Madisen Roderick
Ms. Dunnavant
APWH, p8
June 1st, 2015
CBA: Analyzing African Responses In 1885 C.E., the Berlin Conference marked the beginning of a 3 decade long colonization of Africa by European peoples. This was known as the European Scramble for Africa. The African people started responding to this colonization in several ways. Some did what was best to avoid conflict between he peoples, some relied on the authority and power they believed a higher power held, and others took it upon themselves to rebel and stand up against the colonization they didn’t want. One way African peoples began responding to the European Scramble for Africa is trying to peacefully avoid the conflict. In 1886, African rulers around the Niger River delta responded to the Scramble for Africa with a letter to the British government agreeing to be colonized. “..do this day cede to the Royal Niger Company, forever, the whole of our territory,” (Doc 1). An Ashanti leader, Prempeh I, also wrote a letter to the British, kindly denying colonization with Europeans. “My kingdom of Ashanti will never commit itself to any such policy. Ashanti must remain as of old and at the same time remain friendly with all white men,” (Doc 2). These statements both…show more content… The emperor of Ethiopia, Menelik II, stated in a letter to several European countries: “..we hope that the Christian powers, advised by our Savior, Jesus Christ, will restore our seacoast boundary to us,” (Doc 3). A German military officer reported his account of the Africans in East Africa stating, “The chiefs spread it among their people that a spirit, living in the form of a snake, had given a magic medicine to a medicine man,” (Doc 8). The Africans believed this “magic medicine” would help them. These Africans trusted the higher, godly power to help their peoples during this time of African
