How Europe Underdeveloped Africa

The Supposed Benefits of Colonialism to Africa

Chapter 6 is about colonialism’s role in hindering African development. Rodney begins by summarizing the argument that colonialism benefited Africa before systematically refuting it. This rhetorical style conveys his familiarity with the scholarship and underscores his contributions to the field. Colonial apologists claim that Europe brought socioeconomic services to the continent, such as hospitals, schools, and railroads. As Rodney observes, however, Europe invested very little in services during the first three decades of colonialism. Moreover, the services brought to Africa reflect patterns of domination and exploitation. Rodney cites several examples to support this assertion. White settlers, for instance, had access to services they could not afford in their home countries, such as health care, while Africans were largely deprived of these services. Further, any investment Europe made in services was always self-serving. For example, some colonizers realized it was economically advantageous to maintain a healthy, somewhat literate African workforce and thus invested in hospitals and schools. Similarly, Europeans built roads and railways, but only in areas they needed for trade. Europe established financial institutions in Africa, but these companies catered almost exclusively to white people.