Europe, Europeans and Africa in the 19 th century

Europe, Europeansand Africa

in the 19th century

Rooting Racism: the Slave Trade

Atlantic Slave Trade:

-Special role in creation European & American Racism (distinct from Saharan, Indian Ocean trades)-As part of Europe’s Atlantic world, tied to both Europe and North/South America

Rooting Racism: the Slave Trade

Americas:-Shaped needs for labour-Influenced volume, direction of trade-‘slave societies’ emerged influencing nature of colonial life, attitudesEurope:-pulled Africa into Europe’s view of world (Introduction) & Europe’s history-Africa and Africans tied into ‘age of discovery’ and ‘age of reason’

Rooting Racism: ‘discovery of the Other’

Fascination with ‘the other’: -Napoleon in Egypt (c.1800): learning or looting?-Bringing back ‘samples’ of the ‘other’: plants, animals, crafts – ultimately, people-exoticism attracting general public as well as scientific communitypopularity of ‘world fairs’, museum exhibits, art & culture of ‘orient’

Plate from Francois le Vaillant’s Voyage de Francois le Vaillant dans l’interieur de l’Afrique, Paris 1798.

French satirical cartoon of the English obsession with the tour of the ‘Hottentot Venus’, a South African woman who was displayed in many cities in Europe from 1810 to 1815.

Ota Benga

In 1906, the Bronx Zoo put Ota Benga, a (Belgian) Congolese pygmy, on display in a cage in its Monkey House. Protests by a group of African-American ministers soon put an end to the exhibit. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5787947

Rooting Racism: ‘age of scientific reason’

Impact of Slave trade:-centuries of capturing, transporting, trading, using slaves shaped attitudes: Africans=Blacks=Slaves=Inferior (to Europeans, Americans)-debate among abolitionists: can Africans be saved and civilized?-(Introduction) talked about European creation/construction of Africa: now talking about creation/construction of Africans

“African Woman” (above)“Zulu Warrior” (right)

‘Scientific Racism’

1824Virey’s 1824 text on the natural history of humans

1864Vogt’s anatomy text

1868Nott and Gliddon’s scale of human evolution

‘Scientific Racism’

Chart comparing intelligence of racial groups, from Adolphe Louis Cureau (translated by E Andrews)

Savage Man in Central Africa: A Study of Primitive Races in the French Congo, London, 1915.

Illustration: R. Shufeldt [an anthropologist’s 1915 tract, America’s Greatest Problem.]

The original caption read:

“Negro Boy and Apes.On the left side of the figure there is a young Chimpanzee, and on theright a young Orang-utang. This is a wonderfully interesting comparison.”

19th C. Europeans in Africa

Abolitionism, Attitudes towards Africans overlapping with ‘shift’ from Slave to Legitimate Trade:-Merchants, Entrepreneurs (interested in resources agricultural, mineral; labour and markets)-Missionaries (interested in ‘saving’ and ‘civilizing’ humans; supporting Societies)-Explorers (paid by governments and geographical societies; serving needs of commerce and Christianity)

Missionaries

Early Missionary Activity:-15th – 16th c. Portuguese (Ethiopia, Kongo): Catholicism -Efforts drew them into domestic politics, societies -Bible translated, attempts to ‘familiarize’ Christianity with local beliefs-Working with local Kings: partnership of commerce and training-17th c. moving into Mozambique

Missionaries

Interest in Portuguese territories declined-France brought White Fathers (avoiding Islamic areas)-Britain introduced Protestant societies (Anglican Christian Missionary Society – CMS; London Missionary Society -LMS, Methodists)-late 18th c. evangelical revivalism worldwide but especially generated by abolitionist movements: Africa centred

Missionaries

‘Projects’ of Abolitionists:-Sierra Leone: newly liberated slaves to join communities of Christian farmers-Idea of ‘assimilation’: Africans could be Black Britons-Olaudah Equiano (Week 2): former slave, British abolitionist, worked in favour of Sierra Leone project-Creation of ‘black’ , indigenous missionaries (eg Samuel Crowther)

Samuel Crowther (Nigeria)

Missionaries

-Liberia: similar-Capital ‘Freetown’, Fourah Bay College (1827), established by CMS (1876 affiliated with British university, British degrees conferred in Liberia)-Thomas Buxton: African Civilisation Society (1837, some gov’t support)

Assimilation = Emulation

Missionaries

‘Missionaries were at the moral frontiers of empire in the 19th century – but they were difficult and lonely ones’ (paraphrased from Reid, p.119)

Video Excerpt from:

‘The Bible and the Gun’(Basil Davidson Africa)

(Available on Youtube: 7.55 -11.50 min)

Missionaries

Conversion:-personal decision but in 19th century, public and political oneIssues:-competing ‘powers’ (Kings, Spiritual): needed to be undermined/replaced-conflicting values (polygamy, polytheism: needed to be replaced with monogamy, monotheism)

Missionaries

‘Challenges’ to local powers:-Religious remained central: -compromises became common -indigenization of Christianity facilitated compromises-Political issues diminished as European presence increased: used, appropriated or demolished Kings/Chiefs (eg Lobengula) (see second video clip ‘Bible and Gun’)

Missionaries

Challenge of Islam:-Christianity made little headway in Muslim regions (North, West – Sahara, sahel especially; East – coast especially)-why?-similarities to ‘traditional’ religions: marriage customs, role of ‘spirits’, ‘magic’, lack of hierarchy/church/institutions, adaptability?

Missionaries

What did Christianity Offer?-literacy-access to lucrative commercial networks-missionaries and mission stations doubled as traders, markets-protection for ‘disadvantaged’-sanctuary for slaves-agents of abolitionHow ‘unique’ were these benefits?What disadvantages were involved?

Missionaries

‘The interest in Christianity is not always easy to access – to what degree this was genuinely ‘spiritual’ and to what degree political or economically expedient?’

- Understanding ‘missionary activity’ and ‘Christianization’ similar to challenges in understanding Islamization

Missionaries

The Imperial Project:-not necessarily formal ‘agents’ of empire but inevitably involved in process-writings informed European views about race: who was capable of being civilized?-took ‘White Man’s Burden’ into local churches, villages-entering service of Missionary Society was by unavoidably entering service of Imperial interests

Missionaries

Missionaries as pawns:-on the ground, missionaries often drawn into local problems and politics-‘chosen’ by African leaders to assist in their goals (eg Mosheshwe): lobby governments, assure trade, provision in arms-vulnerable position, often such ‘demands’ were met- two-edged sword

Missionaries and Merchants

‘between a rock and a hard place…’-vulnerability to ‘hosts’ (as well as diseases, fevers etc)-needing to ‘please’ Missionary Societies and Government back home-must produce ‘converts’ (or be recalled, considered failures – Missionary societies in competition for funding)-also caught up in ambitions of traders, entrepreneurs, investors

The Chameleon

Example of Lobengula, Cecil Rhodes and Richard Helms (also see Reid, p.125)

Video Excerpt II from:‘The Bible and the Gun’

(Basil Davidson, Africa)(available on Youtube 25.00 – 37.00 min)

Lobengula (left), ‘traditional’ rendition; (above) photo of Helm’s ‘friend’ with children

Cecil Rhodes

‘Africa shall beBritish fromCape Town toCairo’