Imperialism
In
Africa

A WebQuest for 10th Grade World History

Designed by

Sherry E. Spector
Parkdale High School
6001 Good Luck Road
Riverdale, MD  20873

E-Mail
Spector-Parkdale@starpower.net
 

Introduction | Tasks  | Process | Group Responsibilities | The Final Product
Background Information   | Sources For Research |  Links | Books & Encyclopedias
Evaluation | Conclusion 
 

As European powers gained a foothold in various regions of the African continent in the nineteenth century, citizens from their respective countries took up the challenge of colonization.  What followed was a period of intense competition among European powers for territorial domination and increased tensions among competing European powers as they clashed over protecting their imperialistic acquisitions in Africa, India, the Middle East, and Asia.
 

Rudyard Kipling

Task You are the senior foreign correspondent for the British Times Herald.  Even though you and your colleagues have been  assigned to the foreign desk in South Africa, you are encouraged to travel throughout the continent of Africa.  The year is 1880.  You have been in South Africa for two months and now you are ready to begin to fulfill your assignment.  The Editor in Chief has assigned you and your colleagues to write a series of feature editorials on Imperialism in Africa.  Since it is the job of a newspaper reporter to inform its readers, the Board of Directors of the British Times Herald has given you an unlimited expense account to investigate this controversial topic. Your editorials will help readers to arrive at a their own conclusions about whether or not the British Empire should continue with the policy of imperialism. Public opinion is fast becoming an important factor in British politics.  Politicians and the public alike take notice of what is being reported and written in newspapers.

Some supporters of Imperialism believe that a decision to amend England's imperialist policy will have a profound impact on England's current position as the strongest world power among European nations.  They argue that imperialism is for the good of the Empire.  These supporters of imperialism believe that the policy of imperialism is a method of securing and maintaining English power in an increasingly competitive and dangerous world.  Therefore, according to those who support imperialism, it is in the best interest of Her Majesty's Empire on which the "Sun Never Sets," to continue the expansionist policy of imperialism.  Others, however, argue that British Imperialism in Africa is a result of greed and economic exploitation.  They make a distinction between "colonialism" and "imperialism." 

Process

This WebQuest is a long term, interdisciplinary project that combines research, critical thinking, and writing skills.  Students will be divided into small groups.  Each group will cover ONE article on the topics that are listed below.
 

• British Footholds in Africa from the late 1400s through the 1800s. The establishment of British trading outposts and early colonization.
• The impact of the Industrial Revolution on the new global age (the movement from colonialism to imperialism in Africa) and other forces that were shaping Africa in the 1880s.
• The growth of European Imperialism in the late 1800s.  What other forces were at work?
• The rise of "the New Imperialism," the groups that supported it, and the reasons for their support of such a policy.
• The extension of British influence in Africa and the areas that it carved up, such as, British Somaliland, Egypt, Gambia, Rhodesia, Sierra Leone, and South Africa.
• The impact of British imperialism on the indigenous peoples of Africa, and their immediate and long term responses to this policy. 

Group Responsibilities

  1.  Each group is made up of the Editorial Department of the newspaper, The British Times Herald.

  2.  You and your group members of the Editorial Department  must assign roles and responsibilities.  Each group member may have more than one role and responsibility during each phase of this project.   Examples of the responsibilities are:

                          A.  Editorial Page Editor
                          B.  Deputy Editorial Page Editors 
                          C.  Researchers (staff members at the paper) 
                          D.  Reporters (the lead researchers)
                          E.  Writers (staff members at the paper)

  3.  The phases of the project are:

       1.  Phase 1 - Organization:   assigning roles and
                               responsibilities
       2.  Phase 2 - Research:  researchers, reporters, writers
       3.  Phase 3 - Writing:  reporters and writers
       4.  Phase 4 - Editing: Editorial Page Editor, Deputy
                                Editorial Page Editors, and reporters
       5.  Phase 5 - Production and Printing:  Editorial Page 
                                 Editor and Deputy Editorial Page Editors 
 

  4.  Determine a time table for each phase of the project. The time table is based on the project's deadline. 

The Final Product

Your group will research, write, and edit for the editorial page of the The British Times Herald an editorial on Imperialism in Africa.  The editorial will be presented along with other editorials into a special editorial edition of the paper.

