Hey man great videos. However I find it abit weird how you present some aspects of this. I'm personally disgusted by the brutality of humans but you make it seem like not every single kingdom or tribe on the planet at this point in time was not conquering and racistic divided other clans or cultures. Although terrible I find it odd that the Europeans are presented as "extra evil" when they did what all societies did and had been doing for thousands of years. Admittedly the Europeans did it on a much much larger scale but point me to a culture, kingdom, tribe that would not had done the same if capable. Could you help me out here because I genuinely dont get this. Thanks and keep the videos coming, loving them!
Thanks for this information, but I will like you to do a complete long documentary on all the loots from west Sahara Africa, and how terrorist are created
As a Congolese it will always anger me the horrendous acts that Léopold 2nd projected in Congo because the consequences of his actions has left a lasting impact on the country till this day
Those old photographs of Congolese slave labourers with their hands chopped of are so disturbing. And, yeah, the post-colonial period has also been rough for Congo-a lot of it no doubt due to all the shit that went down during the colonial era.
@@SimonGrayDKin fairness Congo has never been great be it Europeans taking advantage or Congolese kings doing the same the people have always been used
The transatlantic slave trade won’t be so successful if the King of Congo didn’t go around capturing other tribes to sell off to Europeans, he traded Africans off for Indian gems, Chinese porcelain and lots of guns so he can dominate over other tribes. Takes two to tango, Europeans arriving at the shores of Africa cannot just load up their slave ships without an eager supplier
As a Congolese myself it's sad even to see that the Belgians and European descent nations including USA etc.., are still supporting the wars occurring in the Eastern part of my Country DRCongo, where I am from here in Uvira. Especially the wars are in Uvira,Beni,Bunagana,Home,Ruchuru etc..
This is so educational. I’m from Nigeria and this doesn’t get taught in schools. They paint our colonizers as good people who brought civilization. As you pointed out correctly, these exploits paved way for modern science and medicine but at what cost? Africans need to wake up! We are not less!!! Our leaders need to put aside greed and start getting things done
I'm shocked to hear this? I feel like in the west I've grown up being told how warlike the colonizers were and now im hearing in nigeria they teach them as nothing but good people lmao.
Without the west you wouldnt even have roads in Africa. Before the Europeans arrived, African tribes would fight each other, so lets not act like youre better. Be thankful.
I have absolutely no idea how you drop 20-30min of amazing videos weekly. Congrats to you and all the people around who help you. Hope 2023 brings you guys even cooler projects.
3.25 million subs. A production team of 5-10 people at least, and loads and loads of people supporting the channel one way or another to make everything possible.
This series blew my mind. The thing I like the most is how he ties in everything that happened to the present day and how things that happened 200 years ago have an impact even today. I give you your flowers , also amazing editing
Unpopular question : while it could have been anyone, was it inevitable that "someone" would eventually get the technological edge, gather ressources and go on to conquer the world? Like Genghis Khan and his small tribe of mongolians who like, discovered meritocracy and horses and went on to dominate all of Asia in a few decades? Do technological leaps require concentration of ressources, and do those concentrations necessarily require some sort of violence (including social and economic violence)? Was the way to the very awesome machine I hold in my hands always going to be shitty, or was there always a non-shitty route there that we just collectively ignored?
Conquest always happened with or without technological edge, the problem of this video is the narrative as Europe “stole” which is true conquering is stealing land from someone else and it happened through out history and is still happening, it is just the europeans got in that specific period the edge and expanded. Other empires did so as well just look at egypt, it got conquered by arabs and the local populace got assimilated
Unfortunately when imperialism leads to not "some sort of violence" but a great deal of violence. Genghis Khan wiped out a huge chunk of the world's population then, colonialism lead to the death of millions in Africa. Thus I won't sit here and claim that colonialism did not lead to technological leaps, yes it did so but it was built on the blood of millions and effects that are still felt on the continent today. And yes war is the biggest catalyst for innovation
@@carlmunene yes colonialism and imperialism killed a lot of people so did every expansion ever, the agenda here is to vilify exclusively the europeans like they were the only ones being expansionists. Through out the ages stronger powers subjugated weaker ones Turks where pillaging the whole europe for centuries and depopulated Anatolia to such an extend that the regions demographics flipped, but i dont see people making videos how turks plundered europe or about Tatar raids into Ukraine or the Barbary coast slaver raids which stopped only when France subjugated and colonized Alger. And if they are made most go under the rader so a one sided opinion is formed - West Bad. My frustration is people only focus on a specific part of history and kinda forget or dont learn the rest of it
Proud of my Ethiopian ancestors for stopping this massive force in their own. That’s why the lion is the symbol of our nation. And it’s our victory that made the whole African nations realize they can achieve freedom too.
