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The expansion of the British Empire in Africa; the Suez Canal and Egypt -…
The expansion of the British Empire in Africa; the Suez Canal and Egypt
Reasons for attention
Abundance of resources including gold, diamonds, ivory, crops, palm oil
Expansionist political ideology
Trade and commerce ie. manufactured goods
Land and labour
Moral; civilising
International competition
Why Britain expanded
Trade and Economy
Britain grew used African resources to manufacture goods to then sell back to Africa; cycle of dependency
Cape Colony gave Britain considerable power over sea routes to East
Had traded in Africa for centuries for gold, ivory and slave trade
Discovery of minerals and resources encouraged investment
Swing to the East
Shift in imperial priorities after loss of American colonies
Wanted to reassert influence via Asia and Africa
Personal Influence
Merchant-imperialists such as Goldie and Rhodes capitalising on commodities for fame and fortune
Public interest stimulated by Victorian explorers' findings
Moral
Livingstone a missionary explorer who sought to convert indigenous peoples to Christianity
Increasing missionaries in 19th centuries whom saw it as their duty to spread faith to non-Christians; empire a force of 'civilisation'
Adventure and Exploration
Most of Africa mapped by 1857
Vast resources discovered which European merchants sought to exploit and trade
Egypt
Why did Britain develop influence
Suez Canal construction had reduced profits of traders in the Cape
Suez Canal would be used by 4/5 of British ships to get to East
Canal made route to India 6,000 miles shorter
If Britain did not expand, another power would
How did Britain develop influence
Disraeli purchased a stock for £4m in 1875 from the Khedive
Installed Tewfiq as puppet ruler
Evelyn Baring installed as Consul-General and governed created amenable to Britain
1885 Convention of London made Egypt a 'veiled protectorate' as it confirmed British influence with Baring effective ruler
Sudan
Why did Britain want to develop influence
French controlled French Equitorial Guinea and Eritrea which could close in on Sudan
French could block Nile if they controlled Sudan; preventing British trade
Sudan had Red Sea on east coast; French control could interfere with route to India
How did Britain develop influence
General Gordon sent on behalf of Khedive 1877-80
Failed with Mahdists killing Gordon and his army
No further attempt made to assert control until a campaign in 1896
Southern Africa
Why did Britain develop influence
Discovery of diamonds in Griqualand in late 1860 gave Africa huge economic potential
Wanted to consolidate power, easier administration
Opposed idea of losing power to other European powers ie. Boers