Britain in africa
Britain in africaThe British had three major areas of interest in Africa that led to theircolonization of it ; strategic ports and routes to their Asian colonies, trade interests, and political objectives such as beating the French in the Scramble , and Christianizing the natives . The British had already made significant imperial actions in Africa by 1870, including capturing the Cape of South Africa in 1875, and controlling various ports along the west African coast. It was only after the French completed the Suez Canal in 1869 ;though, that British began to take notice of other parts of the continent, especially Egypt.
Britain immediately realized that the Suez Canal Would make travel to India faster and less expensive. Instead of traveling all the way around the Cape, British merchant ships would only have to cross the Mediterranean and go through the Suez and then go on to India. The only problem the British had with the Suez Canal was that it was controlled by the French , who were not exactly friendly with the British. In 1875 when France offered stock in the Suez Canal on the open Market, Britain seized the opportunity to secretly buy a majority share. France was furious that they had been tricked, but there was nothing they could do about the fact that the canal they had built was now property of the British. This is the beginning of France and Britain's dual control of Egypt.
The British gained complete control in Egypt following the Egyptian Crisis in 1882. Arabi and the Egyptian Nationalists deposed the Khedive and then proceeded to attempted to remove Britain and France from Egypt. The British were furious not only because of the revolt, but because the Khedive owed large sums of money on outstanding loans to the British. The French Government would not allow their troops to fight, so the British had to put down the rebellion alone. After defeating Arabi in the Battle of Tel El Kabir and the Battle of the Nile, the British became the most powerful force in Egypt and France lost their claim for not helping put down the rebellion.
1871 marks the beginning of Britain's politically motivated campaign to end the East African Slave Trade and Christianize the blacks. In 1871 Dr. Livingstone is found in Africa by journalist Harry Stanley. Stanley traveled along with Livingstone, who had been living in Africa for almost 30 years, and begins writing stories about Livingstone's life and aspirations to end slavery and spread Christianity. When Stanley published his stories about Livingstone, it aroused a great deal of support among the British people, and it began Britain's movement to abolish the slave trade. In 1875 with the strong urging of the British Government, Zanzibar ended their Slave Trading Empire.
There were also several financial motivations that led Britain to claim various colonies and protectorates in Africa; the Suez Canal in Egypt, the palm-olive trade in Lagos, the ivory in Sierra...
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