This photograph is of a little boy obviously severely harmed in the Congo. His right arm and left foot were cut off as punishment for not being able to get his share of rubber in the forests. It was taken by an English photographer, E. D. Morel, in 1906 in the village of Illnega in what was then the Congo Free State under the rule of Leopold the II of Belgium. The purpose of this photograph was to prove the harsh mistreatment of the Africans by the white men working under Leopold, and gain support for the Congo Reform Association trying to improve conditions upon hearing of the cruelties; men, women, and children, frequently had their hands and feet cut off for not collecting enough rubber or making other minor errors in the other industries.
That photograph reflects the impact of the Industrial Revolution on my country in many ways. Although it did not impact the former Congo Free State till the late nineteenth century due to the fact that the Congo was one of the last areas explored by Europeans, Leopold II got control after the Berlin Conference in 1885 and the impact hit right away. Because European countries were competing economically, it was necessary for Leopold II to try to extract as many natural resources from his territory as possible. The Congo had a vast supply of many of these resources needed for industrialization, especially rubber and ivory. Leopold II exploited the Africans and used harsh tactics to gain as much wealth as possible. Also, he sold a lot of the land to private companies that rose with the Industrial Revolution so that they could exploit the mineral wealth of their territory and give the state (Leopold II) a percentage of their profits. They used this forced labor system as well, also for building railroads, which helped with the industrialization of the Congo.
Republic of Congo The Republic of Congo is a Central African nation who's capital is Brazzaville. ... There are five countries that border Congo, Gabon on the west, Cameroon and Central African Republic on the north, and Zaire on the east and south. ... Congo has several different regions. ... Approximately 2,954,258 people live in Congo. ... There are many different ethnic groups in Congo. ...
As the nations of Europe industrialized, they started looking overseas for new markets and resources. ... First, King Leopold II of Belgium acquired the Congo, today called Zaire. ... Stanley who had previously explored the Congo River basin in great detail had hoped that Britain would send settlers to the Congo, but Britain was not interested. ... Leopold II ruled the Congo Free State as his own private possession. ... Eventually, in 1908, the government took over administration of the Congo Free State, which then became known as the Belgian Congo (Lemarchand 105). ...
It is often deadly with a fatality rate of about 90% in the most common strain, Ebola-Zaire. Three of the four strains of this virus affect humans: Ebola Zaire, Ebola Sudan and Ebola Cate d'Ivoire. ... The Republic of Congo is currently battling an outbreak of the disease. ... The consequences of the disease are far reaching, as the Republic of Congo is still a fledgling country recovering from civil war (as Zaire) and in fighting in the government. The Republic of Congo is a country in debt. ...
The Mwana Rwo mask from the Chockwe people in Zaire and Angola has a shape of a deceased person. ... The Kitwebe mask from the Songye people in Zaire has an abstract face. ... It is also used for witchcraft like the next masks that is from a tribe in Congo. This is a mask from a tribe in Congo. ... People from Congo make dances with masks, they are very common in Congo and they are used for medicine and for a successful hunt. ...
Beginning in 1482, Diogo Cao, a Portuguese navigator, became the first European to visit the Congo when he reached the mouth of the Congo River and sailed a few miles upstream. ... Stanley made a journey across central Africa and discovered the course of the Congo River. Leopold was excited to learn of the economic potential of the Congo and engaged Stanley in 1878 to establish the king's authority in the Congo basin. ... In 1884-85, at the Conference of Berlin, the European powers recognized Leopold's claim to the Congo basin. ... Since they loaned Leopold money, in return, Belgi...
Heart of Darkness written by Joseph Conrad and "Apocalypse Now" a movie directed by Francis Coppola are two works that parallel one another but at the same time reflect their own era in time and their creator's own personal feelings and prejudices. ... The doctor measures Marlow's skull to compare its size at the present time to the size of his skull upon his return from the Congo. ... When Marlow asks the doctor how what the results of this test have been in the past, the doctor comments that there are none because no civilized person has ever returned from the Congo. ... Another di...
He obtained command of a steamboat on the Congo River after going to Brussels then spent four months in the Congo. ... Conrad never recovered from his short trip into the Congo and had a lifelong recurring fever. ... On May 29, 1885, King Leopold proclaimed himself as the "sovereign" of the "Congo Free State." ... By 1890, Leopold's regime and the concessions were paying Congo chiefs to supply "volunteer" workers but The Congo Free State also "purchased- or forcibly took slaves from Muslim slave traders to work as labourers or soldiers. ... Only then did people realize that there were h...
Comparing Nations The Philippines and The Republic of Congo The Philippines and The Republic of Congo; two very different nations with a lot of similarities. ... Though the Philippines is highly industrialized its large population of 81 million has become a drawback to the nations ideology. ... The constant battle between The Republic of Congo and The Democratic Republic of Congo over the indefinite boundary of the Congo River and its islands has caused a civil uproar between the people and natives of both nations. ... The industrialization of the Philippines has made for a strong econom...
