Question

Using complete sentences, compare conditions in the Belgian Congo with conditions in the Congo Free State under King Leopold II.

Answer 1

Employee of the Elder-Dempster shipping company based out of Antwerp. Responsible for basically starting the international human rights movement in the Congo Free State. Created the Congo Reform Association and was a constant thorn in the side of Leopold II. He formed his own newspaper 'The West African Mail' and wrote 'Red Rubber' to publicise the atrocities committed by King Leopold II and his officers in the Congo.

Answer 2

King Leopold II treated the Congo as his personal property and exploited the country for slave labor, rubber, and ivory. The Belgian Congo was established in 1908 after the international community pressured the Belgian government to annex the country and take it out of the king's hands. Conditions in Belgian Congo improved as the Belgian government supported education and established trade. Nevertheless, the people of the Congo increased their demands for independence.