Annotation # 10. Assignment #14

        McDougal-Littell. Telescoping The Times: The Age of Imperialism,"Imperialists Divide Africa." 1850-1914. Web.

        In this article it explains how European nations established colonial territory in Africa and how they took Africa's resources. "In the Mid-1800s, Europeans had renewed interest in Africa. This rose, in part, from a desire to create overseas empires, a movement called imperialism. European nations wanted to control lands that had raw materials they needed for their industrial economies." Back in the 1800s European countries wanted to expand and build upon their resources by taking them from Africa. "A nation often felt that gaining colonies was a measure of its greatness."  They often took resources from other countries to better their country and make their nation feel better. European nations were naturally more developed at that point in time anyways so for them to go to Africa and steal their resources was just diminishing Africa even more. "Technology helped them succeed. Steam engines, railroads, and telegraphs made them able to penetrate deeper into Africa and still have contact with the home country." This quote just proves that they were already more advanced in technology than Africa and they were able to go there and just take whatever they wanted including the people for their own benefit. In a previous annotation I had made a comment on how America helps out africa by giving them aid and trading with them but really they are just doing that for their own personal gain. By trading with an underdeveloped country the developed country has an opportunity to influence what the other country trades. "The Europeans began to build plantations where they grew peanuts, palm oil, cocoa, and rubber. They also took important minerals." Along with the important minerals they took they brought back African people.
          In my opinion I think people should not consider Africa poor because we are all the causes of their poverty. We meaning the world. The world has shaped the way Africa was and the way that it is. In all of my research I think Europe and America has had the biggest impact on the way Africa is today. All of my sources that I have found are all as equally important I feel in my overall research paper. At this point I don't think one source dominates over another.