IMPACTS OF MERCANTILISM IN AFRICA.
How Africans
were affected by European Mercantilism
1.
TECHNOLOGICAL AND INDUSTRIAL STAGNATION
The African
Industries and technology came into stand still as a result of trade contact
between Africa and European continent through European mercantilism. This
technological and industrial stagnation was caused by major things.
[a] Importation of European
ready made things. These goods were
cheaper compared to those goods produced in Africa. So in the market the
European goods had to be bought first then African goods later.
[b] Enslavement of Africans
resulted to technological and industrial stagnation .Because some people were
taken as slaves where the innovators and participants of a certain field of
Industries were taken as slaves which meant stagnation of industrial sector.
2. INTRODUCTION OF SLAVE TRADE
Millions of
Africans were shipped to America to work in capitalist plantations and mining
sectors.
3. RISE AND FALL OF SOME STATES
Some states in
Africa grew such as forest states ( Oyo, Benin, Ife and Dahomey) while other states declined such as Western
Sudanic states (Ghana, Songhai and Mali)
4.
UNEQUAL EXCHANGE WHICH LED TO THE UNDER DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA.
The
African people during entire period of European Mercantilism were subjected to
a sort of commercial arrangement and made them to supply to the Europeans the
goods of high quality and important in the production process i.e gold, copper,
Ivory and slaves. In exchange the African were given the goods of low economic
value and were most of them harmful and out-dated i.e wine, beards, gun,
looking mirrors, cigarettes etc.
This
unequal exchange contributed to the development of Europe on one hand and
underdevelopment of Africa on the other hand.
5. AFRICAN
PEOPLE WERE INTERGRATED INTO EUROPEAN CAPITAL IST PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT
The trade
relations between the African people and Europeans through mercantilism led to
the establishment of European Capitalism. Under that mercantile relation the
African Industries were affected and gradually the Africans were made the
producers of raw materials and European became the producers of Industrial
goods. A kind of exploitative relations that persist up to date.
1. DEPOPULATION
2. RAIDING
AND WARS
3. SEPARATION
OF FAMILIES.
4. FEAR
AND INSECURITY
IMPACTS OF
MERCHANTALISM IN EUROPE
(i)
Growth of towns and cities e.g Manchester, Nantes, Amsterdam,
Liverpool etc.
(ii)
It ensured constant supply of labour i.e through slave trade.
(iii)
It ensured constant supply of raw materials in the new emerging
industries.
(iv)
Accumulation of capital through bullionism.
(v)
It widened internal and external market.
(vi)
Emergence of financial institutions i.e banks and insurance
institutions.
(vii)
Advancement in technology e.g marintime technology.
THE AGRARIAN
REVOLUTION (AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION)
Agrarian
revolution refers to the drastic and rapid changes in agriculture which were
aimed at increasing agricultural production. These changes included the enclosure
system , introduction of the
machines, introduction of the new crops e.t.c
CAUSES OF THE AGRARIAN REVOLUTION
i.
The development of wool industry in England. This caused by land
owners of the country to engage much of the Agricultural production.
ii.
The reduction of supply of agricultural labour in account at the
Black Death and the departure of peasants to the cities and towns as a result
new opportunities emerged.
iii.
The opening up of new farms for cultivation under a system of force
labour and individual enterprises.
CHANGES
BROUGHT BY AGRARIAN REVOLUTION (AGRICULTURAL REFORMS)
(i)
Enclosure system
(ii)
The use of natural manure and artificial fertilisers.
(iii)
Introduction of drainage system (Irrigation system)
(iv)
Introduction of nitrogen storing crops e.g p eanuts, potatoes and green grasses.
(v)
Invention of new machines e.g seed drillers, threshing machines,
tractors, harvesting machines and plough.
(vi)
The use of pesticides and insecticides.
(vii)
Application of scientific methods in agriculture e.g. crop
rotation, irrigation, terracing, and reclamation.
(viii)
Introduction of selective breeding of ordinary livestock and cross
breeding.
CONTRIBUTION OF AGRARIAN REVOLUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF
CAPITALISM IN EUROPE
·
It ensured constant supply of raw materials.
The mechanization of agriculture brought addition of raw materials
to the industries established in Europe in the 18th century, for
example wool was an important raw material that provided to textile, and this
stimulated the expansion and establishment of new industries.
·
Technological Improvement
The need to improve agriculture accelerated scientific inventions
in the industrial sectors. Technological advancement enabled Europeans like
British people depend more on local goods and reduce rate of depending on
foreign goods hence more scientific discoveries were done.
·
Emergence of new industries related to agriculture.
Agricultural changes provided markets to the products produced in
industries. Products such as modern fertilizers, planters and ploughs were
brought by the farmers in rural areas, for example by 18 th c 15% of
the British iron production was for horse shoes.
The high demand for iron for horses was a reflection of the
increased use of horses in agricultural activities. This stimulated the
development of industries.
·
Provision of Capital
The improvement in agricultural production and consumption led to
the emergence of capitalist who used their accumulated capital to invest in
industries and their related sectors.
·
Improvement of Transportation
As land enclosed land owners set a side portions for new roads.
These roads linked rural areas more closed to urban markets, as trade between
different areas increased.
