"King Leopold of Belgium's exploits up the Congo River in the 1880s were central to the European partitioning of the African continent. The Congo Free State, Leopold's private colony, was a unique political construct that opened the door to the savage exploitation of the Congo's natural and human resources by international corporations. The resulting 'red rubber' scandal—which laid bare a fundamental contradiction between the European propagation of free labor and 'civilization' and colonial governments' acceptance of violence and coercion for productivity's sake—haunted all imperial powers in Africa. Featuring a clever introduction and judicious collection of documents, Michael Rutz's book neatly captures the drama of one king's quest to build an empire in Central Africa—a quest that began in the name of anti-slavery and free trade and ended in the brutal exploitation of human lives. This volume is an excellent starting point for anyone interested in the history of colonial rule in Africa."
Author(s): Michael A. Rutz
Series: Passages: Key Moments in History
Publisher: Hackett Publishing Company
Year: 2018
Language: English
City: Indianapolis/Cambridge
Contents
Acknowledgments
Chronology
Preface
Introduction
The New Imperialism and the Partition of Africa
King Leopold and the Congo Free State
In the Rubber Coils
The Congo Reform Movement
Legacies of the Congo Free State
Historiographical Review
Documents
Document 1 Tippu Tip describes meeting the explorer Henry Morton Stanley, 1876
Document 2 Disasi Makulo describes his childhood encounters with Tippu Tip and Henry Morton Stanley, 1883
Document 3 Mama Lugeni Dorcas tells of her capture and experiences at a mission station, 1880s
Document 4 Treaty between the International Association of the Congo and African chiefs, 1884
Document 5 President of the United States Chester A. Arthur’s State of the Union address, 1883
Document 6 General Act of the Berlin Conference, 1885
Document 7 A European missionary condemns the African slave trade, 1890
Document 8 Letter from King Leopold to the prime minister of Belgium, 1890
Document 9 George Washington Williams criticizes King Leopold’s rule in the Congo, 1890
Document 10 The Belgian parliament discusses the Congo, 1891
Document 11 Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, 1899
Document 12 An Englishman’s account of the Congo Free State, 1899
Document 13 The Times of London reports on the Congo rubber trade, 1900
Document 14 In the Rubber Coils, 1906
Document 15 An American observer describes the military force of the Congo Free State, 1890s
Document 16 The Casement Report details abuses in the Congo Free State, 1904
Document 17 African villagers describe the rubber regime, 1904
Document 18 E. D. Morel critiques imperialism and describes the Leopoldian system, 1920
Document 19 Mark Twain’s King Leopold’s Soliloquy, 1905
Document 20 A British diplomat compares British rule favorably to the government of the Congo Free State, 1903
Document 21 King Leopold defends himself in the American press, 1906
Document 22 Allies of King Leopold defend the Congo Free State against accusations of abuse, 1891 and 1905
Document 23 Commission of Inquiry confirms abusive practices in the Congo Free State, 1906
Document 24 The Lejeune Report documents the mistreatment of African workers in the Belgian Congo, 1923
Document 25 King Baudouin I of Belgium and Patrice Lumumba give speeches on the independence of the Congo, 1960
Document 26 Mobutu Sese Seko on the world stage, 1983
Select Bibliography and Suggestions for Further Reading
Index
