British Imperialism In Africa Essays - International Relations

British Imperialism in Africa British Imperialism in Africa The motives of Britain's imperialist activities in Africa from 1869 to 1912 were strategic and defensive. While other motives did exist, such as to colonize, to search for new markets and materials, to attain revenge and world prestige, to convert natives to Christianity, and to spread the English style of orderly government, the main motives evident in many events of the period showed attempts to safeguard the country and protect former land holdings. As its free trade and influential relationship with Africa was threatened, Britain began to turn trade agreements into stronger and more formal protectorates and even colonies. Britain acted to protect the route east and its connection with the Indian Empire. Rather than to expand the British Empire, Britain fought battles over territory to prevent French or German control in Africa. Britain's imperialist involvement in the scramble for Africa occurred in response to the actions of the French and even German. Britain had a history of African trade agreements and, compared to its European counterparts, the highest degree of control in Africa. France and Britain began an earnest race for the Niger in 1883, agreeing then to divide the territory--Lagos to Britain and Timbuktu for France. This did not neutralize the competition, however. Britain had to act in Nigeria (1885) and Nyasaland (1891) to protect existing spheres of commercial and missionary activities. France's strategy to declare its "right of occupation" and then seek negotiation further urged Britain's aggressive maintenance of territory. The British annexed Bechuanaland (1885) partly to guard against the Germans; partly to prevent its absorption by the Transvaal, which would have increased the power of the Boers. (Faber 57-58) Later, in 1888, the French threatened the Britain dominated Nile Valley, hinting they might divert the water of the Nile to render the area useless. In East Africa the British had strategic motives to protect the Suez Canal and the route to the east. As the scramble exploded in the 1880s, Britain was suddenly challenged for her right to trade and conduct financial and military business. "The prime object was defensive [in the eighties], as it had been under Disraeli: the prevention of serious inroads on British power; the anticipation of other powers, when strategically necessary, in the 'Scramble for Africa'; the protection of the route to India and the East. The safety of the Suez Canal had already become a cardinal point of British policy." (Faber 57) The first showdown over the route to the east between Britain and France occurred in Egypt. French pride over a new Egyptian canal, built in 1869, was soaring. It was abruptly grounded in 1875, however, by a surreptitious British purchase of the majority share in the Suez Canal. A dubious balance of power was achieved through duel Anglo-French control of Egypt. Britain was able to prevail over France during the Egyptian Crisis, as the French government did not allow French involvement in smothering the rebellion. This afforded the British a chance to re-establish their role in world military dominance. These conflicts were clearly not for the purpose of monetary gain on Britain's part. The Economist observed in 1892 that East Africa was 'probably an unprofitable possession'; it was primarily for strategic reasons that the government held on to it. By 1893, France was still not reconciled to Britain's role in the Nile Valley. They tried to follow through on earlier threats to divert the headwaters of the Nile to devastate the valley. An expedition headed by Jean-Baptiste Marchand finally departed in 1896 and marched from the west coast to Fashoda, a city on the upper Nile. Britain responded to rumors of this expedition by ordering that an army lead by Herbert Horatio Kitchener conquest the Sudan in order to protect the Nile from the French. Kitchener crushed the politically separatist Sudanese, winning the famous Battle of Omdurman in 1898. He took Khartoum and moved on to Fashoda by September, where Marchand had been camped out since April. Britain and France teetered on the brink of war, which was finally averted by careful handling by both Marchand and Kitchener. Britain's action in South Africa helped to protect their connection to the Indian Empire. They officially annexed South Africa in 1877, recognizing this might lead to a reduction of British responsibilities South Africa. It was also important that they maintain their control to keep other powers from getting a foothold. The Boer War ended in 1902, while the Transvaal was given self-rule by Britain 1906. Britain was not an instigator in the scramble for Africa, but rather a reactionary nation who responded to the actions of