Background Information

As your group prepares the editorial, consider the following background information that can be found in various textbooks and encyclopedias listed below:
 

Kingdoms and Trading States of Africa (750 B.C.E - A.C.E. 1586), pages 282 - 301 in Chapter 12 in your textbook, World History Connections Today.

The First Global Age:  Europe, the Americas, and Africa (1492 - 1750), Chapter 16 Section 4:  Turbulent Centuries in Africa, pages 405 - 410, in your textbook, World History Connections Today.

Colonization:  Chapter 19, The Expansion of Europe in the Eighteenth Century:  Building the Atlantic Economy, pages 624 - 631, in A History of Western Society.  McKay, John P., Bennett D. Hill, and John Buckler.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Company, 1987.

Colonization:  Chapter 26, The West and The World:  Building A World Economy (late Nineteenth Century), pages 828 - 831, and Western Penetration of Egypt, pages 834 - 835, in A History of Western Society.  McKay, John P., Bennett D. Hill, and John Buckler.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Company, 1987.

New Imperialism: Chapter 26, The West and The World:  Western Imperialism and The Scramble For Africa (late Nineteenth Century), pages 840 - 845; Causes of The New Imperialism, pages 845 - 848; Critics of Imperialism, pages 848 - 849; and Responses To Western Imperialism, pages 849 - 851 in A History of Western Society.  McKay, John P., Bennett D. Hill, and John Buckler.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Company, 1987. 

Colonization:  Chapter 5, The Transformation of Eastern Europe, 1648 - 1740, a section on The Global Economy of the Eighteenth Century, pages 257 - 262 in A History of the Modern World.  R. R. Palmer and Joel Colton.  New York:  McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995.

Imperialism also known as Europe's World Supremacy: Chapter 15, Imperialism:   Its Nature and Causes, pages 642 - 650 in A History of the Modern World. R. R. Palmer and Joel Colton.  New York:  McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995.

Imperialism also known as Europe's World Supremacy: Chapter 15, Imperialism:  The Partition of Africa, pages 662 - 669, in A History of the Modern World.  R. R. Palmer and Joel Colton.  New York:  McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995.

The New Imperialism (1800 - 1914), Chapter 25, pages 630 - 653, in your textbook, World History Connections Today.

Sources For Research

In addition to the textbooks and encyclopedias mentioned above there are other very important resources for you use.

Imperialism In Africa makes use of specific web sites.  Below is a list of web sites.  When you wish to link to one of these web sites, go to LINKS.  In addition, there is a list of books that may be helpful in your research.  You are required to
include two secondary source references and three Internet sites in your Works Cited page that follows your article.  Go to Books.  The teacher will provide instructions on how to construct a Works Cited page at a later time.

Encyclopedia Britannic - Students do not require a password while working on this web site at school.  Speak to Ms. Spector or the staff in the Media Center to obtain the password should you want to work on this web site at home. 

Eurohistory - European History:  The Age of Imperialism.  A superb link to the topic of New Imperialism. Provides additional excellent links to other the web sites. 

Gale Research - A internet subscription data base that covers all disciplines.

Smithsonian - Excellent web site that provides links, including a link to the Smithsonian exhibit at the Museum of 
Natural History

World Book Encyclopedia - Students may only use this web site at school.
 
 
 

BOOKS & ENCYCLOPEDIAS

Davidson, Basil.  Africa In History. Rev. ed.  New York: 
     Collier Books, 1999.
          Look in:
               A.  Preface to this Revised and Expanded Edition
                     Africa Rediscovered
               B.  Chapter 6:  Towards Crisis of Today
               C.  Chapter 7:  Conquest and Colonial Rule

Hodson, Robert D., and Elvyn A. Stoneman. The Changing 
     Map of Africa.  2nd ed. Princeton, N.J.:  D. Van Nostrand 
     Company, Inc., 1968.
          Look in:
               A.  Chapter 3:  Early Exploration and Settlement
                                         Troublesome Interior
               B.  Chapter 4:  Spheres of Influence

James, Leonard F.  Western Man and the Modern World:  III
     Industrialism, Imperialism, and War.  Elmsford, New
     York:  Pergman Press, 1973.
          Look in:
               A.  Chapter 1:  Industrialism and its Consequences
               B.  Chapter 5:  Nineteenth Century Imperialism

MacGregor-Hastie, Roy.  Africa Background For Today.  New 
     York:  Abelard-Schuman Limited, 1968.