@AvazBahromov Russia and Ukraine are fighting. This happens with countries of close regions. However the Europeans did not conquer and this is the point being made
Always heartwarming to hear my country, Ethiopia, the only African nation to have kept its independence without any outside help despite astronomical odds against it. Kudos to Emperor Menelik II and our ancestors for their wisdom and valor. Unique in itself but also shows what Africans are capable of when they work together.
Ethiopia was among the first christian nations, before even the roman emperor Constantine. I applaud Ethiopia who stood in their faith against the imperialist "christian" 19th century Italy.
"Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zimbabwe. None of these countries have coastlines, and they have been under control. Having a naval fleet and coastlines grants you greater power." @@muuse2684
@@muuse2684 Not true... Check your facts... What about the other African country's with no sea? I use to think like you. I use to think well because Ethiopia has no resources but that's not true either. Ethiopia is the start of the Nile river.
To Johnny Harris. It is extremely rare to have someone teach history from a truthful perspective rather than continually spreading lies to downgrade a people and lift themselve up. It always does my heart well when I see good European people like yourself. You did an exelent job!!! I'm looking forward to following you. I love history.
I remember studying Belgian colonization. It's genuinely painful to read about the horrific methods they used to stay in control, and how the way they left it pretty directly lead to the Rwandan Genocide and a ton of other wars in that region. I'd love to see you discuss that on your channel eventually, it's super interesting and super horrible.
Yeah Belgian treatment of its colony was shocking even for the times, to the point where it may have been a major factor in changing Western opinions on colonization and slavery. Leopold was a psychopath and even the imperialist europeans ghought he was disgusting.
As a belgian, I'm ashamed to say i know almost nothing about my country's colonization past. In middle school only a single history lesson was dedicated to this of which I've aleady forgotten the lion's share. But I do remember pictures we were shown of the horror that was carried out by order of the king. I feel like this is something everybody tries to forget here, but the damage in Congo was never compensated and the country seemingly never recovered from this. I hope Europe and especially my country can still make up for this in some way and hopefully help to build stable self supporting nations in middle Africa that are free from all the resource exploitation, war and corruption that still ravage the land today. However this is probably just wishfull thinking :/
The implied chronology of the animation at 8:30 is off. The French rule in Algeria began in 1830, decades before Leopold II became king in Belgium. And of course European colonial settlements in southern Africa date back to the 17th century. But the animation makes it look like they are starting at zero after Leopold II went into the Congo. I see why these stories were skipped for time, but the wrong animation still bothers me.
The whole story like he tells it sounds like the Berlin conference and Leopold started the scramble for Africa, when in fact they were the last chapter.
African colonization by Europeans started in the 15th century even farther back if you want to consider the Greeks conquering Egypt in 332 BC. His videos put narrative over facts
14:16 The Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 was one of the few instances where indigenous people in Africa (in this case the Zulu people, my people) were able to defeat colonial invaders, i.e. The Mighty British Army. All this despite the technological disadvantage. (Look, South Africa was eventually colonised but credit needs to be given be to a people that successfully defended themselves, albeit momentarily, armed with nothing more than spears and cow-hide shields). S/O to my Ethiopian Brothers, their forefathers were able to successfully do what many on the continent couldn't, respect!
@@ProsperNyawuza There is an audience for your actual history, but it is very difficult for that wider audience to access. 20 years ago I was negotiating with foreign students to get what the high school textbooks in their country were teaching their younger cousins, and when I did get one or two history books, they were as difficult to read as my grandparents' European history books. There may be better histories in university textbooks these days, but that does not reach very many people. The technology for modern media is becoming more and more available, and just as China, Korea, and Japan have been popularizing their history in the world, the peoples in Africa need to popularize their history. Make contests and in several rounds of competition, the quality of presentation will rise. Don't just make snarky comments, produce something that will prove your point and demonstrate usefulness.
