Brutality and Exploitation

EXPANSION IN THE INDUSTRIAL AGE HIST 1301 | History Brutality and Exploitation King Leopold II's citizens suffered in the Congo Free State in ways that have become notorious, despite the fact that all the great powers were capable of violence and that people were exploited in all the colonies. Leopold was a brutal boss, despite his assertions that his interest in Africa sprang only from a desire to better people's lives. The Belgian government was not allowed to interfere in the Congo Free State as it was seen as his personal property. Leopold made money off of it by renting out sections to private businesses and people. These middlemen brutalised the Congolese peoples from the first, not even putting on a façade of charity. After steamboats took them up the Congo River, Europeans compelled Africans to disembark and carry their vast belongings inland. Hundreds of people would occasionally be forced to march in single line while wearing iron collars around their necks that were fastened to chains to prevent them from escaping in order to transport the cargo of a boat. In the Congo Free State, Europeans used Africans for a variety of jobs, but mostly for the collection of ivory and the extraction of rubber from wild rubber tree vines. They had to gather so much rubber every day that they hacked through the vines and let the liquid latex coat their bodies rather than tapping the rubber-bearing vines and allowing the liquid run into pails. Ultimately, it was necessary to remove the solidified rubber by scraping it off of their skin. They were frequently provided merely food in exchange for their labour, with little to no compensation. Men might be compelled to serve in entire towns, and their spouses and kids may be kept as hostages to make sure they complied. Those who were stubborn or sluggish were lashed, often to unconsciousness or even death, while the sick and injured were left to die. The Force Publique, an indigenous force under the authority of European commanders, upheld discipline. In order to keep track of the number of dead, this army chopped off the hand of every victim after killing those who refused to do forced labour or attempted to flee. When the officers' quota was not reached, hands from the living were severed to make up the difference. Insufficient rubber collection might result in people losing their hands as well. Joseph Conrad's novella Heart of Darkness, which was inspired by his observations in the Congo Free State, was released in 1899. The book spurred British calls for action, and the Congo Reform Association (CRA) was established as a result of a thorough report written by a British officer. Members included a number of well-known American and British intellectuals who pushed governments to put an end to the misery of the Congolese people. Leopold II gave the Belgian Parliament control over the Congo in 1908, renaming it the Belgian Congo and assuming sovereignty. The Congo Free State was different from most other colonies mostly in degree rather than kind, although being well-known for the cruel treatment its citizens endured. A segment of the Suez Canal was constructed in Egypt using forced labour. People were forced to cultivate cotton and rice in Portugal's African possessions and sell them to government agents for predetermined rates. In regions where European powers held authority through local leaders, as France's colonies in West Africa, forced labour may be disguising itself as a customary community labour mandated by a chief or village head. There were more negative effects of imperialism on the people of Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Africa. In the late 1800s, contagious illnesses were often carried by tourists from Europe and the United States. Approximately 25% of the population died in Fiji after the measles was introduced in 1875. Travelling nowadays contributes to the spread of illness. Smallpox, bubonic plague, and cholera were all caused by railroads that were constructed in India to transport raw materials and commerce. The need for cotton by textile manufacturers led to the construction of irrigation canals in nations like Egypt, which gave mosquitoes that carry malaria the perfect site to reproduce. Everywhere they went, colonists also carried the rinderpest illness that affects livestock. For instance, the United States introduced rinderpest to the Philippines, quickly destroying Filipino farmers' draft animals and making it more difficult for them to cultivate enough food. The insects started biting people and causing malaria after the domestic cattle had perished. Herds in the eastern and southern regions of the continent were affected when Italians brought rinderpest-infected cattle to the Horn of Africa. Because fewer cows existed, thornbush plants thrived and became a haven for tsetse flies, which spread sleeping sickness. In many cases, farmers could not cultivate enough food to eat themselves because they were dedicating so much land to cash crops. They also had little time to cultivate crops for their own food since they were employed by Europeans to mine ore, gather ivory, or harvest rubber. As a result, many developed dietary deficiency illnesses as a result of being dependent on food supplied by European and American overseers that was frequently highly processed and deficient in nutrients, such as white flour and white rice. Other forms of exploitation also happened. American "Wild West" performances employed Native Americans to play out war scenarios for paid White audiences. Native Americans, Inuit, and Filipino Islanders were frequently displayed for public viewing by funfair barkers. Filipino tribespeople were on display during the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, inhabiting replicas of their own communities. In European towns and other international fairs, these "human zoos" featuring indigenous peoples from Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Arctic were a regular sight. It is important to consider why indigenous peoples ever collaborated with foreign imperialists in light of the damage that colonisation wrought. Of course, some did so out of concern for what might happen if they didn't. On the other hand, some people collaborated with the imperial authorities in order to benefit themselves and their family. There were positions in the lowest echelons of government agencies for people who learnt to speak the imperial power's language and attained a certain degree of education. Additionally, people could become police officers and soldiers, which was advantageous for minority tribal groups that had previously been subjugated by more strong ones. Some may find employment as guides or interpreters, while those with more money may do business with the imperial government, as did certain Indians, Chinese, and Vietnamese people. Children of those who helped them were frequently educated by imperial countries such as Britain and France, preparing them for a potential career in the colonial administration or possibly a university degree in London or Paris. Lastly, a lot of people who converted to Christianity were serious in their views and could have thought they had more in common with other Christians in Europe than with their contemporaries who were not Christians.