Natural protection against african civilization in the dark ages by europeans: specific diseases

Europeans have been interested in the African Continent since the 16 century when Europe exited what many call it’s ‘ Dark Age’, however it wasn’t in the 19th century that, succeeded in colonising it. “ It’s not that they didn’t want to,” says Historian John Green, “ they failed because they couldn’t. This was mostly due to disease.” Unlike the Americas, disease was against them in Africa, smallpox had been on the African continent for ages, so it had no effect on the native people, however, diseases like Yellow Fever, Malaria, and Sleeping Sickness killed soldiers quickly, and Nagana killed horses, so Europeans were forced to fight on ground losing the advantages they had in the Americas. However the 19 century brought changes to Europe in the form of the industrial revolution, this created new motives, as Europeans wanted secure access to raw materials, especially cotton, copper, iron, and rubber, to fuel they’re their growing economies, and colonies were the best way to get these materials. Additionally, colonies were a power symbol and a sign of national pride. As The ABC for Baby Patriots goes: “ C is for colonies/Rightly we boast/That of all the great nations/Great Britain has the most”. Industrialisation also provided the means for taking over Africa, steam engine allowed European vessels to travel inland through Africa without horses, the machine gun provided a way for soldiers to wipe out Native forces a hundred times in battle after battle and improvements in medicine dampened the effect of African diseases greatly, all of these made it far easier to colonise Africa. Africans responded to this ‘ Scramble for Africa’ in one three ways, they either: surrendered, submitted and/or were oppressed by Europeans; they co-operated with Europeans through indirect rule or other attempted agreement; or just outright resisted foreign rule.

Rather than completely be annihilated by European weaponry, some tribes decided to meet Europe through diplomacy. Some pushed for their own terms, like in Document 2, where the Ashanti tribe; s King said “ The suggestion that Ashanti in its present state should come and enjoy the protection of Her Majesty the Queen of England and Empress of India in a matter of very serious consideration. I am pleased to announce that we have arrived at the conclusion that my kingdom of Ashanti will never commit to any such policy. Ashanti must remain of old and at the same the same time remain friendly with all White Men” The Ashanti tribe did not downright attack resist, but tried to diplomatically refuse outside ‘ assistance’ from the English Crown. At the same time, he asked to remain friendly, attempting to be seen as equals. This technique failed, as nothing would stop the British from taking over as much of the African Continent as they could get their hands on and their inherent racism to the approach would never allow them to see the Ashanti as equals. Soon the Ashanti would have to resort to other methods. In the case of other tribes were forced to sign a admittedly unfair treaty from companies like the Royal Niger Company, Document 1 that stated “ We the undersigned Chiefs of_____________, with the view of our country and our people, do this day cede to the Royal Niger Company, forever, the whole of our territory extending _______________, We pledge ourselves not enter into any war with other tribes without the sanction of the said Royal Niger Company…The ________________cheifs … affixed their marks their own free will and consent”. Theses chiefs had to follow the rules of the Royal Niger Company (R. N. C.) since they signed o document out of so-called ‘ free will’. Said chiefs would probably have been unable to read English, so it was probably read out and /or translated and in that there is plenty of room for intentional miscommunication as would happen with the Italians and the Ethiopians. But the chiefs could never take on the Europeans, so not really having a choice, the chose to sign this contract instead

