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History and Anthropology
Chapter 4
1. What geographic factors made those living in the Congo River basin isolated? (61-63)
One of the core reasons for the prevalent isolation of the Congo River basin was since how the area was blocked by the geographical drainage all the times. Another reason for the apparent isolated nature of the whole area was since how there was heavy rainfall across the year in the given region due to which the area was far from ideal.
2.WSYA how Leopold manipulated the media to fool Europeans & Americans about what his man Stanley was doing in the Congo? (64-67)
One of the key reasons that he was so successful in manipulating the larger audience was due to the fact that the media at that point of time was under the impression that Stanly was doing some sort of humanitarian work in the region. At the same time, the Leopold through wide media campaign, showed the distorted image of the region. Stanley was the chief propogandist in this regard.
3.Why did African call Stanley “Bula Matari” or Breakstone’s? (67-68)
Despite the positive image of the Stanley, the fact remains that African themselves referred to him as some sort of a cruel man and Bula Matari due to the fact that he was cruel and indifferent towards the plight of the Africans. The main purpose of the journey was to make sure that he was able to Breakstone’s in a sense that he broke the trust of the majority of the populace that was living over there due to his nature and how he operated.
4.Why did Stanley want to clothe the naked & “over-tattooed” Africans? (68-69)
Stanley was the white supremacists in the sense that he believed that how white people are always culturally superior to Africans. In a bid to take their cultural identity away from them, there was a deliberate effort on his part to make sure that he hides the tattoos and the body of the Africans which was the big part of their culture.
5.WSYA the treaty Stanley made with Ngombi & Mafela? (70-72)
The treaty that was being made by Stanley with the local populace was done with the underlying belief that what are some of the things that are needed to be done by the broader youth to appease them. The basic idea of the treaty was to make sure that the people belonging to the Ngombi and Mafela are provided with the settlements and areas where they can live and commute. The irony of the agreement was that it was their own area for which they made both these stakeholders’ bargain with him.
6.WSYA African culture & art? (72-74)
One of the key aspects of the cultural movement that was carried out at that point of time was to make sure that the under the mace of allowing people to embrace their culture, effort was being made to make sure that these people adopt to their culture as per their own sensibilities at the given point of time. The culture and art are some of the most integral part of the identity of the nation and there was a deliberate effort by Stanley to make sure that they present a distorted picture of the whole sequence of events at that point of time.
Chapter 5
1.WSYA how Leopold made treaties with Kongos?
Most of the times, the way these treaties used to work is that the Commissioners were the one that were authorized to make sure that they are having negotiations and discussion with regards to the treaties with the Kongo’s. The role of Great Britain could not be discounted during the course of the whole process as they played a mediating role during the process and how the eventual shape of the treaty is going to be turning out.
3.WSYA General Henry Shelton Sanford’s plan to send recently freed black Americans to the Congo? (76-79)
One of the ways through which the goodwill among people of Congo was being done was to make sure that they recently freed Black Americans were being sent to the region. The idea behind sending these people was to make sure that people would eventually connect with them allowing Generally Henry to further strengthen his agenda. They had a fair idea that the government and the regime that holds power in the Congo and some of the other African regions is such that is not going to resist if some broader changes that are being made over there that are going to support the long-term narrative of their government.
4.Why was Alabama Senator John Tyler Morgan excited about Leopold’s project? (79)
One of the reasons that there was certain degree of excitement among Leopold was due to the fact that how he was in the position to make sure that the eventual shape of the project is going to be determined in an appropriate manner. The idea was to make sure that the certain degree of control and influence was gained over Africa and to make sure that how better control of the region is being obtained. That would also allow him to show that how he has opted for the global expansion with better coordinated efforts in the given time period.
5.How did the African-American Congress of Chicago respond? (bottom 80)
The response from the African American Congress was far from ideal. The first thing was that they were not able to take strong actions against the establishment due to the fact that the African American Congress itself did not had much of a saying in that time period. At the same time, even though they condemned this imperialism, the response was muted in the sense due to the fact that they know they could not go against the powers.
6.What was going on at the 1884 Berlin Conference & why were there no Africans at the table? (80-84)
In an act that is going to be the most despised on in the century, there was a deliberate plan among people of United States and Britain to make sure that the model is created that is going to allow for the fair and free distribution of the land of Africa. For the obvious reasons, no African was made part of this colonialization attempt as it would have foiled the event.
