The Nature of Colonial Archives - Essay Sample

Colonialism was characterized by exploitation, dominance, and imperialism. The whites took advantage of their subjects and exploited them, for they were more powerful. One of the main factors that encouraged colonization was the underdevelopment of the African states. The whites were able to overcome the Africans because they employed the use of the technology to create better firearms, and thus, they could exploit the Africans on their grounds. The whites had also taken a lot of time to plan the whole thing, and therefore, the fact that the African states were found unawares was a great advantage to them.

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Colonization was also characterized by the acquisition of raw materials by the whites. One of the main reasons the whites had planned the colonization plan was the lack of raw materials. The whites had also surveyed the African land in the name of missionaries to identify the points that could generate their desired raw materials. Thus, when the whites overpowered the Africans, they ensured that they acquired the raw materials in massive amounts. The whites also realized that they could set industries in Africa and their states to ensure that the raw materials were transformed into the right form.

Industrialization was also a characteristic of the colonialism. The whites set up a variety of industries both in the African states and in their motherland countries. This was after they realized that Africa was rich in raw materials such as minerals and fertile soils that could lead to food product production. The whites also set up storage sites where the raw materials could be stored before exportation to the European countries. The transportation within the African states was conducted via railway lines, which had been constructed by the missionaries. The whites also built the railway lines as the African nations were lagged behind in terms of infrastructural development. Raw materials were exported out of Africa by the use of ships.

Human exploitation was also a characteristic of the colonialism. The whites had realized that black people could be used as a source of cheap and affective labor. The Africans were therefore used to perform manual and less skillful tasks at lesser costs. In some cases, the whites exported the Africans to work in their plantations. For example, there is a large community of African-Americans who were exported during the period of colonialism. It is worth noting that the Africans were being subjected to forced labor. The Africans were also forced to work on plantations located on their grounds.

During the world war (First and the Second World War), the Africans were trained and exported to fight in the European countries. This caused the death of many Africans as they were not used to operating advanced firearms such as guns and bombs. In effect, the whites used the black to ensure progress on their side. The Africans were brutally and cruelty treated. In their own nations, they were prohibited from accessing specific locations. They were denied their rights for their leaders had been killed for the whites to rule.

Bibliography

Chakrabarty, Dipesh. “Reconciliation And Its Historiography: Some Preliminary Thoughts.” (2001).