Examine the devastation that can come with colonialism. Defined here are the events that followed King Leopold's take over of the Belgian Congo. The treatment of native Congolese people, The Kurtz cult, and Joseph Conrad's observational...

A teacher's guide to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness proves that it is not impossible to delve into the heart of darkness. Containing a wealth of information about Conrad, the Scramble for Africa, and the history of the Belgian Congo,...

The uglier side of European colonization of Africa is detailed in these slides, which include pictures and information about the Belgian Congo, the Dutch South Africa, and Britain's ongoing tensions with the Boers. Students will be...

Students read the story "Sharing in Africa". As a class, they brainstorm a list of holidays and celebrations in various cultures and identify the Congo on a world map. To end the instructional activity, they focus on one paragraph of...

If your really want your history class to know everything about old and new imperialism, look no further. This 58-slide presentation depicts, describes, and explains everything from 19th Century expansion and the Congress of Berlin to...

Mickey Mouse, Elmo, and Tintin? Belgian cartoonist Georges (Herge) Remi’s famous comic character launches a study of primary and secondary source material and the impact these sources have on storytelling. Class members also examine the...

Students examine the cultural trait of sharing, trying to view it from the point of view of someone in another culture. They question what we gain from trying to see the world from the perspective of another person or culture and...

Learners examine some of the author's writing traits and then make an effort to incorporate his style into their own writing. They show how richly written literature can be used as a mentor text, or model, for improving one's own writing.

Students attempt to see the world from someone else's perspective. In this Peace Corps lesson, students read "Sharing in Africa." The piece challenges readers to consider how show respect for the cultural values of others while not...

Students examine the meaning of generosity and how sharing can be a cultural trait. For this cultural trait lesson, students read a text about the culture of generosity in Africa. Students complete a discussion activity and journal...

A rich-media website that traces a major expedition into the Belgian Congo (the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) at the dawn of the twentieth century. Includes maps, diary entries, specimens, and recordings as well as a...

Read about the role of King Leopold of Belgium in the colonization of the Belgian Congo and the extreme exploitation of the people living there in a vivid portrayal by Bertrand Russell.

The atrocities committed in Congo under King Leopold revolved around the resource of rubber. He demanded a rubber tax from each villager and began a brutal system of forced labor. Read this description of his brutal reign and how he...

King Leopold portrayed himself as charitable with his primary goal of helping Africans, when in reality he was a fraud and scoundrel who just wanted his "slice" of Africa. Read about his schemes to take over the Congo and an excerpt from...

The Congo is rich in raw materials which make it a haven for unscrupulous rulers looking for wealth. From King Leopold to Mobutu, the people of the Congo have suffered under brutal dictatorships. Read the following synopsis and view...

This is an online study guide/notes for the novel of The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver including author information, literary elements, chapter-by-chapter summaries/notes, study questions, and analysis. This is the story of the...

Selected (11) reading passages (grades 8-11) to pair with "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver. This story follows the wife and four daughters of a Baptist preacher who moves them to the Belgian Congo in 1959, setting the...

Find out about the current history of Democratic Republic of the Congo and the problems it has had since its independence from Belgium. Information is from the U.S. State Dept. Background Notes.

An extremely informative review of a non-fiction book, King Leopold's Ghost, by Adam Hochschild. The review contains specific quotes from the book and accurate historical research.

An online exhibition which documents a scientific expedition up the Congo river in the early 1900s. You can view the complete photos, documents, and equipment by clicking on the left side navigation bar.

A brief review of journalist Adam Hochschild's book "King Leopold's Ghost." The review provides some, but minimal informative historical research about the brutalities of the Congo Free State. Nevertheless, it offers an example of what...

Briefly describes Belgium's role in the Scramble for Africa and provides a little longer explanation of King Leopold's ruthless rule of the African Congo Basin.

Briefly identifies some of the decisions made at the Conference of Berlin concerning Africa. A political cartoon about King Leopold in the Congo is provided.

This Library of Congress Country Studies site contains a wealth of information on Zaire today and historically.