14.1.3

Motives for Expansion into Africa

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Britain's Motives for Expanding into Africa

The loss of the American Revolutionary War in 1783 AD forced Britain to look elsewhere to grow its wealth and political control.

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Economic factors

  • The African continent had a wide variety of natural resources that were known due to Britain's involvement with the transatlantic slave trade, where people were taken from West Africa and transported across the Atlantic ocean to be sold as slaves.
  • After the transatlantic slave trade was abolished by Britain in 1807, Europeans became aware of precious commodities like gold, ivory and diamonds discovered across the continent.
    • This offered an opportunity to replace the wealth obtained from the slave trade.
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Strategic factors

  • Occupying new territories in Africa became increasingly important to secure trade routes.
    • The Cape (in present-day South Africa) was an important port for ship voyages to the Indies.
  • There was competition among other European colonial powers such as the French and Dutch to secure these routes for themselves.
  • Each new colony required protection, and further defences created a knock-on effect as Britain gained control of more and more regions in Africa.
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Muscular Christianity

  • Muscular Christianity was a type of British cultural supremacy, which viewed the native traditions of potential territories as inferior and uncivilized.
    • Muscular Christianity placed importance on Christian values, masculinity, and athleticism.
  • This movement occurred mostly within all-boys' public schools in England.
  • At the time, most government and military officials had attended such schools.
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Exploration

  • Many British explorers surveyed the interior regions of Africa that were undocumented by European maps, like the Congo Basin and the Great African Lakes.
  • Prominent British explorers include David Livingstone, Sir Richard Burton and John Hanning Speke.
  • Livingstone became the first European to visit Victoria Falls (which he named after Queen Victoria), and Burton and Speke were the first Europeans to visit the Great African Lakes.
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Missionary

  • Many explorers were also missionaries.
  • They sought to reach people in the heart of Africa who had been previously uncontacted by Europeans in order to convert them to Christianity.
  • The missionaries viewed traditional African religions as savage and uncivilised.

Jump to other topics

1Empires East & West: 1000 AD

1.1The Rise & Fall of Ancient China’s Empire

1.2The Medieval Greatness of the Byzantine Empire

1.3The Golden Age of the Islamic Empire

1.4The Politics & Power of the Holy Roman Empire

1.5Medieval Religion

1.6The Influence of the Church in Medieval Times

1.7How Religion Tested the Power of Kings

1.8Dynastic Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.9Challenges to Medieval Monarchs

1.10Revolts, Rebellions & Rights

1.11Medieval England & Her Neighbours

1.12European Renaissance

1.13Norman Conquest & Control

1.14Historical Skills

2The Medieval World: 450-1450 AD

2.1Anglo-Saxon England

2.2The Contest for the English Throne

2.3Conquering the Holy Land, 10-96-1396 AD

2.4King John

2.5The Magna Carta & Parliament

2.6The Black Death

3Worldviews

4The Empire of Mali: 1076-1670 AD

5The Renaissance & Reformations: 1500-1598 AD

6The British Empire: 1583-1960 AD

7The Peasants' Revolt: 1381 AD

8Religion in the Middle Ages

9Slavery: 1619-1833 AD

10The English Civil War: 1642-1660 AD

11The Industrial Revolution: 1750-1840 AD

12US Independence: 1775-1783 AD

13The French Revolution: 1789-1815 AD

14The British Empire: 1857–1930 AD

15Suffrage: 1840-1928 AD

16World War 1: 1914-1918 AD

17The Inter-War Years: 1919-1939 AD

18World War 2: 1939-1945 AD

19The Cold War: 1947-1962 AD

20Civil Rights in the USA: 1954-1975 AD

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