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European Trade with Africa is Well Established
By the 1850s, trade in Africa had become well established. Many Europeans wanted the raw materials in Africa to spur their industrial revolution. Trade was sparked with Dr. Livingstones journey to the Congo where he discovered copper, tin, gold, diamonds, and rubber. Europeans could now also venture deeper into the mainland with discoveries of medicines. This allowed them to colonize as well as convert many Africans to Christianity. -
East India Company Collapses, Raj Begins
The East India Company ruled India with little interference from the British government. They were so powerful that they even had their own army with sepoys, or Indian soldiers under British command. When the sepoys heard rumors about the cartridges being greased with pork and beef fat, they refused to accept them. Those who disobeyed were sent to jail and the other sepoys rebelled. As a result of the Sepoy Mutiny, the British government took control starting the British Raj. -
Suez Canal is Completed
The Suez Canal was opened on this day and was considered the "lifeline of the British Empire" because it provided a sea route from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The canal had been paid for by French interest groups though it had been worked by Egyptians. The Suez Canal and other modernization efforts in Egypt were very expensive causing the British to oversee financial control allowing them to occupy Egypt in 1882. -
Berlin Conference Begins
When the "Scramble for Africa" began, many European Nations feared war among themselves. They set up the Berlin Conference to discuss how terms for African colonization. They agreed that any European country could claim land in Africa by notifying other nations and by showing they could control the land. The Berlin conference lasted until 1885 and by 1914, only Liberia and Ethiopia were free from European rule. -
Queen Liliuokalani Takes the Throne
Queen Liliuokalani became queen of Hawai'i in 1893 become the only Hawaiian queen. She called for a new constitution that would increase her power. She also refused to renew a treaty that would have given commercial priveledges to foreign businessmen. This decision cost her the crown and she was the last monarch in Hawai'i. -
Ethiopians Defeated Italians
Ethiopia was a nation that successfully defeated the Europeans because of Menelik the Second. He had become emperor of Ehtiopia and signed a treaty with Italy, but he discovered differences in the treaties. Menelik II declared war against the Italians and in the Battle of Adowa, he defeated the Italians. He then purchased rifles and modern weapons in case any other nation challenged Ethiopia's independence. -
Spanish-American War Breaks Out
After the Spanish-American War, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Guam were taken from Spain. However, the control of these areas sparked debate. Many people didn't want the US to imperialize especially since America had gained independence from Britain. Others however believed that the US should fulfill its destiny by becoming a superpower. In the end, the United States prpared the Filipinos for self-rule by building roads, railroads, hospitals, and by setting up school systems. -
Boer War in South Africa
The Boers had created farms in South Africa and became known as Afrikaners. The British wanted The Cape of Good Hope and soon took over Cape Colony. They clashed with the Boers regarding land and slave policies causing the Boers to move north known as the Great Trek. The Boer War was the first modern "total" war and when the British won, they joined the Boer republics into a sel-governed union of South Africa. -
Most of Africa is Under European Control
Many European powers wanted to colonize Africa for its resources. Europeans also looked down upon Africans considering themselves as more superior. The claim of African areas caused uprisings and rebellions altough many were unsuccessful due to guns. By 1914 most of Africa had been claimed leaving Ethiopia and Liberia free. Many of the areas had been claimed as protectorates, spheres of influence, colonies, or economic imperialism.
