1. 1 | the coming of Europeans to Africa is not threat
FOCULTY OF BUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY.
DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS.
STUDY COURSE: SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
TITLE OF THE COURSE PAPER:
WAS THE COMING OF EUROPEANS A THREAT TO AFRICANS?
PRESENTED BY: ABAN PAUL CHOL CHUKUAN
SUBMITTED TO Prof. Dr.Vilma Tafani
Date: 26th
june-2013
MATRICULATION NO. OO38.
ADDRESS: NEHEMIAH GATEWAY UNIVERSITY
RRUGA NEHEMIAH BUCIMAS POGRADEC ALBANIA.
STUDY COURSE: BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS.
Email: nehemia-uni.aban/aban.paul@yahoo.com
Tell: +355697745105

2. 2 | the coming of Europeans to Africa is not threat
ABSTRACT.
The coming of Europeans to Africa in 19th
century was thought to be a threat by Africans due to some
factors that created fear among the African communities though the reverse and the turn came to be
the two communities are now the beneficiaries of one another. The Europeans were white people while
Africans were black people and they look at them as strangers, then the unknown languages to Africans
was another big problem, for example. The English, French, Portuguese, Germans to mention but a few.
The use of force by the colonies, slave trade, the coming of missionaries that wanted to replace African
gods with European god, god of fire, god of rain, magic gods that can foreseen what will happen in the
future, that are in charge of sending rain from heaven and taking care of forest, mountains, rivers and
community itself. But the price is that both came to realized that they need each other’s support like the
three trinity, then how did the African benefited from the Europeans? The African considered the
impact of the coming of Europeans on them perhaps the most important factor in understanding in the
present condition of the African people. Their coming was necessary to appreciate the degree to which
it influenced not only the economic and political development of Africa but also the African people’s
perception of themselves.

3. 3 | the coming of Europeans to Africa is not threat
INTRODUCTION
The Europeans are the colony who came to Africa in the 18th
-19th
century and these were the British,
French, Germans and Portuguese to mention but a few. Their coming to Africa was thought to be due to
many factors that attracted them in Africa. For example, the eruption of industrialization revolution that
need a lot of raw materials which the Africa continent have plenty, the fertile land of Africa that
produces good agricultural products like coffee, cotton that were badly needed in Europe for their
factories. The need for man power in sugar and cotton plantation, they need land for settlement due to
over population in Europe. The love for adventure, availability of raw materials in Africa, better living
conditions and trade routes. These were some reasons as to why the Africans were suspicious of
Europeans. And this caused a big tension. In the other hands, the Africans are believed to be the black
people that were found in the continent of Africa. Both in the North, South, East, West and Central
Africa. Though Africans do not share common history, cultures and norms but they have the same
identity. They are always organized politically, economically, and socially. These give them togetherness
especially the kingship, tribes, clans, extended family and the community.
However, the fear that the Africans were having on Europeans turned to be the way for opening their
eyes to see what is good and what bad for themselves on the fact that Africa as continent has enough
valuable materials that could help them but because of low technology, they were not able to explore
them and make use of it. For example, the fertile land, gold, diamonds, lakes, and rivers that could have
been use to generate incomes both locally and internationally. But what did European do for Africans to
let them settled?

