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1400
Golden Age of Exploration
Europeans sailed south around the continent of Africa. -
1400
Reaching wealth
They hoped to reach wealth of silks and spices found in India and China. -
1400
Learning about what?
By sailing the learned more about the people and cultures of Africa. -
1400
The result
As a result of sailing, Europeans began to trade with African people living south of the Sahara. -
1400
Slavery
Slavery became apart of the economy of Africa before the arrival of the Europeans, but the Europeans greatly increased the trade in enslaved people in Africa. -
1500
Trading
European traders began to sell Africans guns and European made goods in exchange for slaves. -
1500
Transport
Once the slaves were sold they were then transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas to work on sugar, rice and cotton plantations. -
1500
Removal
As many as 13 million people may have been forcibly removed from their homeland. It is estimated that 20% or more of those taken did not survive the Middle Passage. -
1500
The Middle Passage
It was the journey across the ocean from Africa to the Americas. -
1500
Increase in goods
Th increase in the number of guns available to people living in Africa, caused greater fighting among different groups which weakened everyone and made it easier for Europeans to take over. -
1500
Trading posts
Slavery was just beginning in the 1500s. The Europeans began to build trading posts in Africa in the 1500s and by the early 1800s, they were colonizing or taking over another country for the resources it can provide. -
1500
Seizing for resources
Europeans knew that Africa had many resources and important trade routes they wanted to control. Britain began by seizing Egypt to gain control of the Suez Canal. -
1500
France territories
France took control over most of western North Africa. -
Spain and Italy territories
Spain and Italy also gained territory in Morocco and Somalia. -
Ethiopia invasion
The only country to remain uncolonized was Ethiopia though Italy did invade the country in 1930. -
The worst colonies
Belgium Congo was the worst of colonies established in 1930. -
In Belgium Congo
Nearly all Africans suffered under colonial rule as their land was taken. They were forced to work for little or no pay and any attempt to rebel was violently crushed. -
Devastation of Africans
Though Europeans banned slavery, and built schools, hospitals, roads, and railroads, European colonization devastated the people and cultures of Africa. -
Independence for Sudan
Sudan gained their independence from Great Britain in 1956. -
Independence in Africa
Countries that had been colonized were economically devastated. Things were made more difficult because the Europeans had drawn country lines without regard to where different ethnic groups were located. -
Independence in Belgium Congo
Belgium Congo became independent in 1960. The country was unable to create a stable, fair government. -
Independence in Rwanda
Independence came to Rwanda in 1962 after which violence broke out and the Hutu took control. -
Kenya’s Independence
The Kikuyu people of Kenya began a political organization in the 1920s to fight for freedom from Great Britain. It took years but Kenya became independent in 1963. -
Nelson Mandela’s arrest
In 1964 Mandela was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for his actions. Mandela would not be silenced and continued to protest from prison. -
Joseph Mobutu
Joseph Mobutu seized power in 1965. He renamed the country Zaire and ruled uninterrupted for 32 years. The suffering of the people of Congo continued due to his corruption and violence. -
Steven Biko’s murder
One member of the ANC, Steven Biko was arrested and murdered by police. -
Igbo
In 1976 the Igbo people tried to declare themselves independent. They named their new country Biafra. -
The actions of Igbo
The actions of the Igbo launched a civil war in which over one million people died before the Igbo agreed to remain part of Nigeria. -
Southern rebellion
After independence, the people in the south rebelled against northern rule leading to two civil wars from 1956 to 1972 and from 1983 to 2005. -
The rule of President Hosni Mubarak
The Arab Spring Egypt was under the leadership of President Hosni Mubarak in the beginning. He was a dictator who had controlled Egypt for 30 years. He was forced to resign in 2011.