Impact of Sleeping Sickness and E-Commerce Evolution

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett present a critique of the lasting social, cultural, and economic changes that emerged from the 1960s, with particular focus on how these changes continue to shape modern African society.

--

📰 Be notified early when Turpentine's drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess

--

SPONSOR: NETSUITE | SHOPIFY | ORACLE

More than 40,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. If you're looking for an ERP platform, get a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program on NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/zen - Download your free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning.

Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at https://shopify.com/momentofzen

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI): Oracle's next-generation cloud platform delivers blazing-fast AI and ML performance with 50% less for compute and 80% less for outbound networking compared to other cloud providers. OCI powers industry leaders like Vodafone and Thomson Reuters with secure infrastructure and application development capabilities. New U.S. customers can get their cloud bill cut in half by switching to OCI before March 31, 2024 at https://oracle.com/cognitive

--

FOLLOW ON X:

@whatifalthist (Rudyard)

@LudwigNverMises (Austin)

@TurpentineMedia

--

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE DISCUSSION:

Africa's Geography and Disease Environment:

• Africa's massive size is emphasized (larger than China, America, India, and Western Europe combined)
• The equatorial regions had devastating diseases (malaria, yellow fever, sleeping sickness) that limited population density
• European colonizers faced 80% mortality rates in regions like Nigeria due to these diseases

Pre-Colonial African Context:

• Muslim kingdoms and trade networks existed across the Sahel region for centuries before European colonization
• Arab traders and Omani empire controlled the east coast of Africa
• Africa had significantly lower population density than Europe until modern medicine arrived

Phases of European Colonization:

• Early phase (1500s-1850s): Primarily coastal forts for slave trading and resupplying
• Scramble for Africa (1880s-1910): Rapid carving up of the entire continent
• Most of Africa was colonized for a relatively short period (roughly 60 years)

Economic Reality of Colonialism:

• European powers invested more in Africa than they extracted economically
• Only a few colonies (South Africa, Togo) were profitable
• Africa represented less than 1% of British foreign trade at colonialism's peak

Different Colonial Approaches:

• British: Prioritized self-governance, local institutions, and law
• French: Focused on cultural assimilation and equality through French identity
• Belgians: Emphasized social development after the Leopold atrocities
• Portuguese: Maintained more exploitative practices

South Africa as a Special Case:

• Developed as a settler colonial society similar to Australia/Canada
• Conflict between British and Boers (Dutch settlers)
• Discussion of apartheid and its legacy

Post-Colonial Challenges:

• Artificial borders created by European powers causing ongoing conflicts
• Resource extraction infrastructure designed to take wealth out of Africa
• First generation of post-colonial leaders trained in Western universities with socialist ideologies

Legacy and Future Prospects:

• Discussion of how British colonial institutions provided some advantages over other colonial systems
• Africa's potential to develop new forms of civilization due to not being constrained by historical patterns
• The role of Christianity in Africa's future development

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices