European Influence in the African Region - Essay Example

Over history, a lot of activities and events led to the creation of different and diverse societies in the regions of Africa. Some of these events are recorded in history books and are meant to act as a reminder to all the civilizations present in the modern day. The reminders serve to act as inspiration as to what transpired, which led society to be what it is in modern times. African history and what transpired may form the basis of the foundation of the formation of many civilizations.

Events such as the scramble and partition of Africa in the 19th century, slavery and slave trade, creation of institutions based on religious revolutions were just but a few of the things that brought about the formation of different cultures. 

The events that may have led to the interaction between the African and the European in the 14th to the mid-20th century may have been the finding of man’s first remains in the region of Tanganyika. It was during this time that expeditions were carried out by many of the European influences that came to Africa. It was the crusade by David Livingstone against the infamous slave trade that led to the discovery of some of the remains of a man. Slave trade was common among the people in this region as there were bargains that were struck by Arab traders in the region in exchange for common goods and services.

During the German invasion, local traditional structures were disregarded and eradicated (Shillington 879). The same thing was happening in the neighboring East African region, Kenya, where the British had taken control. The political, social, and economic structure of the regions changed as the colonialists made a play at the region’s economic well-being. Africa was rich in raw materials and minerals, and the colonialists used these to enrich the mother countries. Labor was found by the local people, and it came cheap.

The family structure was changed drastically as able-bodied men were shipped away to work for their colonial masters, hence; changing the social structure. The political structure became that of the colonialists, and many of the structures being seen today are still from the colonial era. Local and traditional heads were done away with as were the traditions and cultures of the people. Westernization led to the erosion of most of the traditional beliefs that many individuals held onto during that time.

Christianity, which was introduced earlier, came to be the symbol of the colonialists. This is as Africans were told of the Bible, and told to do away with traditional beliefs (Shillington 984). In conclusion, legacies were created during and after the European influence in these regions. The birth of African leaders, who stepped up to lead their regions in fighting for the decolonization of their lands are legacies that are etched into history. Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere and Mzee Jomo Kenyatta are some of the famous names in history that come up whenever Africa is mentioned.

They were both facilitators of freedom in their respective countries, which saw them become presidents under new constitutions and new political structures, which happened around 1964. European influences are still present in modern Africa and form the basis of many African societies (Shillington 1009).