Summary SCC Empire Hanneke
Chapter 1: Early Empire and Explorers
The British Empire was the empire where the sun never set. It peaked in the 19th century
and was the world power. At this time, one quarter of the world belonged to them.
Chartered Companies
Chartered companies were given a Royal Charter. They were allowed to govern their own
affairs and often had exclusive rights, approved by the Queen or King. In return, they paid
taxes. Examples:
Hudson Bay Company & Virginia Company in North America
East India Company
British South Africa Company
The empire started sea voyages and set up trading posts where taxes had to be paid on
coasts. These places would expand and become colonies. This is also how most African
colonies originated: through old posts on the way to India.
Causes of Colonisation of Africa
Scientific developments: data collected by explorers for the Royal Geographical
Society
Religious motives: conversion through Anglican and Methodist missionaries
Abolition of slavery: the Industrial Revolution made it cheaper to pay workers than to
maintain slaves
Industrialisation in Europe
Why Colonise Africa?
They had lost their colonies in America and slavery had been abolished.
1. Economic reasons
o Needed new markets (Europe was saturated)
o Cheap raw materials were found in Africa
2. Scientific reasons
o Scientists sent explorers to gather data
3. Religious reasons
o Spread of Christianity through missionaries
Other European countries followed, leading to the Scramble for Africa.
Scramble for Africa
At the end of the 19th century, less than 10% of Africa was ruled by Africans. Rival countries
included Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium.
British Africa (about 41 million inhabitants) was ruled by only 1,200 officials through indirect
rule: British officials bribed and threatened tribal leaders (“divide and rule”).
Order of Colonisation
Explorers → Missionaries → Traders/Industrialists → Army/Police → Administrators
Private schools educated boys to become commissioners. The work was hard and lonely, so
schools were strict, hierarchical, and created upper-class habits.
, Explorers
Explorers had a kind of “rockstar” status and risked everything to gather information for the
Royal Geographical Society.
Mungo Park: explored the Niger region and River Gambia; killed on his second trip
by natives. He drowned.
Burton: genuinely interested and educated. Explored the source of the Nile with
Speke; did not find Lake Victoria since he couldn´t continue the journey due to
malaria. They had a rough journey.
Speke: continued and found Lake Victoria; Burton doubted his findings since there
was no clear evidence. This wasn´t possible because there wasn´t enough equipment
left after their journey. Burton contested his findings but the hearing didn´t take place
since Speke killed himself before it took place.
Livingstone: missionary; only converted one African. Crossed Africa (west to east);
discovered Victoria Falls.
Stanley: searched for Livingstone and source of Congo river. Found him! Later
became an MP and was knighted.
Rhodes: power-hungry; wanted to conquer Africa to ´rule all of the uncivilized world´;
made a fortune in diamond mining.
White Man’s Burden: justification of imperial conquest.
South Africa & Rhodes
In 1821, more British settlers arrived in South Africa. After diamonds and gold were
discovered, many moved north. This influx in people made Cecil Rhodes´ enterprise: from ice
cream, to some mines, to a monopoly on diamond mining.
Cecil Rhodes was obsessed with a great British Empire and wanted a railroad from Cape to
Cairo, to have easier access and to colonise all land that surrounded it. (Rhodesia: Zambia &
Zimbabwe). Whites ultimately won and stayed.
Livingstone was how the British liked to identify themselves, Rhodes was what they were
really like.
Suez Canal & Egypt
The railroad and digging of the Suez Canal led to more colonization and were of great
economic importance. The canal, together with the transcontinental railroad, allowed the
world to be circled in record time.
The French tried to capture Egypt in order to sever the link between India and GB, but failed.
Muhammed Ali became their new and more modern leader.
The British asked him to build a railway in Egypt, he said no.
He did give the French permission to start on the canal.
French sold shares to Egypt, who then sold to GB.
GB ‘moved in’ to protect the zone due to the civil war in Egypt and eventually took final
control of the canal.
“Who controlled it, also controlled trading (aka money)”.
In 1956 the Israeli army came into Egypt and started pushing towards the canal. The French
and British sided with Israel, causing the US to side with Egypt. US won and caused Egypt to
regain ownership of the Suez Canal. This event is called the Suez Crisis.
The French tried to claim all the “nobody’s land”, left and met GB in Fashoda. They almost
went to war but ended in a diplomatic victory for UK. This ended the colonial claims and
scramble.
