5. ✴ when people take control of territory outside their
own nation or country for their own benefit
✴idea originated during the “Age of Exploration”
(1500’s - 1800’s)
✴European explorers contacted/discovered “new”
lands
✴the “New World” was established
✴colonies were built for economic, political, and
religious reasons
7. EXAMPLES?
~ The United States of America began as a
series of British colonies, originally called
the “Thirteen Colonies”.
8. EXAMPLES?
~ The United States of America began as a
series of British colonies, originally called
the “Thirteen Colonies”.
~ Mexico, Brazil, and other South American
countries were originally colonies of either
Portugal or Spain.
9. EXAMPLES?
~ The United States of America began as a
series of British colonies, originally called
the “Thirteen Colonies”.
~ Mexico, Brazil, and other South American
countries were originally colonies of either
Portugal or Spain.
~ From the mid-1800’s to about 1950, India
was a colonial area under the rule of the
British East India Trading Company.
10. EXAMPLES?
~ The United States of America began as a
series of British colonies, originally called
the “Thirteen Colonies”.
~ Mexico, Brazil, and other South American
countries were originally colonies of either
Portugal or Spain.
~ From the mid-1800’s to about 1950, India
was a colonial area under the rule of the
British East India Trading Company.
~ Hong Kong was formerly a British colony
(from 1841 to 1997).
11. EXAMPLES?
~ The United States of America began as a
series of British colonies, originally called
the “Thirteen Colonies”.
~ Mexico, Brazil, and other South American
countries were originally colonies of either
Portugal or Spain.
~ From the mid-1800’s to about 1950, India
was a colonial area under the rule of the
British East India Trading Company.
~ Hong Kong was formerly a British colony
(from 1841 to 1997).
~ The island of Tokelau is a current colony
of New Zealand.
14. THE MOTIVES
• gold, glory, and GOD
• more land = more power
15. • gold, glory, and GOD
• more land = more power
THE MOTIVES
• must convert HEATHENS into CHRISTIANS!
16. • gold, glory, and GOD
• more land = more power
THE MOTIVES
• must convert HEATHENS into CHRISTIANS!
• Triangular Trade Route: slave trade picks up millions in
Africa
17. • more land = more power
• THERoute: slave trade picks up millions in
MOTIVES
must convert HEATHENS into CHRISTIANS!
• Triangular Trade
Africa
• later on.. needed raw materials to fuel the Industrial
Revolution
18. A short satire about
colonization (imperialism).
QuickTimeª and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
19. Hold onto that thought for
a moment.
For now, let’s look at.....
NIGERIA
25. Geography
located on West African coast
•
shares borders with Republic of Benin in the
west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and
Niger in the north.
26. Geography
located on West African coast
•
shares borders with Republic of Benin in the
west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and
Niger in the north.
Abuja = capital
•
27. Geography
on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic
•
Ocean)
28. on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic
•
Geography
Ocean)
land area of 923,768 km² (California x2)
29. on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic
•
Ocean)
Geography
land area of 923,768 km² (California x2)
two main rivers: the Niger and the Benue
•
30. on the coast of the Gulf of Guinea (Atlantic
•
Ocean)
Geography
land area of 923,768 km² (California x2)
two main rivers: the Niger and the Benue
•
varied landscapes: includes mountains in
southeast, beaches, rain forests, swamps,
savannah plains, and some of the Sahara
desert in the north
38. average number of children: 5 per woman
•
PEOPLE
Africa’s most populated country
•
ethnicities: more than 250 ethnicities (Hausa,
•
Fulani, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Ijaw, Kanuri, Ibibio,
Tiv
religions: Muslim (50%), Christian (40%),
•
Native (10%)
religions: Muslim (50%), Christian (40%),
•
Native (10%)
39. NIGERIA
today
today
QuickTimeª and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
40. A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF
AFRICA...
was composed mainly of small tribes and clans of people supporting
•
themselves with farming, cattle, or hunting
41. A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF
AFRICA...
was composed mainly of small tribes and clans of people supporting
•
themselves with farming, cattle, or hunting
hundreds of different ethnicities and indigenous belief systems
•
42. A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF
AFRICA...
was composed mainly of small tribes and clans of people supporting
•
themselves with farming, cattle, or hunting
hundreds of different ethnicities and indigenous belief systems
•
African societies on coast had greater contact with the outside world
•
43. A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF
AFRICA...
was composed mainly of small tribes and clans of people supporting
•
themselves with farming, cattle, or hunting
hundreds of different ethnicities and indigenous belief systems
•
African societies on coast had greater contact with the outside world
•
1700’s: slave trade = HUGE industry
•
44. A VERY BRIEF HISTORY OF
AFRICA...
was composed mainly of small tribes and clans of people supporting
•
themselves with farming, cattle, or hunting
hundreds of different ethnicities and indigenous belief systems
•
African societies on coast had greater contact with the outside world
•
1700’s: slave trade = HUGE industry
•
late 1800’s: scramble for Africa, European nations struggle to
•
imperialize/colonize sections of Africa
46. To understand what happened to Nigeria, you
must first look at the “Scramble for Africa”,
when European nations sliced up sections of
Africa to take as their own, and make colonies.
And this is what happened...
