Summary: Chapters one and two of The Wretched of the Earth by Frantz Fanon describe how colonized Africans fought for their independence from colonizing countries. Colonizers were using their capitalistic systems to take the resources within Africa. In this system, Africans were being exploited for their labor which kept them submissive to European colonial powers. They did this through transforming African religious beliefs and education. Fallon calls the colonized countries the Manichaean world due to the idea that Africa and the world is split into good and bad. Colonizers depicted Africans as the individuals who were bad since whites thought they were superior. Due to the conditions and depictions of Africans, the colonized began to revolt and revolutions began to occur. The process of decolonization had to be violent since the systems that were implemented in African countries discriminated against Africans. The European idea of a Manichaean world would end up hurting them, since Africans started to depict whites and their practices as evil. When violence started to occur in Africa it was random with most of it happening in rural areas. However, after the years progressed, these violence movements began to become organized which sparked a unified organization. The unification of people was important to the decolonization of Africa because societies could now put aside their differences for a bigger purpose in overthrowing colonizers. The colonized efforts for independence were not easy though. Europeans and colonizers used psychological warfare which would create ripples in the forces of rebels. Since many were from different backgrounds and cultures, manipulation was a very easy way to create havoc in revolutionary groups. Although these efforts were somewhat tactical and smart, they did not work. The colonized still rebelled since they could not stand being dictated by colonists. 

Most significant paragraph: “The violence of the colonized, we have said, unifies the people. By its very structure colonialism is separatist and regionalist. Colonialism is not merely content to note the existence of tribes, it reinforces and differentiates them.” (1)

This paragraph is the most important because it discusses how evil colonization really was. Euopeans tried to make Africans submissive to them like animals. They would change their education system so that Africans would learn how to do jobs that only benefited colonists as well as the mother country. The revolts led to changes in Africa with the removal of chiefs since some were manipulated by the colonizers to keep control. The elimination of chiefs and kinds helped create unification in Africa which is important when trying to overthrow colonial systems and rulers. Lastly, this paragraph is very important because the entire reason decolonization was occurring was due to Europeans trying to change the cultures and people of Africa to be more like them. Which eventually becomes the colonizers downfall, and the colonized greatest motive.

Two questions: 

1. Why have countries in Africa not implemented their own education system, that separates itself from the colonial system that has been put in place hundreds of years ago?
2. What were the most effective ways along with violence that helped countries like Algeria escape the colonization rule of European countries?

(1). Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth, (New York, Grove Press, 1963) 51.

The Colonial system in Africa was extremely detrimental to the cultures of Africa as well as their resources. The colonies that extirpated the resources from the continent devastated Africans because of the changes within education and infrastructure. When capitalism was brought into Africa, it caused many problems because no infrastructure was created. Due to the exploitation and transportation routes, when European countries left Africa, roads, as well as businesses, started to diminish. There was minimal maintenance as the years progressed which makes travel more difficult due to road closures. Education was changed in the sense that it stimulated values and practices which created new informal forms of education. The schools were being transformed into Christian academies, which was detrimental when it comes to the cultures of Africa. African values were being lost as colonial rule and expansion continued. Also, in areas with white European populations they had severe racist education institutions that were being implemented. This was would have been harmful to those going to school because they were being forced to learn European ways as well as discriminated against. Education was designed to civilize the Africans which changed the culture from one generation to the next. This was a way to control the Africans. 

Counties thought they were developing Africa due to their benefits as well as the machinery being put there. Before the colonial period, Africans had not undergone any technological advancement or experience. Africans had to learn all new skills to use the machines and technology that Europeans brought with them. Then when these counties left, Africans had European machinery which made them dependent on parts. Dependency is still a form of colonialism since Africans could not prosper without the help of Europeans and their companies. Also, the way in which the colonies split up Africa was detrimental to their societies. People were separated by lines drawn by individuals who did not understand the cultures as well as connections the societies in Africa had established. Those illogical decisions have led to conflict within counties. 

The most important paragraph was on page 270. It states “The colonization of Africa pasted for just over seventy years in most parts of the continent. That is an extremely short period within the context of universal historical development.”[1] This paragraph explains how detrimental the colonial system was in Africa. Colonization did not only affect the education of Africans, but also the political as well as the economic realm. This makes perfect sense due to the fact that the colonies were being exploited. It also discussed how it slowed down African development, like how socialism did for North Korea. All other counties in the world started progressing, but due to the systems of capitalism, North Korea has fallen behind. This comparison shows how detrimental the effects of the colonial system, and the places in which it can be compared to. 

Questions: 

1. Is there any way to change the schooling of African children so they can learn about their own cultures and history in school?

2. Should there be reparations for African counties from European counties due to the fact that they exploited the resources as well as the Africans during the colonial period?

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[1] Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped

Africa (United Kingdom: Bogle-L’Ouverture Publications, 1972), 270.

Native Administration in Nigeria

Argument: British officials did not believe the Nigerians were capable of governing themselves, unlike those in India. This is due to the British not believing Nigerians were “civilized.” 

Questions:

1. Did the British respect the Nigerian’s values or culture? Why? 
   1. No, because we see from the tone of the author that he does not approve of their traditions. He believes Nigerians go to war for pointless reasons. 
2.  Why is the native administration seen as being inferior to the British? 
   1. The native administrators are seen as being better at running the Colonial Office because they are more in touch with the public, can speak the native language, and understand native culture where the British administrators do not. 

