Effect of Colonial Rule in Africa

Negative effects

• The Africans lost their political independence.
• Some traditional political institutions were destroyed and replaced with foreign ones.
• Foreign culture was imposed on Africans without regard for their own culture. This led to the loss of the African culture.
• Many followers of traditional religion were converted into Christianity. They were made to believe that their traditional beliefs were primitive.

Below is an image of early missionaries

• Africans lost large tracts of their land to the European settlers.
• Many Africans were forced to live in crowded areas and were never able to regain their land again.
• Africans were discriminated against and mistreated in their own countries.
• Africans were viewed as slaves rather than free people. Africans provided free forced labour on settler farms.

Below are images on forced labour

• The African continent was broken up into political units that later became independent countries.
• People from the same traditional communities were divided and placed in different countries or colonies.
• The Africans were forced to trade with the colonial master much more than with fellow Africans living in neighbouring states.

• Development within the colonies was not balanced or uniform. It tended to favour areas occupied by white settlers.

Positive effects

• Colonial rule brought an end to slave trade.
• Modern health facilities, formal education and other social services were introcuced into the country.
• New breeds of animals and crops that could do well under the African climate were introduced.
• The African people developed the desire to control their own future and worked towards achieving justice and equality.

Below are images of africans fighting for justice and equality

• Colonialism introduced a common currency which had not existed in the past.
• It introduced a new legal system.
• It brought manufactured goods some of which could not be produced locally.
• It introduced modern machines which are now used in agriculture and industries.

The following images show improvement in education an medical services

• Colonial governments introduced modern methods of communication.
• Cash crop farming was introduced.
• Traditional farming methods were improved through research and adopting new methods.