Writing Prompts 60 Ideas You Can Use Today - Freewrite Store

Writing Prompts 60 Ideas You Can Use Today - Freewrite Store When I was in elementary school, I had a teacher who would have us freewrite to writing prompts he would write on the whiteboard. Every Monday morning,  we  would spend the first 10 minutes of class writing about dragons, time travel, or our weekends. I had stopped using writing prompts after that 4th grade English class.   This changed once I began writing thousands of words per day. Some days, I just didn’t know what to write about. Other days, I already had a topic in hand, but I couldn’t find the words.  Writing prompts have been a great tool to help me defeat writer’s block and swiftly put pen to paper. Related:Writer’s block: 13 Strategies That Work A writing prompt is a topic around which you start writing ideas. You’re free to stick to the subject or let your mind wander. Writing prompts have a few benefits:   1. Put pen to paper. Instead of thinking about what to write about, writing prompts give you a topic to start writing about immediately. 2. Practice makes perfect. Writing prompts help you build your writing â€Å"muscles†. This habit will help make it easier for you to start writing and will teach you to write longer. 3. Increase your creativity. Writing prompts can make you see the world in a new light, or a way you’ve never imagined. Maybe you want to buckle down and finish that novel. Or perhaps you needed to complete that blog post yesterday.  Ã‚  Regardless of your circumstance, prompts can be your ticket out of uncreative purgatory and back to the writing promised land.       Sometimes, it can be hard to think of what to write, so we put together a list of over60 writing promptsto give you some fresh ideas. 60 Writing Prompts To Spark Your Imagination 1. Your favorite childhood vacation. 2. The last words of your novel are, â€Å"As night became day, he started to understand the truth.† Now, go write the rest. 3. Turn one of the last texts you sent into a story. 4. Add an original scene to the last movie you watched. 5. Two friends have a disagreement. 6. Write about your favorite teacher. 7. Outside the window, you see something you can’t believe. 8. Write about the first time you held someone's hand. 9. Write about the last thing/person that made you smile. 10. Write about a time you were lost. 11. Write about your first job. 12. Write a letter to your 14-year old self. 13. Write about why you write. 14. Five years from now, I will be. 15. Write about your dream vacation. 16. Do you like to be alone or with company? 17. You have $300 and a Prius, describe the 2,800 mile road trip from NYC to LA. 18. Write about your biggest goal. 19. Write about your biggest fear. 20. A conversation you and a stranger have on a plane. 21. A time you or someone you love was scammed. 22. Turn the last song you listened to into a story. 23. Describe the life of your favorite singer. 24. Write about a piece of furniture in the room you’re in. 25. If I knew then what I know now. 26. If you could travel back in time, where would you go? 27. You have a billion dollars in your bank account. How did you make it? 28. You’ve discovered a new planet. Describe what you see. 29. If you could do anything for work, what would you do? 30. You live on an abandoned island, describe your morning routine. 31. You’re in a foreign country and don’t speak the native language. 32. Describe how you think your grandparents met. 33. Write about a time you failed. 34. You wake up today with the superpower of your choosing. 35. You’re a dog, describe your interaction with a human. 36. Write about someone you admire. 37. Go to Twitter or Facebook and write about the first post you see. 38. Write about a time you were uncomfortable. 39. She tried to forget him, but never could. 40. Just as your flight takes off, you discover a shocking note under your seat. 41. None of your friends remember you, describe yourself to them. 42. An island rose from the sea. 43. Out of the ashes, arose a hero. 44. The whales grew feet. 45. I open the last book on earth. 46. You knock louder and louder on the door, but nobody answers. 47. The door you had locked, is wide open. 48. Just as you fall asleep, the phone rings. 49. She had the perfect party planned, only to have it ruined by her ex. 50. She said her final words and left, there’s no turning back now. 51. A blind man falls in love, describe his feelings. 52. You have the power to stop time, what do you do? 53. The sun rose for the final time. 54. You discover that your partner is a robot. 55. You have 10 days to live. 56. How will cars look in 50 years? 57. This needs to be cleaned, the police will be here any minute. 58. For years, he carefully planned out this day. 59. The birds didn’t go south for the winter. 60. It’s June 13th, the snow won’t stop falling. Okay, so now you’ve found two months worth of writing prompts.  If you’re looking for more prompts, every Friday, we send thousands of writers just like you a writing prompt via email or text message. We call it Writing Time Fridays. WTF is a 30 minute block of time each Friday that the Astrohaus team spends freewriting. It started as an internal initiative, but now anyone can join us from around the world. It's free and there are no rules other than to write for 30 minutes. We'll send you a prompt but feel free to write about whatever you want. There are no requirements to share your writing and how you write is completely up to you. Clickhere to sign up for WTF and receive a writing prompt at noon every Friday. Would you like to share a writing prompt you’ve used in the past? Comment below, and we’ll add it to the list!    Carlton Clark loves to write about business, baseball, and popular culture. A writer, marketer, and entrepreneur. At the age of 14, he founded the media company  ballplayerplus.com. Currently, Carlton helps businesses share their stories through social media and blogging. When he’s not writing or creating content, Carlton coaches youth baseball at his local high school and plays guitar. You can find him online on Instagram @itscarltonclark, and on Twitter @carlton_mukasa