Africa - Colonialism and Postcolonialism in the Congo

Representations of the Congo
Before Africa was colonized, it was seen only as a huge piece of land having lots of potential if controlled by a European power. Africa is vast with resources and contains diverse landscapes which made colonization of the land even more desirable. King Leopold took advantage of this and decided to try and obtain the Congo for his own rule. Henry Morton Stanley was the explorer that traveled through the Congo on behalf of King Leopold. However, Stanley treated the Congolese as anything but civilized human beings.

Leopold finally gained control over the Congo after the Berlin Conference in 1884. It was under his own control, instead of the country of Belgium. Leopold was able to obtain this country through trickery and manipulation claiming all the good that would come from his rule, and the benefits he would give to Africa, like Christianity. However, the treatment of the natives in the Congo did not improve after Leopold became the ruler. The Congolese were essentially slaves of Leopold; they were abused, forced to do difficult tasks, and most likely killed either from murder, starvation, or disease. One common punishment, or simply an action enforced by Leopold, was cutting off hands of the Congolese people. This is so disturbing to me, and makes me question all of humanity. I do not understand how this foreign ruler (Leopold) can think it is okay to first take over the Congo land, lie to the world about his goals after taking control of the Congo, make the natives do ridiculous and strenuous jobs, and then proceed to leave them with permanent injuries.

One of the common tasks done by the Congolese under Leopold’s rule was getting rubber sap from a vine. A weapon-like tool called a chicotte was used to slice open the vine and obtain the rubber sap. Abuse was a consequence if the job was not done properly, or in a timely manner. Leopold also had his own army, the Force Publique, which was responsible for the killing of millions of natives throughout his rule. Some natives even decided to join the army and kill their fellow Congolese, just so they didn't have to be killed.


King Leopold II
King Leopold II was the king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909. He is most famous for his colonization of the Congo. He lead everyone to believe he was colonizing the Congo in order to help stop slavery, but was instead doing the exact opposite. The early 1890s was when the rubber boom occurred and King Leopold took advantage of this by using the new land he owned in the Congo. He used the Congolese to cut down the trees that rubber could be created from. The men would be used as laborers and the women would be held hostage to help force the men to work. This would mean no one was available to go out and hunt for food and water. This caused a famine and the Congolese population was cut in half. This was also caused by the women and men be separate that directly affected the birth rate. Overall, King Leopold was a terribly selfish man that used the people of the Congo for his own personal need for more money. He destroyed what the Congo had and set them back hundreds of years. (Hochschild 2015)

William Shepard
William Sheppard was a man, introduced in Chapter 10, who was an African American Presbyterian Minister born in Virginia. Sheppard wanted to return to his African roots, and preach about Christianity in Africa. His mission was not allowed to be accomplished unless a white superior, Reverend Samuel Lapsley, came along with him. Both of these men established a church in the Congo, but that wasn't the biggest concern to Sheppard. Sheppard was very interested in the African people and their way of life, and culture. After I learned this, Sheppard definitely became my favorite “character” in King Leopold’s Ghost. He observed and took notes on the Kuba people while living in Africa, and just wanted to get to know more about them, and their rituals, beliefs, etc. I think this respect Sheppard had for the Congolese is truly amazing, considering the way Leopold viewed the people living in Africa is not even as people, but as slaves. Sheppard was a very well-liked man and deservingly so.

Edmund Dene Morel


Another “hero” was mentioned in Chapter 11, and his name was Edmund Dene Morel. Morel worked with a shipping company in Britain called Elder Dempster. He was often sent to Belgium to supervise ships, and he was able to view documents to and from Belgium and the Congo. By doing this, he discovered the ships headed to the Congo only contained weapons, and ships arriving contained prized goods such as rubber. Financial fraud and slavery were suspected by Morel. Luckily, Morel did stand up for what was right which is why I consider him to be a hero. He started a newspaper called West African Mail, which contained many articles against King Leopold, and what he was doing in the Congo. This newspaper became very successful, and many powerful European countries were supporting Morel’s work and turned against King Leopold. When Morel paired up with Roger Casement, his works were even more supported. Casement traveled to the Congo, so he was able to accurately record the atrocities he saw happening. I think Casement and Morel’s work was listened to and supported because of the vast amount of evidence they accumulated (from a primary source as well), and because the support of many European countries was behind their work.

"Published on Nov 30, 2014 - Clip from episode 3 of BBC documentary"Racism: A History". Leopold II of Belgium orchestrates one of the most appalling and forgotten acts of slavery, genocide, and robbery in history."

The colonization of Africa by Europe, is somewhat unique in the fact that for hundreds of years, Europeans settled trading ports on the coast of Africa but it was not until much later in history that Europe actually went inland and began colonizing the countries of Africa.  David Livingstone, Henry Morton Stanley, and King Leopold II of Belgium were some of the main characters in the early invasion, settlement, and colonization of Africa, especially the Congo.  Livingstone was a Scottish missionary that originally met with H.M Stanley to discuss invading Africa.  “The Scramble for Africa describes the period of intense European interest in, colonization, occupation, and annexation of Africa between the 1880s-1914.”

References:

Hochschild, Adam. "Leopold II and the Congo Free State." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Accessed February 19, 2015. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/336654/Leopold-II/325131/Leopold-II-and-the-Congo-Free-State.

Video:

"Leopold II of Belgium: Racism, Slavery, and Genocide in the Congo." Racism: A History. BBC. 30 Nov. 2014. Youtube.com. Web. 22 Feb. 2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grYjrdbDHOc>.

Pictures: 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Leopold_ii_garter_knight.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Gilbert_Stuart_Portrait_of_William_Shepard.jpg/220px-Gilbert_Stuart_Portrait_of_William_Shepard.jpg

http://shop.antislavery.org/includes/handlers/img.ashx?img=%2Fimages%2FAbolitionists%2F302morel72dpi.jpg&w=323&h=265