more supportive of formal intervention. The conservative 'party of
approach empire' were elected in 1895 and help power until 1906, they were determined to uphold
from 1890 Britain's position in every part of the world. British protectorates were expanded to provide
security to pre-existing ports, markets or resources. New territories were taken to limit the
advance of other European powers in wake of the Berlin Conference (1885-5), which had
also made it easier to expand. Chartered companies proved increasingly inefficient, formal
control was seen as a better way to protect/develop British interests
Gold Britain was tired of skirmishes with the Ashanti tribe bordering the colony. They demanded
Coast that King Prempeh turned over his empire to a British Protectorate. He refused leading to the
Anglo-Ashanti War. Britain conquered Ashantiland in 1896 and it became incorporated into
the Gold Coast colony. This removed the indigenous threat to British trade and it checked
French interests in the region
Nigeria The Royal Niger Company established their claim by virtue of occupation and agreement
with the French in 1890 (Britain recognised France's influence in Madagascar). This ended
any French interest in the area. The British government took direct control from the RNC
because pre-existing trade could continue more sustainably without it, in the North in 1900
and the South in 1906. It reunited as a colony in 1914
British East Britain exploited a succession dispute between the native Mazrui and the Muslim Sheikh
Africa Mbaruk. Mbaruk took up arms against the British, obtaining weapons from the Germans, it
(Kenya) took the British 9 months to defeated them but eventually Mbaruk fled and the territory
became part of Britain's East African Protectorate in 1895 - not officially declared a colony
until 1920. Provided access to the fertile land of Uganda, formed a buffer against German
interests in Tanzania and could grow tea and coffee
Uganda In the 19th century, Anglican and French Catholic missionaries and Zanzibari Muslims had all
permeated Buganda and achieved significant success. King Mwanga executed 30
missionaries in an attempt to assert his authority which provoked a civil war, during which he
fled. He was forced to sign a treaty in 1890 with the Imperial British East Africa Company
which handed over revenue, trade, and administration of justice to them. These powers
were transferred to the Crown in 1894 and Buganda became a protectorate as part of
Uganda. It had rich fertile soil that could be exploited for raw materials and it opened up
the interior of Africa (Lake Victoria) to trade
The Used to consolidate Britain's formal takeover of both East Africa and Uganda, it linked the
Ugandan colonies together and with the Indian ocean. It was 660 miles long, took 5 years to build,
Railway cost £5 million and took the lives of 2500 labours. It was known as the 'lunatic line' because
of its engineering ingenuity and because of the difficulties surrounding its construction.
Chamberlain justified the line by saying it: enabled access to new markets; encouraged
colonial settlement and tourism; facilitated export of tea and coffee and protected the
source of the Nile against Britain's potential enemies
Zanzibar In 1890 Britain and Germany signed a treaty recognising German control over Tanzania and
Britain's declaration of Zanzibar as a protectorate. They installed a 'puppet', Sultan Hamad.
He died in 1896 and Khalid became sultan without Britain's blessing, he was ordered to step
down, refused, and prompted the shorted was in history (38 minutes) in which Britain
launched a naval bombardment and Khalid was forced to step down. He was replaced by
the pro-British Sultan Hamud. Zanzibar was seen as a key for the defence of trade in the
Indian Ocean and it also helped check German ambitions in the region
Somaliland Britain already had a protectorate in Somaliland (established in 1888) but this was reinforced
by admin and military personnel in 1898. It had few resources but was useful to defence the
Red Sea and the route to the Suez Canal. It also checked French and Italian ambitions in
the region
Rhodesia Rhodes had established a British presence in 'south Zambesia'. It became known as Southern
Rhodesia from 1895 after Rhodes used force to establish British settlers in the area. In wars