Reasonings:

1. The importance of this question is that it forces the reader to analyze how the British official feels about the Nigerians. In the reading, the author describes Nigerian traditions, but does not necessarily give his opinion. The person answering the question is forced to read between the lines to find an answer.
2. This question makes the reader question why and how native administrators were better than their British counterparts, which goes against the popular narrative

Africa as a continent was stripped of its ability to strive due to European nations involvement. It’s able bodied people were captured as slaves, which resulted in a diminished workforce and stagnated numbers of African people. A labor force was particularly important during this time period, for example, the West Indies were valueless without slave labor. The loss of the labor force also came along with the loss of valuable resources such as precious metals, oil, diamonds, and rubber. This was due to the establishment of colonial government in Africa that was designed to promote the “mother lands” economic interests. These circumstances of the trade between Africa and Europe were favorable for Europe, while creating a demand for processed goods and technology in Africa. The shift from feudalism to capitalism led to the ideas of imperialism since European countries wanted to maximize their economies. However, European capitalists did not prioritize development in Africa for humanitarian purposes. Their interests were simply based around taking advantage of the resources and people within the continent. In addition, Europeans forced their own cultural values and educational ideals onto African communities. For example, some educational practices that were implemented were the change of their religious beliefs, character training, and a focus on vocational skills.

A summary of the chapters: Walter Rodney’s book, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa discusses many ways in which Africa was used as a non-renewable resource. In the chapters, Rodney explains that European nations such as England, Portugal, and France all created havoc in trying to establish dominance over Africans. African societies and nations tried to withstand the attacks of these foreign counties. After markets and dominance were created in the African nations, Europeans began to racially discriminate against these people, creating a slave-trading network that mainly benefited Europeans. On page 95, J.S Mills was a spokesman for Capitalism and stated that the West Indies were valueless without the slave labor from Africa.[1] Also, population statistics showed that Africa’s population remained constant for hundreds of years. Within the slave-trading network, most took the young and strong, which negatively affected the cultures and living styles of villages. Due to the colonization and change to capitalism within European nations, the continent of Africa was exploited. Exploitation occurred throughout the continent with mass wars and killings to claim the riches (metals, diamonds, and other non-renewable resources) found within the interior. The loss resources and materials, cultures, slave trading networks, and changes in education are some of the broad reasons why European cultures underdeveloped the continent of Africa. Also, most resources were stolen, and no economic value was spread in Africa. Slaves were used to extract these materials, so there were no workers or economic prosperity occurring while Europeans were in control of the region. Without European conflict or interference, the continent would have been shaped differently, and many cultures would have been preserved and would be present today.

The most important paragraph in the reading, and why? The most important paragraph that describes this book is on page 92. It reads, “In effect, particular aspects of African society became weaknesses when Europeans arrived as representatives of a different phase of development. And yet the subjugation of the African economy through the slave trade was a slow process at the outset, and in some instances, African opposition or disinterest had to overcome.”[2]

Why? This paragraph is significant to the book because it describes the slave trade from the African perspective. Slave trade from Africa quickly became extremely important to European societies as well as their economics. They needed slaves for their agricultural colonies. Also, due to aspects within African society, Kings and Queens allowed very small trades to occur, however, it was a difficult process, and due to Europeans pressuring the African rulers. This paragraph is important to the rest of the book because it shows the start of the extremes in which Europeans would do to get slaves. This would then lead to the taking over of Africa, for the economic benefit of Europeans.

Two Questions:

1. If most African nations and cultures did not want to fall under capitalistic Europe, why would they not form an allegiance to protect their cultures and people?
2. What were major effects of European influences in their schools as well as villages? What aspects specifically within the culture were changed by European influences?
3. How did the effects of colonization the future generations of Africans being born under colonization?

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[1] Walter Rodney, How Europe Underdeveloped Africa (United Kingdom: Bogle-L’Ouverture Publications, 1972), 95.

[2] Ibid, 92.

Act of Navigation for the Congo

1. What would benefit the navigation of the Congo if the tariff was imposed?

Answer: Tariffs would help benefit local establishments on the Congo (Article 19). The tariffs would be calculated accordingly, which would allow for parties and nations to be treated equally (Article 19). The addition of tariffs would allow for the river to be policed. Then if the rules are broken there is an international commission that would review it.

Reason for question 1: The topic of tariffs is important because it is showing why money would be needed, and what exactly the money is going towards. Article 19 gives an explanation.

2. How is the commision going to regulate the navigation of the Congo?

Answer: The commision will draw up navigation for the routes. There will be police to regulate the waters of the Congo as well as pilot and quarantine rules. The rights are based on the county that an individual is from.

Reason for question 2: Question two touches and focuses on the routes trading would have taken place. The rules are also established for who would be responsible for what (ex. Police, amount of taxes, fines, what goods can be transported, etc..).

Hi, my name is Andrew Miller and I come from a small farm called Newfield, NY which is located right outside Ithaca, NY. I grew up working on farms and living in the outdoors. I really enjoy being out in the woods; hiking, fishing, hunting, running, and exploring. I am a junior at SUNY Cortland, and I duel major in History and Adolescence Education: Social Studies. I also have a minor in Environmental Outdoor Education and Interpretation. I have never taken an African Studies or History course at my time in SUNY Cortland. My friend Jenn told me that your class would allow me to get the most information about Africa, as well as learn deeply about the cultures and slave networking. I am excited to be taking this because I know very little about Africa and would love to expand my knowledge on the topic.