Imperialism
The Arabs were the first people to colonize East Africa. They had been controlling a slave trade even before the Europeans had discovered the Eastern African region. The East African slave trade had been conducted since the fist AD centuries. In the beginning, West African slave trade was more popular. Once the British eliminated the West African slave trade, the Eastern slave trade gained more recognition.
East Africa is wealthy in terms of raw materials. Resources such as: minerals, agriculture, animal hide, rubber, ivory, and cotton. The Berlin Conference of 1885 decided how the partition of Africa would be done. Great Britain controlled most of East African in 1914. They had colonies in areas that are present day Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Zambia, and Malawi. Germany controlled the vicinity of German East Africa, which is now Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. By 1945 Britain had taken control of German East Africa (Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi). The only country in East Africa that had not been colonized was Ethiopia. Ethiopia had modernized tools and weapons that they had received from trading with other countries.
When the Europeans came to East Africa, they began to divide up the region, as discussed at the Berlin Conference. These new colonial borders clashed with the ethnic borders that that the African tribes had established. This caused troubles between the diverse ethnic groups. If any tribe attempted to stop the military forces, they would be killed. These expeditions caused several genocides of the indigenous people of Africa. The Europeans also forced people to leave their homes and move to other places. When the Europeans were in command of a colony, they substituted aboriginal chiefs with new colonial administrators. This caused more unrest within the colonies.
The last of the Eastern African countries gained their independence in 1977 (the earlier countries in the 1960s). Self governing was very difficult for the people of East Africa because they had never been able to govern themselves before. Also each different ethnic group spoke a different language and had different beliefs. This made it difficult for them to unite as one and agree with each other. The region’s economies still centered on the selling of cheap materials to Europe. Because the Cold War made the countries of Eastern Africa choose sides and become allies with the US or the USSR, there was much political instability within them. Due to the European colonization of the Eastern African region, the region has suffered political fraud, overthrown governments, and several genocides.
~Caitlin~
East Africa is wealthy in terms of raw materials. Resources such as: minerals, agriculture, animal hide, rubber, ivory, and cotton. The Berlin Conference of 1885 decided how the partition of Africa would be done. Great Britain controlled most of East African in 1914. They had colonies in areas that are present day Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Zambia, and Malawi. Germany controlled the vicinity of German East Africa, which is now Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. By 1945 Britain had taken control of German East Africa (Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi). The only country in East Africa that had not been colonized was Ethiopia. Ethiopia had modernized tools and weapons that they had received from trading with other countries.
When the Europeans came to East Africa, they began to divide up the region, as discussed at the Berlin Conference. These new colonial borders clashed with the ethnic borders that that the African tribes had established. This caused troubles between the diverse ethnic groups. If any tribe attempted to stop the military forces, they would be killed. These expeditions caused several genocides of the indigenous people of Africa. The Europeans also forced people to leave their homes and move to other places. When the Europeans were in command of a colony, they substituted aboriginal chiefs with new colonial administrators. This caused more unrest within the colonies.
The last of the Eastern African countries gained their independence in 1977 (the earlier countries in the 1960s). Self governing was very difficult for the people of East Africa because they had never been able to govern themselves before. Also each different ethnic group spoke a different language and had different beliefs. This made it difficult for them to unite as one and agree with each other. The region’s economies still centered on the selling of cheap materials to Europe. Because the Cold War made the countries of Eastern Africa choose sides and become allies with the US or the USSR, there was much political instability within them. Due to the European colonization of the Eastern African region, the region has suffered political fraud, overthrown governments, and several genocides.
~Caitlin~
