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Social Studies Name: __________________________

Imperialism in Africa occurred in the late 1800s and would come to have a profound effect on the continent. European exploration sparked European expansion into West and Central Africa. One of the most significant events of this period was that of King Leopold II of Belgium and his role in the Congo. He would rule over the Congo as his personal empire and would be responsible for the death and mutilation of 6-8 million Congolese people. His brutal treatment of the local people would come to symbolize the worst aspects of European imperialism in Africa.

King Leopold II was born on the 9th of April, 1835 in Brussels, Belgium. He was the king of Belgium from 1865 to 1909 and played a significant role in its period of African imperialism. In hopes of building Belgium’s global empire of colonies, he helped lead efforts to colonize the Congo River basin, and officially formed the Congo Free State in 1885. He ruled over the Congo Free State as his own private possession and used his control over the region to amass a fortune for himself. The area had valuable resources, such as: rubber, copper and other raw materials. Rubber was an incredibly valuable resource at the time, as the newly invented rubber tire was being used in bicycles and early automobiles.

Leopold II would oversee the brutalization of millions of Congo peoples in order to harvest and sell the rubber. He granted monopolies to European companies and earned large profits for himself. The companies ruthlessly exploited the land and the people in the Congo in their pursuits of profit. The company managers would force the Congo people to work long hours and punished them if they did not meet their quotas. Punishments were brutal and involved: beatings, cutting of their hands, starvation, imprisoning women and children to force men to work harder and destroying entire villages. The punishment that came to be best associated with the brutal reign of Leopold II is the cutting off of the hands of the Congo people. If the people did not

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meet their quota for rubber then they could have one or both of their hands removed.

The atrocities eventually drew international attention and the intense pressure caused the Belgian government to investigate what was occurring in the Congo Free State. Eventually, in 1908, the territory was taken over by the Belgian government and renamed Belgian Congo, but not before Leopold II demanded a fee for the sale of his control over the Congo. For his part, Leopold II amassed a substantial fortune and was considered to be one of the richest men in the world near the end of his life. Before he died on December 17th, 1909, he supposedly had a personal fortune as high as $500 million.

© Copyright History Matters 2015.

© Copyright History Matters 2015.

Social Studies Name: __________________________

Directions: Complete the following questions, based on the included reading.

1. What European nation was King Leopold II from?

2. What area of Africa did King Leopold II control?

3. What did the actions of Leopold II come to symbolize?

4. What resource(s) did the Congo River basin contain that was of importance to Leopold II?

5. Why was rubber so valuable during the time period?

6. Describe how the Congolese people were treated during the time of Leopold II.

7. What eventually led to Leopold II giving up his control of the Congo?

8. Explain how Leopold II benefited from his control over the Congo.

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9. Ethnocentrism is the belief that one’s own culture or ethnic heritage is superior to all others. Explain how the events of Leopold II and his rule over the Congo is an example of ethnocentrism?

10. How do you think the legacy of Leopold II and his control over the Congo Free State has impacted present day Congo?

Answer the following questions based on the included political cartoon.

11. The cartoon shows a rubber vine wrapped around the African man. What does this vine represent? Explain.

12. What is the significance of the caption at the bottom of the cartoon? Explain.

13. What is the overall message of the cartoon? Explain your reasoning.