Why the African continent became so attractive to the European nations after 1880

Why the African continent became so attractive to the European nations after 1880

a) Economic reasons:

• The desire to acquire raw materials such as rubber, cotton, palm oil, ivory, etc.
• The quest for areas which would serve as lucrative markets for European manufactured goods.
• The search for areas to invest surplus capital acquired from the profits of the Industrial Revolution.
• The desire to exploit fertile soils for the growing of tropical crops and vegetables.
• Pressure mounted European traders in Africa e.g. Cecil Rhodes and Sir George Goldie.
• The discovery of minerals in Africa like gold, diamond, copper, etc.
• The intense commercial competition among European traders and trading firms on the coast of Africa.
• They wanted to gain trade monopolies in Africa.
• The search for places to settle the unemployed people of Europe in Africa.
• The influence of explorers who unveiled the economic potentials of Africa to the European nations.
• The impact of the economic depression of the 1880s in Europe.
• Improvement in the means of transport with the invention of the steamship in 1875, etc.

b) Social or humanitarian reasons:

• The desire to abolish slave trade, slavery and other evils in Africa.
• The search of territories to settle the surplus European population in Africa.
• The desire to spread Christianity.
• The need to spread European civilization in Africa.
• The growth of the racial theory in Europe or European feeling of racial superiority.
• The intellectual motive or pressure mounted by scholars in Europe, etc.3

c) Political reasons:

• The desire to acquire territorial compensation.
• The quest for prestige.
• The activities of King Leopold II of Belgium in Congo.
• The British annexation of Egypt in 1882.
• The influence of the Berlin West Africa Conference of 1884-85.
• The growth of nationalism in Europe.
• The quest for strategic areas in Africa.
• The influence of balance of power.
• German entry into the scramble for Africa.
• The impact of political crisis in Africa, etc.