(RE)WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE CONGO FREE STATE

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "(RE)WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE CONGO FREE STATE"

Diane Shaw
5 years ago
Views:

(RE)WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE CONGO FREE STATE Background: When histories are written, good historians will gather and analyze a wide variety of primary and secondary sources that they can draw on

1 (RE)WRITING THE HISTORY OF THE CONGO FREE STATE Background: When histories are written, good historians will gather and analyze a wide variety of primary and secondary sources that they can draw on to construct their narrative. As you ve (hopefully) noticed throughout the year, some sources are better that others. Inaccurate or incomplete historical records, personal bias, prejudice, political ideology, linguistic barriers, and ignorance are just some of the pitfalls that historians can fall prey to if they are not careful. This is particularly true when looking at sources on European imperialism during the latter-half of the 19 th century. For decades, the principle accounts of this era in human history were written by Europeans. As a result, the accounts and experiences of Africans were often diminished or entirely excluded from the historical narrative. This is a particularly insidious problem in history because people are often unaware of their own poverty of knowledge on a subject and they may unintentionally perpetuate a false narrative. A Quick Example: Take a look at the example text on the right and consider the following: Based on the History & You section, what can you predict about the way that the author will frame the subject? How does the text characterize Leopold s rule in the Congo? Does the text seem to emphasize a particular group or perspective? Does the text seem to ignore or exclude a particular group or perspective? Task: In this activity, your groups will be rewriting the history of the Congo Free State during the era of European imperialism. 1. Examine the textbook excerpt and consider whether there are any flaws with its narrative. 2. Analyze a series of primary and secondary source documents in order to respond to a series of guided questions to help you construct your narrative: How was the Congo Free State governed? Who benefitted from the colonization of Congo? What were the effects of Leopold s rule? This is the narrative on Leopold and Congo from the textbook that is used in our Honors Modern World History class (Spielvogel, Glencoe World History: Modern Times, 2007) [edited]. 3. Rewrite the textbook. Printable and fillable (Powerpoint) templates are posted on our class homework page. You may also make you own (paper or digital) from scratch, or simply use the blank provided. Write your narrative ( words) Use a formal tone Avoid exaggerations or statements that cannot be backed up with evidence. Use at least one excerpt from the primary sources provided. Provide a title that reflects that topic for your narrative, then rewrite the Main Idea and History & You headings. Choose an image (or several) to include in your narrative. You may print / paste or draw your own.

2 HISTORY & YOU

SOURCES ON THE CONGO FREE STATE Background: The Congo Free State was awarded to a company headed by King Leopold II of Belgium by European Powers at the Berlin Conference in 1885.

Source 1: Ewans, M, European Atrocity, African catastrophe: Leopold II, the Congo Free State and its aftermath, 2002 Whereas Rubber with most Exports colonies, imports tended Ivory Exports Rubber

returns, 1890 in the Congo exports 556,000 exceeded imports by a wide 1895 margin almost 2,882,000 from the outset and well Year 1888 1889 1890 Value (Belgian francs) 1,096,000 2,270,000 4,669,000