Chapter 6
1.What effect did new inventions of the 19th century have on the Congo? (88-91)
Most of the times, what happens is that the new innovations do have a positive impact on the prospective population. The same thing though could not be said about Congo due to the fact that the imperialist ideology and the backward mindset meant that they were not able to bring about the progress in their nation. At the same time, another thing that was lacking in the population was that they did not have the level of education or sophistication that is needed in order to ensure that the technology could be used in an effective manner. It goes to show that without proper education, technology does not have the required impact
2.Why was Leopold named honorary president of the British Aborigines Protection Society? (92-95)
Despite the fact that the adventures that were carried out by Leopoid were not for the benefit of the African populace, no other politician has lobbied that hard when it comes to making sure that the role of Great Britain and the United States must be increased in the region. Keeping that aspect in mind, it is fair to assume that the he had an insight about the some of the prospective benefits of working in the region at the given point of time. It was one of the prime reasons that he was instated as the British Aborigines Protection Society. Another reason that he was honored was due to the fact that how well he protected the interest of the British empire at that point of time and despite the fact that the methods that were used by him were far from ideal, it went a long way towards distorting the facts.
3.How did King Leopold finance his Congo operations?
One of the worst parts about the operation was that how the financing of the whole thing was being carried out. The major financing of the whole project was being done with the money of the Africans themselves that these people have looted for a very long time. It was quite ironic in a sense that the level of effort that was carried out by the King Leopold to pretend to work in the interest of a certain community and then making sure that an effort is carried out to make sure that they resource, and the other aspects of these people are being used against them. The other major element of the financing was to make sure that the restraint was being showed when it comes to using the own funds of the Kingdom.
4.What strikes you about the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition? (95-100)
In the day and age when the media distortion was quite hard to achieve at the broader level, it was one of the major things that was done at that point of time. The Emin Pasha Relief Expedition can be termed as the last great effort that was carried out by the Europeans to make sure that how the Africans can be painted in bad light and it can be showed that what are some of the broader issues that are faced by the major populace at the given point of time. It was another melodramatic account of Stanley expedition of Africa as a nation. The other thing that it goes to show is that how prevailing the power of manipulation was at that point of time and how easy it was for the authorities to make sure that they are clearly duping the general populace and distorting the facts. Having survived for ten years of his childhood in the workhouse at St Asaph, he needed as a young man to be thought of as harder and more formidable than other explorers. That made him exaggerate punishments and hostile encounters. It was a serious error of judgement for which his reputation continues to pay a heavy price. Stanley's good relations with these two colleagues from the Emin Pasha Expedition shows that he could get on with colleagues.
Chapter 7
1.WSYA U.S. veteran & historian George Washington Williams?
The role of Washington Williams is quite important when it comes to bringing into forefront the truth about the whole incident. United States veteran provided a detailed account of how things happened over there and what was the actual truth behind the whole sequence of events. It was not until 150 years later that the general populace got to know about some of the challenges that are faced by the broader population in that area. At the same time, another important role that was performed by George Washington in this regard was to make sure that how the eventual collection of the events and some of the elements about the rich cultural heritage are known to the people.
2.Williams called what was happening in the Congo “crimes against humanity.” Do you agree? (112)
The first thing that one needs to understand is that what constitutes crimes against humanity. The gross violation of the human rights as well as well as some of the other underlying issues are some of the major instances of how the violation of the human rights is being done at the given point of time. Keeping that aspect in mind, there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that how the crimes against humanity were carried out. One of the core reasons that the magnitude of the crime is on such a higher side is due to the fact that how the general populace did not have any clue regarding what was going in the region at that point of time and how they could have reacted in a better manner. In one of his books, Stanley said about mixed African-Arab people: "For the half-castes I have great contempt. They are neither black nor white, neither good nor bad, neither to be admired nor hated. They are all things, at all times. ... If I saw a miserable, half-starved negro, I was always sure to be told, he belonged to a half-caste. Cringing and hypocritical, cowardly and debased, treacherous and mean ... this syphilitic, blear-eyed, pallid-skinned, abortion of an Africanized Arab."
3.What are Williams’s main arguments against Leopold in his Open Letter? (108-112)
The argument that are set forth by Williams are pretty much universal in their nature. The first thing that is asserted by him is that how important it was for all the stakeholders involved to make sure that the African populace was made the part of the whole process. Another thing that was talked about by him was that how the imperialist attitude of the Leopold had caused considerable damage to the region and how amends are needed to be made to make sure that the long-term structural changes are brought into the reckoning. The main grade though was that how he has used a good cause of his own nihilistic goals.
4.Why do you think Williams was the only non-African to speak out about the atrocities?
One of the core reasons that Williams was openly able to speak about the atrocities is due to the fact that he was well aware of the shortcomings of the system and how people have exploited it for their own means. At the same time, he was one of the few people who had a fair idea about the African region as he had worked over there, and he knew how farfetched some of the responses are that are made by Stanley In 1877, not long after one of Stanley's expeditions, Reverend J. P. Farler met with African porters who had been part of the expedition and wrote, "Stanley's followers give dreadful accounts to their friends of the killing of inoffensive natives, stealing their ivory and goods, selling their captives, and so on. I do think a commission ought to inquire into these charges, because if they are true, it will do untold harm to the great cause of emancipating Africa. ... I cannot understand all the killing that Stanley has found necessary".
Works Cited
Singer, Kurt, John Brooke, and Stanley Ayling. "Mirror, Sword and Jewel." (1982).
