00:00Britain did not conquer Africa overnight.
00:05There was no single invasion and no dramatic declaration of empire.
00:09Control came quietly, step by step, through trade, agreements and careful strategy.
00:15By the time resistance truly began, much of Africa was already under British influence.
00:20Long before British soldiers arrived, British traders were already present along Africa's coastlines.
00:26They came searching for gold, palm oil, ivory and later rubber.
00:31Trading posts, ports and warehouses were established, not as symbols of empire but as centres of commerce.
00:37Yet trade slowly created dependence.
00:40Local rulers began relying on British goods, weapons and financial support.
00:45What appeared to be business was quietly becoming power.
00:48In many regions, Britain did not take control directly.
00:51Instead, private companies led the way.
00:54These companies operated with armed forces of their own and signed treaties that many local leaders could not fully understand.
01:01Land and authority were exchanged for promises of protection and trade.
01:05Once these companies secured control, Britain stepped in and turned commercial influence into official colonial rule.
01:11The empire followed where merchants had already gone.
01:14Rather than governing directly, Britain often ruled through existing local leaders.
01:19Kings and chiefs remained in place, giving the impression that traditional systems continued.
01:24In reality, real authority had shifted.
01:27Local rulers collected taxes, enforced British laws and maintained order on Britain's behalf.
01:33This method allowed Britain to control vast territories with surprisingly few administrators, making domination efficient and less visible.
01:40Infrastructure played a crucial role in maintaining control.
01:44Railways, roads and ports were constructed across the continent.
01:48But these systems were not designed to unite African cities or communities.
01:52They were built to extract resources and transport them quickly to the coast.
01:56Gold, cocoa, diamonds and agricultural products flowed outward, enriching Britain while African regions saw little benefit in return.
02:04Africa's borders were also shaped far from African soil.
02:08Lines were drawn on European maps with little understanding of local cultures or histories.
02:13Entire ethnic groups were split apart, while rivals were forced into single colonies.
02:18These artificial borders created tensions that would outlast the empire itself, shaping conflicts that continue to this day.
02:25By the early 20th century, Britain controlled vast areas of Africa.
02:29This community was built up for FAFITs for share software.
02:30Lines were added far from the bank account to the dispose of aerospace.
02:31The security guards Nawetha, which is embodied to REM sitesters with a local perspective of animals,
Comments