The Imperialists' Guide to Africa
British tips for carving up a continent
The Scramble for Africa: The late 19th century saw the invasion, colonization, and partition of Africa by seven Western European powers during the era of "New Imperialism". Initially, only 10% of Africa was under European control in 1870, but by 1914, this figure had risen to almost 90%.
This “Colonizability of Africa” map, created in 1899, is a stark representation of the colonial mindset. Harry Hamilton Johnston, a British explorer and colonial administrator, sees Africa as nothing more than a resource and the chance to spread European influence. He carves the continent up according to European preferences - with no regard for existing groups, cultures, or land rights.
Johnston's map indicates a complete lack of regard for any existing African borders. The message is clear: the only important markings on the map are his groupings of 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' areas.
The map is found in Johnston’s book A History of the Colonization of Africa by Alien Races. It described the areas:
Red Areas: "There is that restricted healthy area lying outside the tropics, where the climate is salubrious and Europeans can support existence under much the same conditions as in their native lands. Here they can freely rear children to form in time a native European race.”
Yellow areas: "Countries where good and settled government cannot be maintained by the natives without the control of a European power, the European power retaining the lands in return for the expense and trouble of such control."
Gray / Black Areas: "The third category consists of 'plantation colonies'--vast territories to be governed autocratically but wisely and as far as possible through native chiefs and councils, with the first aim of securing good government and a reasonable degree of civilization to a large population of races at present inferior in culture and mentality to the European."
The purpose of this map is to outline where Africa will be most useful and profitable to white European settlers. African input is notably absent in this map - they do not have the power to map themselves and claim land rights. Mapping is exclusive to the elite. ~ Lauren Oldham
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Entitled Imperialists Behaving Badly
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The Human Zoo of 1904
The photo shows Mrs. Wilkins, a teacher from the Philippine Reservation, teaching an Igorot boy the cakewalk. While the photo captures a moment of cultural exchange and curiosity, it also reveals the power dynamics and inequalities that shaped the fair and its …
This level of racism behind the creation of this map is only topped by its self-entitlement.
We keep on looking back at history almost as though we ourselves aren’t becoming a part of history that too will be reflected upon and yet we keep on making the same damn mistakes. Repeating the same mistakes expecting different results. Says something about our real “intelligence”, doesn’t it?