Chapter 1: Early Empire and Explorers
The British Empire was the empire where the sun never set. It peaked in the 19th century
and was the world power. At this time, one quarter of the world belonged to them.
Chartered Companies
Chartered companies were given a Royal Charter. They were allowed to govern their own
affairs and often had exclusive rights, approved by the Queen or King. In return, they paid
taxes. Examples:
Hudson Bay Company & Virginia Company in North America
East India Company
British South Africa Company
The empire started sea voyages and set up trading posts where taxes had to be paid on
coasts. These places would expand and become colonies. This is also how most African
colonies originated: through old posts on the way to India.
Causes of Colonisation of Africa
Scientific developments: data collected by explorers for the Royal Geographical
Society
Religious motives: conversion through Anglican and Methodist missionaries
Abolition of slavery: the Industrial Revolution made it cheaper to pay workers than to
maintain slaves
Industrialisation in Europe
Why Colonise Africa?
They had lost their colonies in America and slavery had been abolished.
1. Economic reasons
o Needed new markets (Europe was saturated)
o Cheap raw materials were found in Africa
2. Scientific reasons
o Scientists sent explorers to gather data
3. Religious reasons
o Spread of Christianity through missionaries
Other European countries followed, leading to the Scramble for Africa.
Scramble for Africa
At the end of the 19th century, less than 10% of Africa was ruled by Africans. Rival countries
included Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Belgium.
British Africa (about 41 million inhabitants) was ruled by only 1,200 officials through indirect
rule: British officials bribed and threatened tribal leaders (“divide and rule”).
Order of Colonisation
Explorers → Missionaries → Traders/Industrialists → Army/Police → Administrators
Private schools educated boys to become commissioners. The work was hard and lonely, so
schools were strict, hierarchical, and created upper-class habits.
, Explorers
Explorers had a kind of “rockstar” status and risked everything to gather information for the
Royal Geographical Society.
Mungo Park: explored the Niger region and River Gambia; killed on his second trip
by natives. He drowned.
Burton: genuinely interested and educated. Explored the source of the Nile with
Speke; did not find Lake Victoria since he couldn´t continue the journey due to
malaria. They had a rough journey.
Speke: continued and found Lake Victoria; Burton doubted his findings since there
was no clear evidence. This wasn´t possible because there wasn´t enough equipment
left after their journey. Burton contested his findings but the hearing didn´t take place
since Speke killed himself before it took place.
Livingstone: missionary; only converted one African. Crossed Africa (west to east);
discovered Victoria Falls.
Stanley: searched for Livingstone and source of Congo river. Found him! Later
became an MP and was knighted.
Rhodes: power-hungry; wanted to conquer Africa to ´rule all of the uncivilized world´;
made a fortune in diamond mining.
White Man’s Burden: justification of imperial conquest.
South Africa & Rhodes
In 1821, more British settlers arrived in South Africa. After diamonds and gold were
discovered, many moved north. This influx in people made Cecil Rhodes´ enterprise: from ice
cream, to some mines, to a monopoly on diamond mining.
Cecil Rhodes was obsessed with a great British Empire and wanted a railroad from Cape to
Cairo, to have easier access and to colonise all land that surrounded it. (Rhodesia: Zambia &
Zimbabwe). Whites ultimately won and stayed.
Livingstone was how the British liked to identify themselves, Rhodes was what they were
really like.
Suez Canal & Egypt
The railroad and digging of the Suez Canal led to more colonization and were of great
economic importance. The canal, together with the transcontinental railroad, allowed the
world to be circled in record time.
The French tried to capture Egypt in order to sever the link between India and GB, but failed.
Muhammed Ali became their new and more modern leader.
The British asked him to build a railway in Egypt, he said no.
He did give the French permission to start on the canal.
French sold shares to Egypt, who then sold to GB.
GB ‘moved in’ to protect the zone due to the civil war in Egypt and eventually took final
control of the canal.
“Who controlled it, also controlled trading (aka money)”.
In 1956 the Israeli army came into Egypt and started pushing towards the canal. The French
and British sided with Israel, causing the US to side with Egypt. US won and caused Egypt to
regain ownership of the Suez Canal. This event is called the Suez Crisis.
The French tried to claim all the “nobody’s land”, left and met GB in Fashoda. They almost
went to war but ended in a diplomatic victory for UK. This ended the colonial claims and
scramble.
