5 Reasons Why the European Came to Africa.

Reasons why the European came to Africa are cogent enough for one to look into. It is about time Africans started asking these questions in order to know how important they are even to outsiders like the Europeans. So, the question of why the Europeans came to Africa should be song in the tongue of every African, or form the core of every political research by Africa’s brilliant minds.

What then attracted the European explorers to Africa, the ‘Dark Continent’, even with their awareness that there was going to be a lot life-threatening challenges during the expedition? The European knew the many untapped blessings which lie not too deep down the soles of Africans’ feet. They also were aware of the human resources that could help them build their empires back home.

Europeans first became interested in Africa for trade route purposes. They were looking for ways to avoid the taxes of the Arab and Ottoman empires in Southwest Asia. During this time, many European countries expanded their empires by aggressively establishing colonies in Africa so that they could exploit and export Africa’s resources. Raw materials like rubber, timber, diamonds, and gold were found in Africa. Europeans also wanted to protect trade routes.

5 Reasons Why the European Came to Africa.

The Scramble for Africa, also called the Partition of Africa, or the Conquest of Africa, was the invasion, occupation, division, and colonization of most of Africa by seven Western European powers during a short period known to historians as the New Imperialism which occurred between 1881 and 1914.

The 5 Reasons why the European came to Africa, sharing it among one another is not far fetched. Here are some:

1. Industrialization

One major reason of the 5 reasons why the European came to Africa is industrialization. Industrialization excited the interest of the Europeans. They saw Africa as a place to get resources for their own industrial ambitions, where nations could compete for new markets for their goods, and where they could get many raw materials. Consequently, the Europeans seized areas of Africa.

2. Man Power

At a time when the need for industrialization was at its beginning, the need for labour in Europe rose immediately after the plague. So, different philosophers began to defend and justify the use of force against the weaker species in order to defend their own survival.

3. Trade Routes

Another one of the 5 reasons why the European came to Africa is that Europeans also wanted to protect trade routes. They were in dire need for raw materials to build their own civilization. During the 1800s, Europeans moved further into the continent in search of raw materials and places to build successful colonies. For this reason, they came to Africa and exploit it fully.

4. Discovery of Diamond

The discoveries of diamonds in 1867 and gold in 1886 in South Africa increased European interest in colonizing the continent. This motivated European nations to explore and create colonies in the New World. It is also one of the 5 reasons why the European came to Africa.

5. Political Power/Exploitation

Many European countries expanded their empires by aggressively establishing colonies in Africa so that they could exploit and export Africa’s resources. They found the interest in wielding influence and turning Africa into their lapdog and a reservoir for their own wealth.

Above, those are the 5 reasons why the European came to Africa only to romance with Africa’s heritage in the name of colonization.