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European trade with Africa becomes well established
Many European nations looked to Africa as a source of raw materials and as a market for industrial products. Colonial powers seized vast areas of Africa during the 19th and 20th centuries. Stronger countries dominated the political, economic, and social life of the weaker countries. Steam-powered river boats allowed Europeans to conduct major expeditions into the interior of Africa. The race for colonies grew out of national pride and from missionaries who tried to convert people to Christianity -
East India Company collapses due to Sepoy Rebellion; British Raj begins
As economic problems increased for Indians, so did their feelings of resentment and nationalism. In 1857, gossip spread among the sepoys that the cartridges of their new Enfield rifles were greased with beef and pork fat. Hindus considered the cow sacred and Muslims did not eat pork. The sepoys marchedo Delhi and captured the city. The uprising spread over much of northern India. The term Raj referred to British rule after India came under the British crown during the reign of Queen Victoria. -
Suez Canal links the Mediterranean and Red Seas
Muhammad Ali's grandson, Isma'il, supported the construction of the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal was a human-made waterway that cut through the Isthmus of Suez. It connected the Red Sea to the Mediterranean. It was built mainly with French money from private interest groups, using Egyptian labor. The Suez Canal opened in 1869 with a huge international celebration. The British insisted on overseeing financial control of the canal, and in 1882 the British occupied Egypt. -
Berlin Conference convenes to discuss terms for African colonization
The competition for African territory was so fierce that European countries feared war among themselves. To prevent conflict, 14 European nations met at the Berlin Conference in 1884-85 to lay down rules for the division of Africa. They agreed that any European country could claim land in Africa by notifying others of its claims and showing it could control the area. The European nations divided the continent with little thought about how the African ethnic or linguistic groups were distributed. -
Queen Liliuokalani takes the throne of Hawaii
Around 1890, the new Hawaiian ruler, Queen Liliuokalani, took the throne. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani called for a new constitution that would increase her power. It would also restore the political power of Hawaiians at the expense of wealthy planters. To prevent this from happening, a group of American businessmen hatched a plot to overthrow the Hawaiian monarchy. In 1893, Queen Liliuokalani was removed from power. -
Ethiopians defeat the invading Italians at the Battle of Adwa
Ethiopia was the only African nation that successfully resisted the Europeans. Its victory was due to one man - Menelik II. He became emperor of Ethiopia in 1889. He successfully played Italians, French, and British against each other, all of whom were striving to bring Ethiopia into their spheres of influence. In 1896, in one of the greatest battles in the history of Africa - the Battle of Adowa - Ethiopian forces defeated the Italians and kept their nation independent. -
Spanish-American War breaks out; Puerto Rico, Spain, and the Philippines taken from Spain
The Spanish-American War was a conflict between the United States and Spain that ended Spanish colonial rule in the Americas and resulted in U.S. acquisition of territories in the western Pacific and Latin America. The United States acquired the Philippine Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam as a result of this war. Gaining the Philippines touched off a debate in the United States over imperialism. -
Boer War in South Africa
The Boer War between the British and the Boers was the first modern "total" war. The Boers launched commando raids and used guerrilla tactics against the British. The British countered by burning Boer farms and imprisoning women and children in disease-ridden concentration camps. Britain finally won the war. In 1910, the Boer republics were joined into a self-governing Union of South Africa, which was controlled by the British. -
Most of Africa is under European control
European colonial rule forever altered Africans' lives. Europeans brought benefits, but for the most part, the effects were negative. On the negative side, Africans lost control of their land and their independence. Mandy died of new diseases such as smallpox. They also lost thousands of people resisting Europeans. Africans suffered from a breakdown of tradtional cultures. On the positive side, colonialism reduced local warfare. Efforts imporved sanitation and provided hospitals and schools.