Webster, J.B., and Boahen, with a contribution by H.O. 
     Idowu.  History of West Africa  The Revolutionary Years - 
     1815 to Independence.  New York:  Prager Publishers, 
     1967. 
          Look in:
               A.  Part Three :  West Africa and Europe, 1800 - 
                    1900
               B.  Part Four:  Response and Resistance to Foreign
                    Rule

Colliers Encyclopedia
Compton's Encyclopedia
Encyclopedia Britannica
Merit Students Encyclopedia
New Standard Encyclopedia
The New Book of Knowledge
World Book Millennium 2000
 
 

Cohen, Benjamin J.  The Question of Imperialism:  The 
     Political Economy of Dominance and Dependence.  New 
     York:  Basic Books, 1973.
               A revisionist of Hobson, Cohen rejects the primacy of economic interests in determining imperialist policies, holding that older power politics is more reliable key to understanding nineteenth century expansion.

Court, W. H. B., ed.  British Economic History, 1870-1914: 
     Commentary and Documents.  Cambridge:  Cambridge 
     University Press, 1965.
               A collection of documents with editorial commentary dealing with many aspects of the British economy in the period, useful as background for the study of Hobson's book. 

Koebner, Richard, and Helmut Dan Schmidt.  Imperialism: 
     The Story and Significance of a Political Word, 
     1840-1960.  Cambridge:  Cambridge University Press,
     1964.
               Using the semantic approach, this book shows how imperialism was transformed from an admired word and doctrine to a derogatory concept.

Lenin, V. I.  Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism:  A 
     Popular Outline.  New York:  International Publishers, 
     1939.
               This is a primary source document that has been translated from Russian into English.

Lichtheim, George.  Imperialism.  New York:  Frederick A. 
     Praeger, 1971.
               Written by an anti Leninist democratic socialist, this account traces Western imperialism from the Roman "imperium" to the Third World anti-imperialism of the present.

Oliver, Roland, & Anthony Atmore.  Africa Since
     1800.  New York:  Cambridge University Press, 1994.

Shillington, Kevin . History of Africa.  New York:  St. Martin's
     Press, 1995.

Thorton, A. P.  The Imperial Idea and Its Enemies:  A Study 
     in British Power.  New York: Doubleday & Company, 
     1968.
               Discusses the meaning of empire to British leaders and the British public from the later nineteenth to the mid twentieth century, and how British attitudes toward empire changed through the writings of Hobson and others.

Winks, Robin W., ed.  The Age of Imperialism.  New Jersey: 
     Prentice-Hall, 1969.
               A collection of documents, letters, reminiscences, and commentary illustrating the impact and effects of imperialism on Europeans and the colonial peoples.

There are two evaluations.

    First, you and your group will be evaluated.  The teacher will use a Collaboration Rubric to assess the individual's performance within the group.
    Second, your group will be evaluated on your final product, the editorial.  The teacher will use the Newspaper Editorial Rubric .

Your article must contain the following:

1.  The editorial addresses the "who", "what", "when", "where", 
     "why", and "how" of historical writing.

2.  The editorial is written from the reporter's view.  Historical
      evidence must be present.

3.  The editorial focuses on your group's assigned topic.

4.  There is appropriate use of grammar, syntax, and vocabulary.
 
 

Why is imperialism a worthy subject for you to study? 

You might think that imperialism is a nineteenth and early twentieth century term.  It does not apply to us in the twenty first century - the "Age of Information," or does it?

Wait, are there examples of modern imperialism?  Check the newspaper.  Maybe we can find some examples when we look at the World News section.

Is it critical that Americans be particularly sensitive to imperialism since America is the most powerful nation on the face of the earth?  Why?  Is the "American Way" the ONLY way?

In a global community, where communication is instantaneous, and ideas transcend most boarders, the motives of powerful nations often collide with the needs of the less powerful.  What is our responsibility to the less powerful nations if we do not
recognize imperialistic tendencies in our own foreign policy?