4. 4 | the coming of Europeans to Africa is not threat
LITERATURE REVIEWS
NEW FARMING SYSTEM.
The introduction of new farming system that help agriculture sector, the use of tractors, hoes, Axes,
pangas and double –axe. This easier the ways cultivation, digging and harvesting. It did not improve only
the agriculture products but the life of the people of Africa. Use of fertilizers was very helpful to some
areas where there is no enough rain, also insecticides that help the farmers to spray plants not to be
destroyed by insects. The Europeans introduced some cash crops like coffee, cotton, tea-leaves, onions,
cabbages, Bananas, lemons, Groundnuts, sugarcane, and salt to mention but a few. All these improved
the standard of living of the African people. Irrigation system also was introduced to support farming
sector where it can be use even during the dry seasons for planting things like vegetables. Intercropping
system made it simple for farmers to plant many crops at the same time. All these were introduced after
the settlement of the white men. This help the idea of, ‘’in African tradition society, everyone is a
worker’’
EDUCATION SYSTEM.
Although African people have that kind of education which was provided by uncles, aunts, grandfathers
and mothers. This kind of education was given to children and it is always done around fire (classroom)
in the evening. Reading of riddles, sitting a poem, giving a proverbs, how to name the parts of human
body indirectly using the name of insects, girls are taught how to take care of the young children and
cooking, fetching fire wood, and water also they are taught how to rest men and should behave
themselves with the opposite sex, they show the girls how to decorate themselves with beads and
smearing themselves cow dung powder to atrack men even to be creative when they get marriage not
to call their husbands by names but love names.. Aunts were the great teachers in African families of
such things. While uncles and grandfathers teaches the boys how to look after cows, giving the
techniques of hunting in the bush and how to attack wild animals like lions, Hyenas, tigers in case they
came under such attack.
However, when the Europeans came to Africa, they introduced new modern education system. They
build classrooms where children are brought together and learn in one environment. The use of pens
and exercise books. Schools were open like primary, secondary, colleges, and universities. This improved
the education system and improved the life of people of Africa. They give scholarship to African students
to come to Europe and learn sciences and laws and other ways of how to live a good life. This Africans
after going back from school, some of them are giving responsibilities to manage their organizations

5. 5 | the coming of Europeans to Africa is not threat
back home. The Europeans taught languages like English, fence, and this made communication simple
both locally and internationally.
TRANSPORT SYSTEM.
The Europeans open up new roads, tama roads, marum roads, railway roads, airfields and water
transport were improved. This easier the movements of people from one place to another not only the
Africans but also the Europeans who came in different directions to Africa and were getting themselves.
Communities who were locked in African tropical forests and those who do live behind the hills and
mountains were exposed to one another. Airports were open for both Europeans and Africans to fly
from Europe to Africa and from Africa to Europe vice verse-versa. The Europeans brought the transport
system like the use of cars, euro plane, trains, ships in the water transport, and even bicycles and motor
cycles for short distances. It reduced the long distance movement and time wasted was eliminated by
this kind of new transport system.
TRADE AND ECONOMICS.
The Europeans improved the trade in Africa. The barter trade, which was used by the traders in Africa.
This is where goods are changed with good and services with services in business transactions. When
the Europeans came there was introduction of money especially during long distance trade both coins
and money notes (paper money) were introduced for different countries in Africa. This made it possible
for financial institutions to be built like banking institutions, micro-finances and commercial banks. They
supported the economy of their states by giving loans to some cooperatives, farmers, and some
individuals benefited from this. Business schools were opened to train those who want to learn subjects
like accounting, economics, commerce, and human resource management etc.
It is still up to today even the current Europeans leaders want to do more trade with Africa to improve
their relationship with African leaders and communities to build better trade.
Recently, Jaffar M Jasiri 23-June-2013,
Obama committed to increased trade and investment in Africa. The need for American business to be
engaged and increase their trade and investment in Africa will be among the highlights of president
Obama’s visit to the three countries in Africa
This proves that the need to trade in Africa is not only with European countries but also with whole
world. The gold, diamonds, precious stones, and oil, still the main target especially the natural resources
for the European investors and it is being welcome by the African people though not everybody like the
idea in Africa some for one way or the other.
THE MISSIONARIES in Africa.
According to www.francofrsecura.co.za A study of missionary settlement and the spread of Christianity in
South Africa during the period of 1800-1925. Including a piece on role of mission, a list of mission, and
case studies of individual stations.