3 SOURCES ON THE CONGO FREE STATE Background: The Congo Free State was awarded to a company headed by King Leopold II of Belgium by European Powers at the Berlin Conference in Uniquely, this huge area was given not to a nation to rule, but effectively to an individual Leopold. Source 1: Ewans, M, European Atrocity, African catastrophe: Leopold II, the Congo Free State and its aftermath, 2002 Whereas Rubber with most Exports colonies, imports tended Ivory Exports Rubber Exports to exceed exports in the early Value years, due to the need to Year invest in (Belgian infrastructure, francs) administration and other 1888 areas which did 260,000 not generate quick returns, 1890 in the Congo exports 556,000 exceeded imports by a wide 1895 margin almost 2,882,000 from the outset and well Year Value (Belgian francs) 1,096,000 2,270,000 4,669,000 Year Value (Belgian francs) 260, ,000 2,882,000 into the s. 39,874, ,835, ,874,000 Under 1905 the system, 43,755,000 districts were taxed for quotas of food, porterage, ivory, rubber and other ,730, ,755,000 commodities. The administrators were constantly urged to expand production to the maximum, and it was made clear to them that promotion would be dependent on the amounts of produce they succeeded in obtaining. The Free State system was little more than one of plunder, and no regard was paid either to the well being of the local population or to the conservation of the herds of elephants or the wild rubber plants. Source 2: Casement, R, On the Administration of the Congo Free State, 1903, 1904 In the lake district things are pretty bad... Whole villages and districts I knew well and visited as flourishing communities in 1887 are today without a human being; others are reduced to a handful of sick or harassed creatures who say of the government: Are the white men never going home; is this to last forever? Source 5: Linley Sambourne, in Punch 1906 Source 3: Simmons, J, Review: The First Rape of the Congo, Africa Today, 1963 Incidents of flogging, summary execution, burning of villages, amputation of hands for failure to collect an adequate supply of rubber... Source 4: Conrad, The Heart of Darkness, 1902 They [The Belgians] were no colonists; their administration was merely a squeeze, and nothing more, I suspect. They were conquerors, and for that you want only brute force... They grabbed what they could get for the sake of what was to be got. It was just robbery with violence, aggravated murder on a great scale.

Source 6: Russell, B, Freedom and organization, 1814 1914, 1934 If they failed to bring the required amount of rubber, native troops, many of them cannibals, were sent into the village to spread

4 Source 6: Russell, B, Freedom and organization, , 1934 If they failed to bring the required amount of rubber, native troops, many of them cannibals, were sent into the village to spread terror, if necessary by killing some of the men; but in order to prevent a waste of cartridges, they were ordered to bring one right hand for every cartridge used. If they missed, or used cartridges on big game, they cut off the hands of living people to make up the number. Source 7: Gondola, D, The History of Congo, 2002 Not only did rubber collection provide no profit [for the Africans], but it also caused a crisis of subsistence because villagers could not tend to their plots when they were most needed. Soldiers customarily wiped out whole villages and brought the right hands of their victims to the white commissioner. This happened so much that human hands took on a value of their own, becoming a sort of currency. The history of the transformation of Congo Free State from a liability to a highly profitable enterprise can be summed up in two words: red rubber. Source 8: Daniels, J, The Congo Question and the Belgian Solution, The North American Review, 1908 The damning effect [of The Report of the Congo Commission of Enquiry, 1905] would be hard to exaggerate. It spoke of an underlying system of merciless commercial exploitation of the natives. In a word, it proved that Leopold had established not a state, in any true sense, but a gigantic trading company, with all other considerations subordinated to profits. Source 10: Twain, M, King Léopold s Soliloquy: A Defence of His Congo Rule, American Congo Reform Association, 1905 Source 9: Ascherson, N, The King incorporated: Leopold the Second and the Congo, 1999 Morel (a shipping clerk) calculated that Leopold had made a personal profit of 2,000,000 in six years. Each share in the Anglo-Belgian India-Rubber Company had risen from its original 4 to 35 in the same interval. In 1963, I remarked that the Belgians had avoided any real assessment of the Congolese past, and that Leopold II was still honoured as a national hero for his civilising mission. It never occurred to me this would remain the case more than 30 years later.

5 Title Write brief and general summary of the topics covered. HISTORY & YOU Write a question and make a statement that introduces the topic in a way that appeals to your reader. Narrative Title Your narrative goes here but I m just going to put in some filler text to take up space so that you can see what it looks like. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt

interesting and appealing to the reader Historical

6 Title One-sentence general summary A question of statement that tries to make topic of the section interesting and appealing to the reader Historical narrative. Complete sentences that occasionally use quotes from primary sources.

READING SEUSS...2 THE THESIS SENTENCE...3 WRITING YOUR THESIS STATEMENT...4 SAMPLE THESIS...4 YOUR TURN FOR A THESIS...4

Table of Contents READING SEUSS...2 THE THESIS SENTENCE...3 WRITING YOUR THESIS STATEMENT...4 SAMPLE THESIS...4 YOUR TURN FOR A THESIS...4 PROVE IT...5 PROVE IT WITH LOGIC...5 PROVE IT WITH EVIDENCE...5