British Explorers in Eastern Africa

British Empire – Imperial influence and expansion in East Africa 1850-1910

In this course, we explore the historical processes and key events that shaped British colonialism in East Africa during the 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on: (i) the exploration of Eastern Africa and early British imperial interests, examining figures like David Livingstone and the use of visual culture to shape European perceptions of the region, alongside the British efforts to suppress the Indian Ocean slave trade; (ii) the diplomatic and cultural exchanges between British officials and African leaders, including the gift-giving practices that both symbolized and facilitated British influence in East Africa; (iii) the intensification of European interest following the Berlin Conference of 1884–85, which set rules for European territorial occupation, and the rise of chartered companies like the German East African Company and Imperial British East African Company, advancing European claims and commercial interests in the region; (iv) the formalization of colonial rule in the 1890s, with Britain and Germany solidifying their territorial claims in East Africa, leading to the establishment of protectorates in Zanzibar, Uganda, and British East Africa (Kenya), and the resistance to colonization, exemplified by the Maji Maji Rebellion; (v) the construction of the Uganda Railway as a key infrastructural project for consolidating British control, shaping the economy and demographics of the region, and contributing to the eventual path toward independence in Kenya under Jomo Kenyatta.

British Explorers in Eastern Africa

In this lecture, we explore the historical context and processes that led to the expansion of the British Empire in Eastern Africa during the 19th century, focusing on: (i) the exploration of Eastern Africa as a precursor to colonisation, emphasising figures like David Livingstone and the role of visual and material culture, such as cartes de visite, in shaping European perceptions of the region; (ii) British efforts to abolish the trade in enslaved Africans, highlighting the humanitarian motivations and the impact of missionary campaigns; (iii) the diplomatic relationships between African leaders and British officials, as well as the intensifying rivalries among European powers during the late 19th century; (iv) the methods of imposing colonial rule, with a specific focus on the Uganda Railway as an infrastructural tool to assert control and exploit the region’s resources.