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The European missionaries came to Africa through many routes .Others came through West Africa, South
Africa, and northern Africa. They preached the gospel of salvation to human kind. The love of God to
humankind that he sends his begotten son Jesus Christ who died for our sins. This smeared the hearts of
those who received the message and were convicted by it. They decompaiged slave trade in Africa. Like
David Livingstone who fought for humanity. Built churches, schools like Primary, secondary colleges,
Universities, hospitals and dispensaries. They taught people how to live in harmony with one another.
‘’Like love your neighbor as you love yourself’’. This made it possible for more development in Africa and
even they send students to their home countries where they came from for scholarship to learn and
come back to help them in their missionary work like evangelism, teaching in schools, training teachers
and nurses in colleges and universities. Some missionary do give charity work and donate assistant to
some community who are in need of help of Food, clothes, medication etc. they help government in
some countries in Africa in organizing and training leaders how to manage their leadership and the
community.
According to www.missionariesofafrica.org for more than 130 years, the missionaries of Africa a catholic
societies of religious men have been reaching out to men, women, and children throughout Africa to
preach, teaching, healing and build.
GAMES AND SPORTS
The Europeans improved the sport activities. New games were introduced like football, netball, valley
ball, and athletics. Although some of these games were there in African societies but the Europeans
came and improved some of them. Africans have some their natural kind of games running, jumping
over a robe, swimming in water, throwing of spears. Other like beating of drums, nightclubs or night
dance. European came with their games like football, riding motorcycles, driving, skydive and many
more. Today we have African cup of nations and other premier leagues that are now going on
ADVANCE TECHNOLOGY.
The advance technology that improved the standard of living of the people was also extended to Africa
1
today. The new communication system, telephones, telegraphs, introduction of mobile network and
computer literacy was in Africa. The use of internet that it easy for messages to be sends and received.
Due to this technology advancement, weapons for fighting have been manufactured, machineguns and
war tanks. It is not hard today to communicate far distances due to technology advancement.
Textile industry was introduced after Europeans settled in Africa because of the availability of cotton,
sisal, and some trees that can be use for making clothes. The use of animal skins was replaced by the
new types of clothes Europeans brought and manufactured locally with in Africa. It created employment
opportunity to many people and increase the knowledge for those who use to make traditional bake
clothes in small industries.

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POLITICAL ORGANIZATION.
The Political organization of Africa is almost the same with European’s system. There were religious
organizations, structure of kinship ties, and lineage group in Africa. The same in Europe where there is
kings and queens, religious and spiritual leaders. For example, in England, the first king was called King
Ebert who united the realms of Essex and East Anglia in 9th
century back in 800 AD. In addition, give
them the name England. Moreover, there had been 24 kings of England from then until King William
arrived.
This is according to www.behindthename.com/namesake/categoryenlishruler .
However, the European came with new kind of administration that allow more democracy and rule of
laws in which it was not the same case in Africa. Now there is decentralization of powers in the
government and respect of human rights. Today is president, cabinets, legislative assembly, political
parties, police, and Army and prison services.
In Africa, kings were look to be head of community and there was no rule of laws. One they decided, their
decision was final and there were no election. People wait until the king is dead then someone within
the royal family will be chosen to replace him.
There was creation of borders of countries Africa that up to today is very help full in controlling the
movement of the people and even the movement of goods from one state to another. These improve
the issue of security maintaining and peace in some societies.
According to: Leander Heldring, James A Robinson (10-January 2013)
However, most of the African countries spent two generations under rule. This column argues that,
contrary to some recent commentary highlighting the benefits of colonialism. It is this intense
experience that signiffically retarded economic development across the continent. Relative to plausible
counterfactual, Africa is poorer today than it would be had colonialism.
Due to the colonialism and African, experience of colonialism impact, also there are some negative
effects after the coming of Europeans.
They caused division among African communities that brought conflict in Africa and this has brought
death that lead to loss of many lives today. The racism in South Africa was the example of discrimination
the black from the white.
Since African do live in extended family, it is believed that due to the coming of Europeans to Africa who
decompaiged the issue of marriage many wives through Christian religion. This left many children
remained redundant or helpless who could have been there in extended family. There is no inheriting of
widows as it was before. The abject poverty and unequaled distribution of wealth made the life of many
to remain in ruins.

