Empire Building in Africa - Research Paper Example

Many of the European Nations developed an interest in Africa due to various reasons. First, in the wake of industrial revolution, these nations realized that they required extra raw materials to use in their newly established industries. In addition, these European nations required new markets for their manufactured goods, which stirred up competition for Africa. Due to this, many European nations or colonial powers confiscated large segments of Africa and established empires (Lakeview.org, 2008).

In addition to need for markets and raw materials, the European nations also wanted to acquire power and reputation. In this regard, these nations competed for a larger control of Africa. The nations thought that they would be more powerful and would have more reputation if they control and rule over a large territory. The combination of these factors led for the scramble for Africa and eventually the establishment of colonial rule in the continent (Lloyd, 2009). Before the 19th century, the whole world regarded Africa as the Dark Continent.

This is because a part from the inhabitants of Africa, the rest of the world did not know anything concerning this continent. The first contact between the Europeans and Africans was through trade, which gradually begun between the Europeans and African traders in the coast of Africa. Conversely, since this trade occurred at the coast, the Europeans were interested with the interior of Africa, and some started to explore this continent in the early 19th century. The first European explorers in Africa were the missionaries who had the sole purpose of spreading the gospel to Africans as well as to eliminate slave trade.

These missionaries deemed that slave trade was poisonous and had negative consequences to most African poor (Nosotro, 2010). As the Europeans endeavored to explore Africa’s interior, they encountered a problem. They could not travel in to the interior in large numbers due to inconveniences