There were many factors that contributed to imperialism in Africa. Imperialism is when a nation plans to dominate or take over another but in political, economic, or social ways. The Europeans’ were trying to dominate Africa and there were many factors that played a role in this. One of the major advantages that the Europeans’ had was their technological advancements. They were usually the first people to acquire new items that were more advanced. One of these items was the Maxim gun. It was the worlds first automatic machine gun and it was created in 1884. As the Europeans’ got ahold of this new weapon, the Africans’ were forced to use the outdated weapons. The steam engine was another advancement that the Europeans’ had. It allowed them to travel on the rivers in order to create bases of control in Africa. They did this because they wanted to take control over their empire. Steam engines weren't the only thing helping people communicate with close nations. Railroads, cables, and steamships all allowed the nations to talk with each other. There was a major problem as time went on. Malaria started to take over Africa. Malaria is a disease that is carried by swarms of mosquitoes. The problem kept the Europeans’ on the coast and prevented them from going too deep into Africa. Of course there was another factor that allowed them to travel into Africa. That was the perfection of the drug quinine in 1824. The factors in Africa made it easier for the Europeans’ to colonize it. Africa had such a diverse community that it made it hard for them to unite. All the different languages and cultures were the problem. The Europeans’ learned to play rivals groups against each other for their benefit. These ethnic groups fought wars which were caused by control over land, water, and trade rights. Since the groups already disliked each other then why not create more tension between them in order to help yourself? That's exactly what the Europeans’ did and it was a very good idea. These were just a couple of factors that played a role to imperialism in Africa.
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