8. 8 | the coming of Europeans to Africa is not threat
Ethnic violent are very common due to what Europeans did by giving some clan and tribe marks on their
faces to be Identify easily by their opponent especially in central Africa.
According to: Craig, Graham, Kagan, Ozment &Turner, 2007, p.690. (‘’south Africa apartheid’’ 2009)
FINDINGS
Although the Africans did not welcome the Europeans warmly, the Europeans in Africa have done at least
much development. For examples,
Introduced the modern education system that helped to eradicate illiteracy. Schools were open from
lower level of education to the higher level like primary schools, secondary schools, colleges and
universities. Students were given scholarship to come to Europe to learn and get degree, PHDs and
masters up to today such service are still being provided though Africans are independent. The live
example is the Nehemiah Gateway University that offered scholarship to African students.
The improvement of communication and transport system, construction of roads railways, airfields and
water transport is improved. This made it easy for the movement of the people from one place to
another.
Political organizations in the government were established where there is democracy and parties who
practice their rights to whom they may vote and whom they may not. Now there is rule of laws, each
state has president, and his cabinets, parties and so on.
The advance technology that today as we see in many things like telephones, computers, internet and
mobile network has been established in Africa in which there is many mobile network company that are
operate in Africa now. Examples are Mobile telephone networks. (MTN) ZAIN Network, Vodafone
Network Kenya, Congo, in Africa and Europe.
New farming system of using tractors, hoes, irrigation, intercropping, and fertilizers. This lead to better
food production and it improved the standard of living of the people. Today many African countries
grow agricultural products and export some even to European countries. E.g., cocoa, coffee, cotton, Tea
leaves. sisal, is export from Africa to international markets. hence, onions, Groundnuts, sunflowers, sim-
sim, beans, rice, Irish potatoes, sweat cassava, sweat potatoes, Bananas, jack fruits and many more are
sold in local markets in Africa and people earn a lot of money on this agriculture production sector and it
generate a lot of income.
METHODOLOGY.
During this exercise of scientific research, it has not been simple for one to find enough information on
the ground but due to consultation of some historical websites colonialism and African experience. This
gives some little information about the both positive and negative points on what happened between
the communities.

9. 9 | the coming of Europeans to Africa is not threat
Through fellow African students who have some ideas on the African nationalism also give some
historical of the past according to their knowledge of what they learned about the coming of Europeans
to Africa and how their settlement was a great advantage to African people. Ahmed Musana and Lokolo
Martin who gave the example of Nehemiah Gateway University program of bringing African students to
come and learn in Albania and as part of European countries who did not even involved during the time
of colonialism.
Through personal experience on what the European are doing good in African countries until today. Most
of charity organization comes from western world who in one way or the other supporting the
communities and those who are in need. For example, united nation high commission for refugees
(UNHCR) who have been helping the south Sudanese during the war between the South and Northern
Sudan in which I have been one of the refugees in Kakum refugee’s camp in Kenya. Save the children
organization, world vision organization etc these are fact on the ground and they are still supporting the
community up to now.
CONCLUSION.
Although many has tried to compare and contrast between the two continents before and after
colonialism, it is difficult to come up with final a conclusion. though many good things are happening
right now and then. However, it is true that both of them need each other support. Many scholars are
still looking for away forward ‘’ what could be done to make African forget what was done to them and
what do the Europeans need to do in order to compensate back African and how to cemented their
relationship’’? Especially the British who hand over powers to Arabs and to African dictators.
However, the question remains “will the Africa develop without Europe”?

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Reference lists
1. www.behindthename.com/namesake/categoryenlishruler p.7
2. www.francofrsecura.coza p.5
3. www.missionariesafrica.org p.6
4. Blundell J. (2004) Try, belove county. Published by Amand Nelson. Effects of colonialism in Africa.
5. Jaffar mjasiri 23rd
june 2013 Obama increase trade and investment in Africa. p.5
6. Craig, Graham, Kagan, Ozment, & Turner (2007) p.690. (south Africa apartheid 2009) p.7
7.Leander Heldring, James A Robinson 10 January 2013 p.7