history of Africa

Running Head : HISTORY OF AFRICA

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Date The social and cultural organization evidenced in Africa today has over time been shaped and instilled by western influences from the many years of interactions between the two entities . Interactions between Africa and the Europeans date back to the fifteenth century with the landing of the Portuguese explorers and traders . Whereas the initial interactions were on a basis of trade this would change with time with the onset of the scramble and partitioning of the African society . The

scramble and partition of Africa was not only political but also brought forth changes in the social organization in the varied communities in Africa

This seeks to focus at these changes and the social evolution that took place in Africa from 1800 until the end of the scramble of Africa . It will contrast the social evolution in West Africa and in the southern Africa . While the social settings and organization were somehow similar before the coming of the European , they also had some major differences . The differences were both cultural and economic and the Europeans that greatly unsettled this setting . One major difference that was to be noted was in religion . Most of the western African nations became a mixture of Christians and Muslims due to the influence form the Northern African states , which had become converted to Islam

The southern African communities were mainly Christians coupled with the indigenous African religions . The West African communities were fast becoming absorbed by the new forms of religions . The culture in west Africa was changing rapidly due to the Islamic and Christianity influence more than it was in the south of Africa , where the cultural and social setting was taking long change . However , in the modern day south Africa , the territories occupied by the Boers had become colonized by the western values in their search for gold . Unlike their counterparts in West Africa , the changes in the social setting were being influenced by the Boers occupation and the exploration of gold

Most of the western African communities were engaging in slave trade and indeed this was the main preoccupation along with ivory and iron trade . This coupled with the onslaught of the British missionaries was bringing some cultural and social changes in the existing societies in the western African countries . Both the western and southern communities like the rest of Africa , were resisting the occupation of the Europeans not only due to the political changes they sought to instill but also the effect on the social organization . However , the resistance to the social changes was more prevalent in the southern communities especially as the British sought to extend the influence in the Shona land

This is explained by the contacts the western African communities had with the Europeans in the various trade practices within their territories . The slave trade was rapidly changing the existing social setting . The southern communities sat unsettled by the trade that existed along the Indian and the Atlantic Ocean...