Lesson 1 of 4 · Grade 8 Social Studies
The Scramble for and partition of Africa
15 min
In the late 1800s, European powers rushed to take control of African territories. This is called the Scramble for Africa.
Reasons
- Economic: need for raw materials (cotton, rubber, minerals) and markets for European goods.
- Political: national prestige and competition between European countries.
- Social: to settle surplus population and spread Christianity and "civilisation".
- Strategic: control of the River Nile and the Suez Canal.
The Berlin Conference (1884–1885)
European powers met in Berlin, Germany, to agree on rules for dividing Africa without any African present. Africa was divided into colonies with artificial borders that split communities.
In East Africa
- Britain took Kenya (British East Africa) and Uganda.
- Germany took Tanganyika (German East Africa), which later became British after World War One.
- The Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEAC) administered Kenya before the British government declared it a protectorate in 1895.
Key points to remember
- Scramble: race for African territory in the late 1800s
- Berlin Conference 1884–1885 set rules for partition
- Kenya became a British protectorate in 1895
- IBEAC administered Kenya first
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