Essay #3

Joseph Weber

HST 498

Barnes

Paper #3

            Europe between the years 1800-1960 was a time of attributing and taking notice of the changes happening.  As new opportunities take place there was very much of it.  The readings very much talked about the changes from past to present revolutions.  Including Nationalism and other political standpoints during this new era.  Lorimer, Berliner, and Bush readings took a look of the two sides (black and whites) and how they rejuvenated into competition due towards work ethic.  Paying close attention towards Halett and Adi readings were important because there are transformations between the Africans and Europeans happening in and out of Europe.  European’s and Africans played a part in change within both worlds during the period after the slave trade.

            After the slave trade there was a difference in attitude between Europeans and Africans.  Within Britain and its seas there was a change in dominance.  Not to mention the improvements made by Africans themselves.  There is better technology therefore made trading between the two seas easier.  Also the working African would differentiate work for the white man on the ports of Britain.  After most of the exploring of Africa there would be arguments on what each section of Africa should be called as.  Also know as the “Scramble for Africa” and its claim for who will have the right to do so.  A lot of new assumptions have been added towards the Britain’s.  The Industrial revolution took a huge boost in profitable money from them as their capitalism kept on increasing.  The attitude would then shift from what should towards who pays? Tax payers had an increase in says and it didn’t matter the skin color.

             Africans would attribute to the change in the same matter as Europeans with a few loopholes of their own.  Meaning, Africans would learn from the new ways and reflect it towards what goes on in Africa.  Politically, with certain systems in voting does take place in leadership and ownership.  Selling would then come in better need and smarter trades happening.  This is in all thanks to the slave trade and its expansion of better benefit it had towards the people in the new world.  Global transformation was helping the Africans in Europe gain rights.  Having that said, there would be more cultural discrepancies.  The two hundred year period is going from a small population of around thirty two thousand and skyrocket towards seven hundred and fifty thousand.  As it can sure enough be seen here is that the dominance in change is to be gained by Africans wanting to move to Europe. 

            The learning wave through all of this is how Africans learned so much while under Britain rule.  Africans political are happened while in Britain (Adi 71).  As if taking matters into their own hands within Western Africa instead of waiting for what Europe had to offer.  This also developed better schools for the children within Britain and Africa.  This resulted for the better between African families in Europe because it gave the sense of a brighter future instead of being neglected as human beings.  Africans also developed working groups to help aid those who are struggling within their living situations.  As the population in Britain grew, it made difficult situations easier because of the number of civilians wanting to help.  After the slave trade, there were more improvements to everyday lifestyle.

            The years of change between 1800-1960 were for the better between the two worlds of Europe and Africa.  Europeans had their improvements in labor and business while the Africans living there were gaining personal independence and opportunity.  Halett and Adi bring up good ideas on the personal level of the two worlds and its similarities in politics.  As said before, the slave trade had everything to do in the dominance of Europe and it grew the population of Africans wanting to come work in Europe.  All in all, the attitude had its ups and downs amongst the people living in Europe and will continue to follow in a positive direction of opportunity.   

           

 Bibliography

Adi, Hakim, "Pan-Africanism and West African Nationalism in Britain," African

Studies Review, Vol. 43, No. 1, Special Issue on the Diaspora, (Apr., 2000), pp. 69-

82.

Halett, Robin, “Changing European attitudes to Africa,” The Cambridge History of

Africa Vol. 5 Cambridge Histories Online.