48. Colonialism in AFRICA
• in the late 1800’s, European nations such as Great
Britain, France, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Spain and
the Netherlands participated in the Berlin
Conference
• at this meeting, the nations divided up Africa like a
birthday cake
• there was no representation for African tribes or
societies
• Europeans did not consider ethnic or religious
differences among Africans when they made borders
49. Colonialism in AFRICA
• instead, Europeans took advantage of differences
between Africans, and pit different ethnic groups
against each other
• Europeans set up their own government systems to
rule African peoples; often forced them to convert to
Christianity; slavery
• some “modernization” occurred: roads,
communication lines, railroads, literacy and education,
better medical care
54. along Niger River
COLONIALISM in NIGERIA
1400-1500: first contact with white Europeans; began
colonizing Nigeria from coast towards inland
1900: Great Britain established a charter to rule Northern
•
Nigeria
British used a “divide & conquer” method; pitting ethnic
•
groups against each other
British introduced Christianity into Southern Nigeria;
•
especially to people like the Ibo (central theme in Things Fall
Apart.
Native beliefs disrespected; bonds of clan and kin broken
•
55. COLONIALISM in NIGERIA
concept of “civilizing” the native people; Christian evangelists
•
Church Missionary Society & Methodist Missionary Society
establish schools in Southern Nigeria
translated bible into local languages
•
introduced English as main language at school and society
•
made a “proper” code of conduct/behavior for Nigerian
•
villages
56. COLONIALISM in NIGERIA
“If children were to develop along civilized lines, their daily
•
life must be supervised, controlled and directed along ‘proper
lines'. That is, if a ‘raw' African is to be made a civilized,
Christian black European, he must be isolated from the evil
influences of his pagan past and present.”
- Babs Fafunwa
“A ‘good' citizen in Nigeria … meant one who was African
•
by blood, Christian by religion and British or French in
culture and intellect.” - Babs Fafunwa
57. The reaction...
QuickTimeª and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
An example of people that suffered from European colonization.
58. QUOTES
• “And at last the locusts did descend. They settled
on every tree and on every blade of grass; they
settled on the roofs and covered the bare ground.
Mighty tree branches broke away under them, and
the whole country became the brown-earth color
of the vast, hungry swarm.”
59. QUOTES
The coming of the locusts represents the coming of the
white men to Nigeria. For example, only a few “scouts”
of locusts came at first, and then a huge, impenetrable
swarm followed. This represents the few early white
missionaries that came before the rest. Like the locusts,
the white men covered the land and took over the
Nigerians’ lives. The tree branches that broke
underneath the locusts represent the traditions and
lifestyles that were broken as a result of the white men
coming to the land.
60. QUOTES
• “The white man is very clever... Now he has
won our brothers, and our clan cannot act as
one. He has put a knife on the things that held us
together and now we have fallen apart.”
61. QUOTES
This quote describes the climax of this story. The
townspeople have realized that they have
underestimated the white men and the damage they
could cause. This quote very accurately reflects what
actually happened in Nigeria when the British began
colonizing it. The colonists played on the weaknesses of
the clans and the differences that divided them; for
example, they encouraged the outcasts of the village to
join their church. In doing this, they broke the bonds
that had bound the native people together (religion,
customs) and the Nigerians found their lives “fallen
apart”.
62. QUESTIONS
• How do you think white Europeans justified
taking over African territories without the
peoples’ consent? Think about religious,
racial, and social reasons.
63. > “Manifest Destiny” belief
> the “White Man’s burden” belief
> Europeans said that it was their “duty” to
civilize and educate the “heathens”
> many believed that white Europeans were
biologically superior (Darwin’s theory) to blacks
64. QUESTIONS
• Do you think the British improved or
harmed Nigeria by colonizing it? Explain.
65. > Yes, improved:
- Nigerians received modern knowledge and education of science,
world history, languages, and contact with the outside world (i.e.
Nwoye eventually attends the Western school in Umuofia)
- Nigerians were given the opportunity to practice a non-traditional
religion (i.e. Nwoye finds more peace in Christianity than the
inexplicable actions of his native religion)
- Nigeria became more modern; roads, communication lines,
industries, and trains were introduced
> No, harmed:
- British colonists exploited Nigerian resources, such as oil and metal
- Nigerian culture, religion, language, customs, and traditional
lifestyle was ignored and destroyed
66. QUESTIONS
• In “Things Fall Apart”, we see many unusual
customs and beliefs that characterized
Nigerian identity. For example, newborn
twins were left to die in the wilderness
because they were believed to be unholy. In
your opinion, were the villagers of Umuofia
“uncivilized” for adhering to these beliefs?
Would you agree with the British in saying
that they were “barbarians”? Explain.
67. > Yes, it is uncivilized/barbaric:
- relying on an “Oracle” and the gods
- using beliefs/legends instead of science to explain things like twins
or infertility
- killing innocent children because of a command from a supposed
“oracle”
> No, it is not barbaric/uncivilized:
- each civilization has its own reasons for their beliefs and actions
- different cultures cannot be labelled “uncivilized” because they
are different from our own; some customs that we find normal
may be considered “barbaric” and “uncivilized” by other people
(i.e. abortions, pre-marital sex, eating meat, etc.)
