World History
History of Republic of Congo. This is a good summary dealing with the history of the African Republic of Congo.
From the site:
First inhabited by pygmies, Congo was later settled by Bantu groups that also occupied parts of present-day Angola, Gabon, and Zaire, forming the basis for ethnic affinities and rivalries among those states. Several Bantu kingdoms--notably those of the Kongo, the Loango, and the Teke--built trade links leading into the Congo River basin. The first European contacts came in the late 15th century, and commercial relationships were quickly established with the kingdoms--trading for slaves captured in the interior. The coastal area was a major source for the transatlantic slave trade, and when that commerce ended in the early 19th century, the power of the Bantu kingdoms eroded.
The area came under French sovereignty in the 1880s. Pierre Savorgnon de Brazza, a French empire builder, competed with agents of Belgian King Leopold's International Congo Association (later Zaire) for control of the Congo River basin. Between 1882 and 1891, treaties were secured with all the main local rulers on the river's right bank, placing their lands under French protection. In 1908, France organized French Equatorial Africa (AEF), comprising its colonies of Middle Congo (modern Congo), Gabon, Chad, and Oubangui-Chari (modern Central African Republic). Brazzaville was selected as the federal capital.
Economic development during the first 50 years of colonial rule in Congo centered on natural resource extraction by private companies. In 1924-34, the Congo-Ocean Railway (CFCO) was built at a considerable human and financial cost, opening the way for growth of the ocean port of Pointe-Noire and towns along its route.
- History Of Zambia
History of Zambia. This is a good essay which presents an overview to the history of the African nation of Zambia. From the site: The indigenous hunter-gatherer occupants of Zambia began to be displaced or absorbed by more advanced migrating tribes about...
- King Leopold's Soliloquy
King Leopold's Soliloquy - Mark Twain's pamphlet condemning King Leopold of Belgium for his brutal rule of the Congo, published in 1905 by the American Congo Reform Association. From the site: Mark Twain wrote King Leopold's Soliloquy soon...
- History Of Democratic Republic Of Congo
History of Democratic Republic of Congo. This is a short but helpful history to the African nation formerly known as Zaire. From the site: The area known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was populated as early as 10,000 years ago and settled in...
- History Of Central African Republic
History of Central African Republic. This is a good overview to the history of this African nation. The major emphasis is on recent history. From the site: The C.A.R. appears to have been settled from at least the 7th century on by overlapping...
- History Of Angola
History of Angola This is a brief but well done history of Angola. From the site: In 1482, when the Portuguese first landed in what is now northern Angola, they encountered the Kingdom of the Congo, which stretched from modern Gabon in the north...
World History
History of Republic of Congo
History of Republic of Congo. This is a good summary dealing with the history of the African Republic of Congo.
From the site:
First inhabited by pygmies, Congo was later settled by Bantu groups that also occupied parts of present-day Angola, Gabon, and Zaire, forming the basis for ethnic affinities and rivalries among those states. Several Bantu kingdoms--notably those of the Kongo, the Loango, and the Teke--built trade links leading into the Congo River basin. The first European contacts came in the late 15th century, and commercial relationships were quickly established with the kingdoms--trading for slaves captured in the interior. The coastal area was a major source for the transatlantic slave trade, and when that commerce ended in the early 19th century, the power of the Bantu kingdoms eroded.
The area came under French sovereignty in the 1880s. Pierre Savorgnon de Brazza, a French empire builder, competed with agents of Belgian King Leopold's International Congo Association (later Zaire) for control of the Congo River basin. Between 1882 and 1891, treaties were secured with all the main local rulers on the river's right bank, placing their lands under French protection. In 1908, France organized French Equatorial Africa (AEF), comprising its colonies of Middle Congo (modern Congo), Gabon, Chad, and Oubangui-Chari (modern Central African Republic). Brazzaville was selected as the federal capital.
Economic development during the first 50 years of colonial rule in Congo centered on natural resource extraction by private companies. In 1924-34, the Congo-Ocean Railway (CFCO) was built at a considerable human and financial cost, opening the way for growth of the ocean port of Pointe-Noire and towns along its route.
- History Of Zambia
History of Zambia. This is a good essay which presents an overview to the history of the African nation of Zambia. From the site: The indigenous hunter-gatherer occupants of Zambia began to be displaced or absorbed by more advanced migrating tribes about...
- King Leopold's Soliloquy
King Leopold's Soliloquy - Mark Twain's pamphlet condemning King Leopold of Belgium for his brutal rule of the Congo, published in 1905 by the American Congo Reform Association. From the site: Mark Twain wrote King Leopold's Soliloquy soon...
- History Of Democratic Republic Of Congo
History of Democratic Republic of Congo. This is a short but helpful history to the African nation formerly known as Zaire. From the site: The area known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo was populated as early as 10,000 years ago and settled in...
- History Of Central African Republic
History of Central African Republic. This is a good overview to the history of this African nation. The major emphasis is on recent history. From the site: The C.A.R. appears to have been settled from at least the 7th century on by overlapping...
- History Of Angola
History of Angola This is a brief but well done history of Angola. From the site: In 1482, when the Portuguese first landed in what is now northern Angola, they encountered the Kingdom of the Congo, which stretched from modern Gabon in the north...