...Belgium of the truth of what happened in the African country of Congo. Leopold went in to find resources and that he did. He found rubber and an abundance of it. He came into the Congo and with fire and fury. Therefore, the Belgians took over and forced the people to harvest the rubber or else. As I will explain in the following paragraphs. I will...
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...In the late 1800s, a Belgian king wanted to dabble in Imperialism and he choose the Congo,. wWhich sadly meant for Congo that all its resources wereas going to be sucked dry. The government in the Congo made no honest and practical effort made to increase the knowledge of the Congolese people nor did they secure their welfare, which is what they promised (Williams, "Remembered and Reclaimed"). This is around the time the main character in the book Heart of Darkness, Marlow, went to Congo because of his obsession with Africa. As Marlow was going up Congo River and journeying to his final destination, he was disappointed with how things were operating due to the company’s inefficiency and brutality towards the slaves. The company in the book...
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...colonization of the central African country Congo. This conquest began with Belgian King Leopold II, who grew up with minimal expressions of love and affection from his family. His emotional void was filled with an obsession for colonies and money. His thirst for expanding his own Belgian empire grew strong. He learned as much as one could about colonization and profit, and when he realized that no colonies were available for purchase, he knew he must use force. His eyes were set on Africa. "Only in Africa could Leopold hope to achieve his dream of seizing a colony, especially one immensely larger than Belgium" (Hochschild 61). As one of the greatest conquests in world history, along with the Jewish holocaust which killed 11 million people, the European conquest of Africa killed over 10 million people cutting the population of the Congo by at least half (Hochschild 233). In thoroughly understanding this tragic event in history, it is important to explore why Europe conquered and colonized Africa, how this conquer was accomplished, and Africa's response to it. Greed was at the center of King Leopold's European conquest and colonization of Africa. In his mid-twenties Leopold read the book "Java" about how to manage a colony, and began corresponding with the author J.W.B. Money (Hochschild 37). Leopold thought colonies existed to make him rich, and dreamed of the money, power, and respect they would bring him. Leopold thought the Congo was perfect for colonization because it was...
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...United States’ Involvement Throughout the late 1950s, the Congo was struggling to gain its independence from Belgium; however, when it finally achieved its independence in June of 1960, the country encountered more problems than it was ready to handle (“Congo”). The newly independent country was filled with turmoil from the very beginning. It was plagued with riots from the Congolese people and the Congo army terrorized villagers wherever they went. More than fifteen million people, who were divided into more than two hundred separate linguistic groups, were expected to follow one singular leader (“The United Nations”). As one can see, the task of uniting the very segregated country is seemingly impossible; on top of these obstacles, the country had to deal with western democracies interfering. Although it seemed like a good plan for the United States to get involved in the Congo, in retrospect, their actions caused insurmountable damage to the country that may never be restored. There were many political and financial motives for the interests of other countries in the rural country of the Congo. Even though it was not advanced technologically or industrially, the country had many valuable natural resources that foreign countries wanted to exploit. Notably, Great Britain, France, and the United States, all had fiscal interest in the Congo’s mine wealth, mostly in the provenance of Katanga (“Congo”). All of these countries encouraged the succession of Katanga in...
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...rule to a nation to acquire and hold a colony. South Africa, the Congo, and Egypt are cases in which the imperialistic rule abused their power to the extent where their colony forever is impacted in a beyond negative matter. In South Africa,...
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...Began developing a colony for him to directly control. The colony was within the Congo region. The king sent henry Morton Stanley a journalist to explore congo to make treaties with the native peoples. The treaties allowed Leopold to take position as the colony’s leader. Which also increased his power in the land. This movement for leopold coming to power was largely significant because it showed his greed and his soon inhuman treatment to the congolese people do to the fact that he made indigenous peoples sign away their land without knowing the consequences. In 1884 the berlin conference took place to organize the “scramble for Africa” and then later grant Leopold 2 ro rule the congo. Which meant boundaries were imposed throughout Africa, dividing into Europe’s colonial domains thus eliminating any governing people in congo. The Berlin conference encouraged Leopold to begin his reign over congo because he had permission and help from all of Europe. It also allowed Europeans to lay claims over african land and destroy indigenous people power. This lead to mistreatment and abuse to congolese people. Leopold exploited the congo natural rubber which becoming valuable commodity. He sent his armies to steal congolese women and held them hostage until their husbands brought their quota of rubber. People were either whipped of killed...