·
Population Growth
The agricultural production led to the rapid growth of population.
The rapid growth of population increased purchasing power for both agricultural
and industrial production. As a result internal markets expanded in Europe.
·
Availability of Food
With changes in farming, came a greater supply of grain, meat and
dairy products. This meat that workers in towns could easily get food from the
agricultural sector in rural areas. This also facilitated the development of
industries in towns.
·
It created surplus population in rural areas which could be used in
urban areas (constant supply of labour).
Those poor peasants who were divorced from their land went in urban
areas to serve as cheap labour in the new emerging industries.
AFRICAS CONTRIBUTION TO THE RISE OF CAPITALISM IN EUROPE AND NORTH
AMERICA
i.
Africans provided reliable markets for European manufactured goods.
ii.
Development of banking and insurance system in Europe this was due
to the capital obtained from slave trade.
iii.
Emergence of rich people who benefited from slave trade.
iv.
Slave trade promoted marine technology
v.
The growth of industrial towns.
vi.
It created employment opportunities; the slave trade stimulated the
development in industries in towns in many people in these areas became
employed hence reduce the rate of unemployment.
vii.
Accumulation of raw materials, these were used in developing
industries in North America and Europe e.g gold, silver, ivory, cotton, coffee
and tea.
viii.
Development of industries, this was witnessed in Western Europe
example in the countries like Britain, Germany, France and Belgium because the
capital accumulated was invested in industries.
INDUSTRIAL
REVOLUTION IN BRITAIN
Industrial
revolution is a rapid change in industrial production techniques, leading to
increased production of goods and demand for more raw materials, markets and
national prosperity. The industrial revolution was divided into II phases.
PHASE I
This was in
Britain between 1750-1850 the time in which most of cities in Europe became
industrialized.
PHASE II
It took place
between 1950-1890, this phase characterized by the spread of industries; it
also spread to other European countries such France, Belgium, Germany and
Italy. Also outside Europe such as U.S.A, Japan and China, Hong Kong and
Singapore.
In Britain
industrialization emerged in a form of cottage system (PUT OUT SYSTEM)
Under this
system work was contracted by a central agent to subcontractors who completed
their work in their own facilities, usually their own homes. This was used in
the English textiles industry and in small farms.
The FACTORY
SYSTEM was a method of manufacturing first adopted in England at their
beginning of the industrial revolution in the 1750’s and later spread abroad.
Fundamentally
each worker created a separate part of the total assembly of a product thus
increasing efficiency of factories. Workers were paid low wages by industrial
owners, and machines were brought together in a central factory. As these
devices were mechanized they replaced cottages, which were forced to work in a
central factory.
WHY BRITAIN WAS
THE FIRST COUNTRY TO INDUSTRIALIZED
Britain showed
her supremacy on industrialization due to a combination of factors as follows:
a)
Existence of relative peace in
Britain (political stability)
After glorious
revolution of 1689, Britain did not experience only major civil war or internal
conflicts. This means that Britain was internally peaceful so the existence of
peace in Britain provided good combination for capitalists invest in industries
in contracts of other European countries by 18 th c they were in
civil wars eg France with had French revolution in 1789.
b)
Early collapse of Feudalism in Britain
By
the middle of 16 th c Britain was no longer a feudal society but
capitalist so capitalism provided good environmental for industrialization to
other parts of Europe capitalism had to wait until the collapse of feudalism in
19th c, for example France industrialized after the French
revolution then Germany industrialized after a successful uniform unification
and even Russia, Belgium and Italy.
c)
Availability of natural resources
In
early days of industrial revolution coal and iron were most important minerals.
They were needed for fuel. Britain had large supply of coal and iron. Also
Britain geographical location in like an island so it favoured marine
technology this is because Britain had permanent navigable rivers and hence the
use of canals. The navigable rivers and canals are found in many parts of
Scotland, England and wales e.g Narrow canals they built to take boats of feet
wide and 70 or 72 feet long and also broad canals and another canal was a Leeds
and Liverpool canal others were Basing stoke canal, bridge water canal, Bristol
canal docks, Manchester ship canal, river way.
d)
The presence of financial
institutions
Financial
institutions also caused the industrial revolution in Britain. These
institutions are like Banks, insurance companies, those were increased in
Britain in the 18th c.by 1700 London was able to compete with
Amsterdam as the financial capital of their world. The banks insurance provided
credits and loans to establish new factories and renovate old ones.
e)
The climatic factor
The
climatic condition of British island favoured the manufacturing of cotton
cloth, ship farming.
f)
Transportation
Britain
had many navigable rivers; those rivers were cheap, convenient way to transport
both raw materials and finished goods also many rivers provided water power for
the manufacturing. British engineers used such advantages and built harbours
and canals. It was cheap to transport heavy goods by water than land. This
efficient system of transportation made it easy to carry raw materials from
factories and goods for markets, example of canal are bridge water canal and
basing stone canal river way, Manchester ship canal.
g)
Availability of markets
Britain industrialized fast because she had assured with reliable
market for the scale of manufacture goods, some of the colonies were the
America, India, and western Indies’.
h)
Colonial expansion
i)
Population expansion
j)
Education
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