This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Bobrayner (talk | contribs) at 16:26, 8 July 2023 (Minor improvements). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 16:26, 8 July 2023 by Bobrayner (talk | contribs) (Minor improvements)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)The Committee for Studies of the Upper Congo, or in French the Comité d'études du Haut-Congo, was formed in 1878 by Leopold II, King of the Belgians, as part of the Scramble for Africa.
At Leopold's request, the Committee was formed by a number of bankers and traders in Belgium and abroad, who contributed funds. The King had initially wanted to recruit Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza as an explorer, but he was hired by the French. Henry Morton Stanley was approached instead; in January 1879, he presented to the Committee a proposal for further exploring the Congo. The Committee supported this mission, and as exploration progressed into colonisation, it was replaced by the International Association of the Congo, which was in turn replaced by the Congo Free State.
Goals
The committee was founded, ostensibly, with the goals of:
- Assess the navigability of the Congo River;
- Assess the potential for European trade with the inhabitants of the region;
- Discover what entrance costs might be charged by the tribes;
- Learn the nature of local trade goods;
- Investigate the possibility of creating a railway in the area of the waterfalls (now known as Livingstone Falls), and the goods to be transported.
See Also
- Congo Reform Association
- International African Association
- Brussels Anti-Slavery Conference 1889–90
- Brussels Conference Act of 1890
Further Reading
References
- https://archives.africamuseum.be/agents/corporate_entities/170 African Museum: Comité d'études du Haut-Congo
| Democratic Republic of the Congo articles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| History | |||||
| Geography | |||||
| Politics | |||||
| Economy | |||||
| Society |
| ||||
- International Association of the Congo
- Congo Free State
- Belgian colonisation in Africa
- Former Belgian colonies
- Former colonies in Africa
- History of Central Africa
- History of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- 1878 establishments in Africa
- Leopold II of Belgium
- Belgium–Democratic Republic of the Congo relations