Why Did Britain Start Colonising Africa?

Britain’s decision to start colonising Africa was based on economic, political, and social reasons.

In this entry, we consider some of the main reasons why Britain decided to start colonising Africa. 

The Scramble for Africa

The scramble for Africa explains what caused Britain to start colonising Africa.

The European scramble for Africa was a period of intense competition between the major powers of Europe, all vying for a piece of the continent. The British were one of the most active colonizers during this time, establishing colonies in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana.

Africa was a key part of the British Empire and was vital to its economy. The raw materials and resources extracted from African colonies helped to fuel Britain’s industrial revolution and made it one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world.

Britain started colonising Africa because it wanted to create new markets for its goods and to find new sources of raw materials. The British also wanted to stop other European countries from expanding their empires in Africa. They believed that if they did not colonize African countries, others would do so and Britain would be left behind.

Britain therefore started colonising Africa in order to secure Africa’s resources for itself from other competing European powers engaged in the scramble for Africa.

In addition to the above, Britain also started colonising Africa in order to spread Christianity as a means of “Çivilizing” the African continent.

The Impact of Britain’s Colonisation of Africa

The effects of British colonisation in Africa also points to the reasons why Britain started colonising Africa.

British colonies in Africa provided a source of raw materials and markets for British goods. They also served as a training ground for British administrators and soldiers.

The British colonies in Africa also attracted large numbers of settlers from Britain and other parts of Europe. 

British colonial rule was often harsh and repressive as the British Colonists exploited African resources for their own benefit forcing Africans to work on plantations and mines.

New Taxes were also imposed on African people as result of British Colonial rule.

The effects of Colonialism in Africa demonstrate the Britain started Colonising Africa in order to establish an exploitative Colonial Economy extracting African resources for the benefit of the British Empire.