Timeline

By ConorHeight
  • 1400

    Golden age of exploration

    When the Europeans began to sail south around the continent of Africa. In an attempt to reach the wealth of silks and spices found in India and China. They learned more about the African cultures, and the Europeans began trading with the Africans.
  • 1400

    Where they traded

    They trade with the Africans south of the Sahara.
  • 1500

    Europeans enslave the Africans

    Unfortunately, slavery was part of the Economy in Africa. Europeans increased the slave trade in Africa. Beginning in the 1500s, European traders began to sell Africans guns and European made goods in exchange for slaves. Those slaves were transported across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas to work on sugar, rice, and cotton plantations. As many as 13 million people may have been forcibly removed from their homeland.

  • Colonization

    The Europeans began building trade posts, and by the 1800’s they were colonizing or taking over another country for the resources it could provide.

  • Britain takes control

    1900 Europe had taken over nearly all of Africa. The only country to remain uncolonized was Ethiopia

  • South Africa

    In 1910 South Africa became independent. Although white people were a minority in South Africa they controlled government and business so Black South Africans had no say in goverment

  • Independent

    In the 1920’s African countries began fighting for freedom

  • Kenya political organization

    The kikuyu people of Kenya began a political organization to fight for freedom from Great Britain.

  • Ethiopia gets invaded

    Ethiopia was the only country uncolonized until Italy invaded in 1930

  • Ghana introduces Pan-Africanism

    Kwame Nkrumah introduced the idea of Pan-Africanism which was a belief in unity of all black Africans world wide.

  • Apartheid law

    In 1948 white South Africans made apartheid law. apartheid is a policy of legal separation based on race. Under apartheid, black South Africans were forced to live and work where whites demanded. Blacks could not marry white people, and they received poor health care and schooling. Black South Africans were not allowed to vote so they had no say in the government.

  • Sudan

    Sudan gained independence from great British in 1956. Most people were Muslim Arabs. In addition, many religions were practiced in the south with Christianity being the most common. The country's government was in the north.

  • After becoming independent once again

    Life after independence was far from perfect. Countries were economically destroyed.

  • Nigeria becomes independent

    In 1960 Nigeria became independent.

  • Rwanda

    During colonization, the Belgium government preferred the Tutsi and used them to control the Hutu people. Independence came to Rwanda in 1962 after which violence broke out and the Hutu took control.

  • Kenya independent

    It took many years but finally Kenya became independent in 1963.

  • Mandela protests lead to arrest

    Mandela went to school and became a lawyer. He then protested apartheid. In 1964 Mandela was arrested, and sentenced to life in prison

  • Belgium congo

    Belgium Congo became independent in 1960. The country was unable to create a fair government. As a result, in 1965 Joseph Mobutu wanted power. He renamed the country Zaire and ruled for 32 years straight. The suffering of the people of Congo continued due his corruption and violence.

  • Unstable government

    The country was unable to create a stable, fair government. As a result, in 1965 Joseph Mobutu seized power.He renamed the country Zaire and ruled uninterrupted for 32 years.

  • Igbo tried to become independent

    In 1976 the Igbo people tried to declare themselves independent. They named their new country Biafra. 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.

  • F.W. De klerk elected president

    F.W. de Klerk was elected president of South Africa in 1989.

  • Mandela released

    In 1990 he announced the end of apartheid and released Nelson Mandela

  • Mandela and de Klerk noble peace prize

    In 1993 Mandela and de Klerk won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993

  • Violence

    The country endured violence until 1994 when Hutu began to engage in genocide against Tutsi people. Between 800,000 to 1 million Tutsi people were murdered. Eventually the Tutsi came back into power and restored peace. Millions of Hutus escaped into the democratic republic of Congo where the Hutu and Tutsi still fight.

  • South Africa first open election

    In 1994, South Africa held its first open elections in which Nelson Mandela was elected the new president.

  • Arab spring

    In 2010 people in Tunisia began to agitate for a more democratic government. This became known as the Arab Spring movement. In Tunisia protesters used social media to spread messages against a corrupt government.

  • South Sudan becomes independent

    After many civil wars and millions of people dying, Sudan recognizes South Sudan’s independence.

  • Democratic government

    In 2011, President Ben Ali resigned and a democratic government was elected. Similar victories occurred in Algeria and Morocco. In Libya, dictator Muammar Qaddafi refused to step down, and war broke out. Other countries, including the United States supported the rebels fighting against Qaddafi. Qaddafi was captured and killed in 2011, and a new government was elected. Unfortunately new problems occurred over who would control the oil, and violence grew and terrorist groups were formed.

  • Islamic fundamentalist government

    Mubarak was replaced by an Islamic fundamentalist government led by Mohammed Morsi in 2012.

  • Imprisoned

    Morsi’s term was short because in 2013 he was taken over by the military. Morsi was put in prison, and his political party was banned. The new government gave more power to the police and military in the new constitution.