ABSTRACT
The immediate and long-term impacts of European colonialism on African economies and societies is a field of research that has interested historians and social scientists for a long time. European colonialism in Africa was a project that ultimately depended upon a patriarchal and racist world view. Having said that, repressive ideologies do not always cause repressive outcomes. Did colonialism cause Africa to be underdeveloped, or did the European occupation of the continent, although morally and politically questionable, facilitate economic development by further integrating Africa into the world economy? These are difficult questions and, as we hope the chapter will show, there are no straightforward answers.