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...Investigation on Democratic Republic of Congo, Treaties with Mexico and Purchase Contract with a DRC vendor. Student: I.D.: Luz Amairany Garduño Gutiérrez 1580590 Group: 4Di Semester: 4th Classroom: 18 Student: I.D.: Luz Amairany Garduño Gutiérrez 1580590 Group: 4Di Semester: 4th Classroom: 18 Professor: Victor Hugo Moreno San Nicolas de los Garza, Ciudad Universitaria, May 17th 2015 INDEX Introduction………………………………………………………………………….2 LESCANT……………………………………………………………………………3 Treaties………………………………………………………………………………9 Contract of Purchase………………………………………………………………10 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………….15 References………………………………………………………………………….16 Introduction Since the beginning of time people have searched for communicate for others, for don’t being on their own. When communication started to fluctuate humans discovered that they had needs and in some cases they had to give in order to receive other thing. Trade started and with the time society established rules and with that the trade law got born. The main purpose of this project is to learn about the Democratic Republic of Congo and how it works with the issues...
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...Zairean President Mobutu Sese Seko’s 32-year dictatorship. On May 17, 1997, a rebel alliance supported by Rwanda, Uganda, and Angola seized Kinshasa, the capital city, barely a day after Mobutu fled. It quickly reinstated the country’s pre-1971 name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and appointed a new government. Mobutu’s departure closed the chapter on Washington’s last remaining cold war client in Africa. (“Zaire/Democratic Republic of the Congo,” 2013). Mobutu was enlisted by the U.S government and the CIA in the late 1950s when Zaire was still a Belgian colony. Mobutu was recruited to overthrow then leader, Patrice Lumumba, the Congo’s first and only democratically elected prime minister. The United States was angry with Lumumba because he was friendly with Russia and had accepted aid from the Soviets. The U.S. and other Western powers encouraged Mobutu and others to arrange Lumumba’s death. Although the U.S. has denied that it played any role in Lumumba’s death, the death of Lumumba lead to a war that lasted five years and thousands of Congolese lost their lives. At the end of the war Mobutu gained power of the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo). (“Zaire/Democratic Republic of the Congo,” 2013). After Mobutu came into power he was compensated by the United States and its allies for doing their bidding. Once in power Mobutu went about pillaging the countries many resources and half the country’s capital budget. The DRC was rich in diamonds and other valuable minerals...
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...Patrice Lumumba Who was Patrice Lumumba, a martyr for a worthy cause, or a foolish man with unrealistic hopes and ambitions? Patrice Lumumba was a Congolese independence leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of Congo (“Patrice Emergy Lumumba”). In 1958, Lumumba founded the National Congolese Movement (MNC). He became president of the organization and the following year led numerous demonstrations and strikes against the Belgian government. Lumumba called for the Congo to be granted its immediate independence from Belgium. After congressional elections in 1960 the MNC became the country's strongest party. Lumumba became the new prime minister and immediately talked about the need for social and economic changes in the country. He voiced for the people who had for so long had been held down, spit on, hit, and beaten. Patrice Lumumba had a vivid picture of his country. He knew what he wanted for Congo and what kind of country he wanted to live in. He wanted wealth for his people, social justice, proper standards of living, equality, and the end of colonization. He fought for the freedom of Congo. Patrice Lumumba was a man proud of Africa. Despite the colonial injustice he had experienced in his life, he so longed and hoped for glorious times for Africa. With the outbreak of the cold war, it was certain that the U.S. and its western allies would not be prepared to let Africans have effective control over strategic raw materials (Kanza 156). It...
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...Price’s, move to the Belgian Congo from Bethlehem, Georgia, in 1959 due to missionary. The Poisonwood Bible is based off of being told from different perspectives of how the life is living in the Congo. Mainly from the mother and her four children point of view. A character within the novel has been shaped by cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings. Development for someone can occur in different ways. It is possible that your surroundings can make who you truly are. Through trials and tribulations for this specific character,...
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...The Negro by Langston Hughes was short in content but emphasized magnificently several point that reflects the “New Negro Ideology” from 1915-1940. The Negro also tells the long History of Black people from the Old Kingdom during which the pyramids were built, to the brutality they suffered at the hands of Belgium’s King Leopold II in the Congo, and more importantly their struggles for equality in America. Hughes illustrated both the contributions and struggles of Black people during several periods in history. The Negro reflects or connects the past to the present of the Black people, referring to the construction of the pyramids and Julio Caesar. Embedded in those words, “I’ve been a singer,” one can hear the voices of the Africa slaves...
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...The family of white, Southern Baptists, led by their overbearing missionary father, could be labeled as outsiders the minute they landed in the Congo. Set out to bring Christianity into the jungle of Africa, this family would soon be devastated by their new home. However, it was not the jungle itself, or the native people that tore the Price family apart but their own inability to change. Specifically, Nathan Price, the patriarch of the family, who led them to this fate and, determined to convert the village of Kilanga, remained in his missionary role long after the women of the family had stopped believing in him. In this novel, The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver addresses the barriers the family faced. She uses the perspective of the Price women, Orleanna Price and her four daughters, to show the family’s own turmoil as well as their difficulties in the culturally proud village their husband and father is trying to change. Her insight into the Price’s time in the Congo focuses on the message that one trying to change others must be able and willing to change themselves....
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...Through much flattering, Stanley agreed to help him and became the first European to sail across the Congo River. Out of a need to feel accepted, Stanley decided to work on developing the Congo for Leopold. He was able to trick Congolese chiefs into signing documents they couldn’t read so they could surrender their land. Stanley was hard at work, and he developed land in the Congo under Leopold’s orders. This was while the king himself continued to ensure his philanthropic reputation to those with power in Europe. While this was happening, he built up a case and the U.S. government formally recognized the Congo as a Belgian territory, causing a huge win for Belgium. Horrifying punishments were used against the Congolese people. Many who tried to rebel against him or not work to their full potential had the threat of being killed. “Furthermore, unlike many other great predators of history, from Genghis Khan to the Spanish conquistadors, King Leopold II never saw a drop of blood spilled in anger. He never set foot in the Congo. There is something very modern about that, too, as there is about the bomber pilot in the stratosphere, above the clouds, who never hears screams or sees shattered homes or torn...
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...European powers were involved in Africa since the mid-1500's but had restricted their area of influence to only the coastal regions of Western Africa, where powers such as Great Britain established hubs for their highly profitable slave trade (David). Over a period of nearly three hundred years, European ships had transported more than 11 million people from Africa to different areas of the world, including America after the slave trade was abolished in Europe, and sold them into slavery (David). In a period of less than 30 years from 1870 – 1900, European powers, consisting of countries like France, Britain, and Portugal, had increased their control of Africa nations from a mere 10% to 90% of the entire continent (David). There were several reasons for Europe's aptly dubbed “Scramble for Africa,” ranging from thinly veiled intentions of “liberating” Africa from Arab slave traders to not so thinly-veiled hopes of economic and political gains. During this time in history, Europeans strongly felt that they were the superior race and that the darker-skinned residents of Africa were their evolutionary inferiors (David). This deeply rooted idea of racial superiority undoubtedly played a role in the European powers' decision to insert themselves into the African continent in an attempt to “civilize” the native people, who surely perceived as savages by the Europeans. At The Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, thirteen European powers signed a declaration vowing to aid in the abolishment...
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...The Congo Crisis in 1960 followed the Cold War and many of the tensions from it, and it was speculated that these Cold War tensions would arise again in Africa. The United Nations was quick to pursue the Security Council to send peacekeepers to the Congo to ensure a smooth transition as an independent state. Spooner’s article “Just West of Neutral” argues how Prime Minister Diefenbaker’s government pursued a policy that acknowledge the importance of achieving Western objectives in Congo while also avoiding Cold war views of some NATO allies. One of the main issues this article raises is Canada’s place in this matter and how it functioned as a member of the United Nations, NATO, and now ONUC. Earlier events such as the Suez Crisis gave a strong public opinion by Canadians that Canada should act as peacekeepers during the Congo crisis. Spooner...
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