ARTIFACT 11

This video is about the results of the scramble for africa and how they are still affecting africa today.

The Rhodes Colossus is an iconic editorial cartoon of the Scramble for Africa period, depicting British colonialist Cecil Rhodes as a giant standing over the continent, holding a telegraph wire between "Capetown and Cairo".

The cartoon first appeared in Punch magazine in Britain in December 10 1892, appearing beside a recent excerpt from The Times about a Rhodes plan to extend an electrical telegraph line from Cape Town to Cairo.

Drawn by Edward Linley Sambourne, It was widely reprinted in its time, and has since become a widespread illustration in textbooks and other sources. Linley drew a whole collection of caricatures of depicting various political and business figures.

Accompanied by a piece of satirical verse on the character and ambitions of Rhodes.

THE World's Seven Wonders are surely outshone!
  On Marvel World's billows 'twill toss us—'twill toss us,
To watch him, Director and Statesman in one,
  This Seven-League-Booted Colossus—Colossus!
Combining in one supernatural blend
  Plain Commerce and Imagination—gination;
O'er Africa striding from dark end to end,
  To forward black emancipation—cipation.

Brobdingnagian Bagman, big Dreamer of Dreams.
  A Titan of tact and shrewd trader—shrewd trader!
A diplomat full of finesse and sharp schemes,
  With a touch of the pious Crusader—Crusader!
A "Dealer" with despots, a "Squarer" of Kings,
  A jumper of mountain, lake, wilderness, wady,
And manager 'cute of such troublesome things
  As LOBENGULA or the MAHDI—the MAHDI.

Well may ABERCORN wonder and FIFE tootle praise,
  His two thousand hearers raise cheering—raise cheering.
Of wild would-be Scuttlers he proves the mad craze,
  And of Governments prone to small-beering—small-beering.
Sullen Boers may prove bores to a man of less tact,
  A duffer funk wiles Portuguesy—tuguesy;
But Dutchmen, black potentates, all sorts, in fact,
  To RHODES the astute come quite easy—quite easy.

The British South-African Company's shares
  May be at a discount—(Trade-martyrs!—trade-martyrs!)—
But he, our Colossus, strides on, he declares,
  Whether with or without chums or charters—or charters.
Hooray! We brave Britons are still to the front—
  Provided we've someone to boss us—to boss us;
And Scuttlers will have their work cut out to shunt
  This stalwart, far-striding Colossus—Colossus!

The author criticizes and satirizes Rhodes, but frankly, it was the truth. Rhode's company, the BSAC (British South Africa Company), was the de facto head of the South African Government, and by the end of 1894, the territories over which the BSAC had concessions or treaties, collectively called "Zambesia" after the Zambezi River flowing through the middle, comprised an area of 1,143,000 km². A lot of land. A little bit too much for some people's liking. Rhodes was a controversial figure back home in Britain, where he actively took a stance against the Colonial office's imperialism. He instead promoted colonialism. He had a plethora of enemies back home, and some of the general populace were not happy with him. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.


The author can definitely relate to history, and does know his Greek facts. What statue this cartoon is related to I give to you to find out.... (the anagram to the statue is...."Rhesus cool sod s"). The piece was created as the scramble for Africa was ending, with The BSAC wrapping it up, and taking control of the congo, and securing mining rights from ignorant tribal chiefs. The author is clearly not happy with this, but what can he do? 


However, as much as we would like to see Rhodes stand and defile Africa....Where is the rest of Europe? Where are the dominant Germans and the French? Where are the British holdings? is Rhodes stepping on German land or British Land.....please, cartoon, speak up.

Mark Twain's summation of Rhodes ("I admire him, I frankly confess it; and when his time comes I shall buy a piece of the rope for a keepsake") still often appears in collections of famous insults. 

REFLECTION!!!

1. 

a) Which main topic does the artifact relate to? In what ways?

The artifact relates to the frontier, since Rhodes was actively expanding the BSAC's "holdings"

 in africa.

b) Which other main topics does it also relate to?

Nation, West to east, Nation.

2. Why did you choose this artifact, and how much time did you spend creating and/or processing it?

I chose it because The cartoon has proliferated, and I spent a day processing it

3. What insights and understanding have you gained from the creation and/or processing of this artifact?

That owning a Mega corporation, even one without high share prices, can make you very rich.

4. Does this artifact reflect your best work and/or ideas? Why, or why not?

Yes, Because I thought it out analytically , and worked hard on it.

5. Rate this artifact on a scale of -5 to 5 (0 is neutral) for the following 4 criterion:

a) Impact on the quality of your Portfolio
4

b) Impact on your level of happiness/enjoyment
1

c) Impact on your learning
-5

d) Level of creativity and originality
5

6. Any additional comments.

It took me 3 hours of analyzing and laughing to finally finish it

CREDITS

-http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/20759

I was reading through some old magazines online and found this...