Paragraph 2-Some African tribes tried to fight the European invaders, but failed in the face of superior weaponry machine guns and were mistreated in most horrible ways. As seen Ndansi Kumalo said in Document 4 in the year 1896: “ We surrendered to the White People and where to go … our homes… and attend to our crops. We completely as slaves…They harmed our wives and daughters. We made many charges, but each we were defeated. But for the white men’s machine guns, it would have been different.” It’s not as if the colonised didn’t fight the European weaponry had no chance against the machine gun. In fact, they never had a chance against the machine gun, yet they rose up a second time in an attempt to defend their people. However the fact remains that they failed, and for the sake of survival, in the end, they submitted to foreign rule. However, with time, this sentiment changed. In document 7 Samuel Maharero rights to another African leader in the year 1904, “ All our obedience and patience with the Germans is of little avail, for each day they shoot someone dead for no reason at all. Hence I appeal to you my Brother, not to hold aloof from the uprising, but to make your voice heard so that all of Africa may take up arms against the germans. Let us die to fight rather than die as a result of maltreatment, imprisonment, or some other calamity. Tell all the chiefs down there to rise up and do battle” This is document shows the kind of mistreatment the Africans receive, and the how it sparks anger and desire for liberation and freedom in the African Leader. The fact that they were loyal and patient to the Germans yet were harassed, and needlessly killed shows just but a sample of the inhumane treatment of natives by Europeans. Perhaps, if these Germans had treated the natives, better, as equals, they wouldn’t feel the need to rebel and push back against the Europeans, but that’s exactly what happened. In fact, in 1905 in the Maji Maji Rebellion, natives decided to storm the Germans after using a magic solution that they believed made them immune to bullets resulting in a massacre where they were mowed down by the machine gun. Things became worse for them after a famine struck, killing, even more, people than those that died in the preceding massacre

Some tribes and nations tried to forcefully resist the European Invaders, however only one would succeed The formerly mentioned Ashanti tribe was one of those to attempt to fight. in Document 6, Asantewa, the Ashanti queen mother, said “ I have seen that. some of you fear to go forward and fight for our King, If it were in the brave days of old, chiefs would not sit down to see their King taken away without firing a shot. No White man could have dared to speak to the chiefs of Ashanti in the way the British governor spoke to you chiefs this morning. Is it true the bravery of the Ashanti tribe is no more?…if you the men … will not go forward, then we will. I shall call upon my fellow women. We will fight the White men. We will fight until the last of us falls on the battlefields.” The Ashanti tribe feared destruction at the hands of the British, and rightly so. Yet in the face of death, the Queen vowed that if the men did not fight the women would. She vowed that every last one of them would, die before and foreigner laid hand on their nation. This was the kind of attitude that would lead to an attempted resistance. This deep feeling nationalism is what would bring the eventual liberation of the modern African nation from its former oppressors. It’s not mentioned what became of the Ashanti nation, but it is assumed that they too perished, because only one nation was able to successfully resist the invasion of the White men: Ethiopia. In Document 3, Menelik II, emperor of Ethiopia, writes in a letter to foreign powers, “ I have no intention of being an indifferent spectator, if distant Powers hold onto the idea of dividing up Africa. For the past 14 centuries, Ethiopia has been an island of Christians in a sea of Pagans. Since the All-Powerful …{God}… has posted Ethiopia up till know…I do not think for a moment that He will divide Ethiopia among the Distant Powers…but we hope that the Christian Power, advised by our Savior, Jesus Christ, will restore our seacoast boundary to us, or give us at least a few ports along the coast.” Ethiopia also, like the Ashanti nation, responded with diplomacy. World History: Patterns of Interaction goes further into this, saying that Menelik II actually managed to get The Europeans fighting against each other over who had rights to the land, and meanwhile amassed a supply of weapons to fight the Europeans. His tact when approaching the situation allowed Menelik to have the arms needed to fight the Europeans and as Document 5, a painting of the Battle of Adowa shows Ethiopian with equal if not greater amount weapons driving back the Italian lines. Italians had attempted to miscommunicate contents of a treaty and tricked Menelik into giving control of his kingdom. Declaring war, Menelik attacked the Italian army, a winning the said Battle of Adowa This was the decisive victory that allowed Ethiopia to remain sovereign.

Though all of them had the same goal and motive, and hope of remaining independent, the African nations ended up responding differently was. As shown, some tried to meet or were meet with diplomacy. Others were meet or tried to the Europeans with arms, however against, they never stood the machine gun, unless they had one., and sometimes they did, but Europeans usually had more. Other nations tried to push back with calling on their people to fight or by amassing arms to fight the Europeans and retain their independence, which only one Nation was successfully able to do. But it is that common goal and inherent human desire to be free, to see that your fellow humans, that your friends and family don’t suffer at the hands of others, that which never let the drive for freedom die, and eventually it won. In 1990 Namibia became the last African nation to gain its independence.