King Leopold and the Belgian Congo Essay - 610 Words

King Leopold and the Belgian Congo It is widely debated why exactly King Leopold decided to conquer the Congo, but the general consensus seems to be that it was out of the belief that â€Å"the highlands of the Congo may be as rich in gold as the mountains of the western slope of the American Continent† (Stead). In the mid-1870s, the King hired Henry Stanley, who was familiar with many parts of Africa, to help him go about conquering. During the following years Stanley stayed in Africa, talking various tribes into signing over their lands and rights. After this was completed the King officially took over the Congo, renaming it the Congo Free State. This was especially ironic because all natives of the country were either forced to give up†¦show more content†¦Eventually, word started to spread about what was going on. The public had strongly believed that the natives were benefiting from being â€Å"civilized† through their forced labor. However, between disgusted Belgian officials and authors s uch as Joseph Conrad and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the truth was becoming clearer. In 1904, the Congo Reform Association was founded. Four years later, King Leopold was made to turn over the Belgian Congo to the Belgian government. Much of the collected evidence against him was in the form of photographs. The king had managed to successfully bribe almost every single person who might otherwise have made a witness against the goings-on in the Belgian Congo, as it was renamed after being handed over to the Belgian government. This did very little good for the people of the Congo; they were still being overworked, repressed, and denied basic human rights. The situation was more than a little embarrassing for the king, who disliked his authority being overshadowed. Still, his profit from the matter was no cause for complaint. Leopold’s original investment was said to be somewhere in the neighborhood of six and a half million dollars; the financial gain was that number, multiplied m any times over. Compared to Belgium’s profit, during its time of colonization the population of the Congo was decreased byShow MoreRelatedImperialism And The Congo : Imperialism1413 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Congo What is imperialism? According to Britannica, imperialism is a state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas. Belgium taking over the Congo is an example of this. The Congo was a peaceful country, located in the heart of Africa, consisting of warm sunny days and beautiful Lake Malebo. The people were free, and happy. This was before the hell started†¦ King Là ©opoldRead MoreKing Leopold II and the Congo Free State655 Words   |  3 Pages King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909) was the reigning king of Belgium from 1865 until his death in 1909. He managed the throne after the death of his father, Leopold I. He was born under the original name of Louis Philippe Marie Victor in Brussels. He joined the Belgium armed forces at a relatively early age and, in 1853, he took as his wife the Archduke of Austria’s daughter, Maria Henrietta. He became widely noted as a philanthropist, his work earning him worldwide fame. 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However, unlike the holocaust of Jews committed by the Nazi regime in mid-twentieth century Germany, the Belgian extermination of the Congolese has gone largely forgotten. In King Leopold’sRead MoreKing Leopolds Ghost Analysis1576 Words   |  7 PagesAdam Hochschild’s â€Å"King Leopold’s Ghost† is an account of a man’s rise of power who was very cruel and did unimaginable things. When I began reading, I wasn’t sure where the novel was going, but I soon caught on to what Hochschild was revealing. As the story begins to unfold he tells a story of King Leopold II of Belgium who managed to seize land next to the Congo River in Africa. King Leopold used political manip ulation and lies to get what he wanted. King Leopold had everyone fooled that he wasRead MoreEssay King Leopold: The Oppressor1221 Words   |  5 PagesKing Leopold II of Belgium’s speech delivered to missionaries traveling to the Congo describes an attempt by the king to justify the subjugation of the Congolese people for the benefit of the Belgian economy. King Leopold directed his speech to the Catholic missionaries who were planning on working with the indigenous population of the Congo in 1883. Leopold, blinded by racism and imperialist greed, stresses that the missionaries should selectively interpret their Bible teachings in a manner thatRead MoreCongo’s Era of Damnation631 Words   |  3 Pages1885, King Leopold II of Belgium imperialized the Independent State of the Congo. Leopold set the area up under his own personal rule. His rule was an extremely negative and very unwanted thing that plunged the area into an era of damnation. The early history of the congo really starts in 150 AD. The indigenous immigrants to the Congo, who were most likely Pygmies, had migrated from the northern area to the savannah regions in the south now called DROC, or Democratic Republic of the Congo (ClarkeRead MoreThe Scramble For African Colonization Of Africa1733 Words   |  7 Pagesgetting a chunk of Africa. While at the conference, King Leopold became the sole owner of this now Congo Free State. He claimed that he was going to improve the lives of the natives that lived there. He committed to the IAC stating he wanted to end the east African slave trade not only that, but also pledge that the Congo would be open to free trade. Shortly after he gained power, he discarded the IAC and set up a private colony which is known as the Congo Free state that he used for his own wealth. HeRead More Belgian Colonializm in the Congo Free State Essay1042 Words   |  5 Pages The violent and forced rule of the Congo is a horrific time i n African history. The time period beginning with Henry Morton Stanleys first exploration to the Congo, and King Leopolds desire of this area, had been a nightmare for the people of the Congo. The civilizing mission to the Congo not only resulted in the killing of thousands of people but also the destruction of a culture. The two articles, Belgian Colonialism in the Congo, and the letter by George Washington Williams, are just twoRead MoreThe Congo Free State Of The Zaire1169 Words   |  5 PagesThe Congo Free State was a former state in Africa which is now entitled The Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was created in the 1880s as the private holding of European investors. The Congo was led by Leopold II, who was the king of the Belgians. The members of the Congo Free State military intentionally maimed, murdered, tortured and raped millions of Congolese people. Leopold believed oversea colonies were the key to a country’s greatest, so he worked to obtain colonial territory for Belgium