@@MNkno You're triggered and I trying to understand why? I was told to "brush up on my history" which was arguably more "snarky" than merely asking for confirmation on what history the above commentor was referring to. In my initial comment I said "one of a few instances where..." NOT "the only instance where..." this fundamental misunderstanding of the English language is what, I think, led us to this meaningless back and forth. Few means: amounting to or consisting of a small number; thereby acknowledging the existence of other indigenous African people that were able to thwart colonial invasion without having to name them. In the spirit of my comment, which was to inform, another commentor informed us of another such occurance, The Benin Empire (which I found insightful and actually "liked" the comment). You see, in your visceral whirlwind of emotion you failed to realise that one doesn't need to necessarily physically "produce something to prove my point". It can also be a collaborative effort to inform one another in the comments on a video such as this.All that is required is an ability to read, comprehend, Google search but most importantly to have our egos and emotions kept in check! I wish you all the best for the year ahead, PEACE!
so I shouldnt be happy over a hungarian-polish king of madagascar chosen by its own people, damn i think im gonna go and praise the american colonization then
One thing that you got wrong in this video Johnny is that Leopold II didn’t decide to just to stake claim in the middle of Africa which is now the Congo. During the Berlin conference the land that is the Congo was a heated debate due to no one agreeing who would take control of the area, so the European powers decided to give the Congo to Leopold as his own personal colony, not the Belgian government, because the other European power couldn’t decide which one of them should have it.
But when the Belgian government took over the colonies, the Belgian Congo was still being exploited and the Belgian government was responsible for the Rwandan genocide.
@@jasonhaven7170 I still blame the toothless UN for not doing enough to stop it. Toothless Peacekeepers. They showed the world the "Peacekeepers" are just for show
This was somewhat covered on the Covid Vaccine as a Belgium undertake resulted in the formation of Jansen Vaccines, later acquired by J&J. I believe VOX did the video on it. And yes, they mentioned Leopold wanted Congo all for himself, which later was striped from him, and granted to his Country, Belgium. Yes, he might have overlooked this little detail , but, for the audience at large, it was sufficient enough to grasp, given the format and time constraints. It got Congo and Belgium in the topic.
What the genius behind this video was trying to say is "how the WEST stole africa" europe is a continent, not a country. Most nations of central and eastern europe never had colonies outside of europe.
The reasons Europe was able to take over Africa in the 19th century were not just because they invented new medicines; by that time, Africa had been severely weakened by the transatlantic slave trade where its young population had been systematically drained from the continent for centuries. Only then were European capable of penetrating the continent’s local powers.
Having access to such rich and well-written content is one of the wonders of the internet. Your work is an inspiration to creators around the world. Much love from Brazil!
@@EmmanuelMotelin Disagreed. He presented the story well, the good and the bad. That was the whole point. That the bad of the past is also a reason for the good of today. It wasn't intentional or planned, but a system put by imperialists evolved into the world order that we know of today. All the data suggest life has improved for vast majority of the world and you can read about that. It's not a story if good vs evil, just history and how things came to be.
Western European Colonialism was one of the most EVIL acts ever commited in the history of humanity, all of you need to educate yourselves on how much Evil and genocides and exploitation was commited
@@kobil316SH Noam Chomsky's book "Political Economy of Human Rights" did this with his book, "Year 501: The Conquest Continues" back in 1994! Too bad few people read Chomsky's books.
I like the way you simplify a boring history lesson into very interesting presentations. I'm from Malaysia, we had been under British colonialism for nearly 117 years. They bring a lot of good things, as well as bad things, and most of Malaysian speak English. We are not receive horrible faith as bad as native people in America and Africa but those imperialist taking a lot of resources here, and we become second class people in our own land. I believe, things had changed a lot. Hope we can live in a better world, where people spread love, not hate.
Just a honest question here, if they didn't come to "your land", would your country be what it is today? My ancestors left poor conditions in India got on a boat and went to the west indies. I'm sure I wouldn't be here today if they hadn't gotten on the boat.
@@shabba213 I don't know, but I can say it will be different, may be other imperialis come here or may be we have different set of map now. As I mention earlier there are two sides of narrative here. Colonialism bring some good and some violently bad. Generally speaking, no nation love to be controlled by outsiders.
Unfortunately it's the beginning of resentment revenge and hate Era on the way. Domination fading away self worth growing self love. This will not going to make happy for th perpetrators. I am witnessing it. Asian becoming richer smarter buying companies in the west makes some people here sad or not liking it. Until you become self success and show who you are as a nation no equality or exploitation continues.
@@shabba213 simply look at history and you will know the answer: TRADE before the coming of European, south east asia, the tropical corner of the world already master in international sea trades and manufacturing own gunpowder weapons The needs of technology will simply find way to be adapted as long as there is trade and money.. Just like southeastasia today, no European power but still manage to catch up in industry and technology
you should make a detailed video on how Ethiopia wasnt colonized because it really changes a lot of narratives, regarding civilization, religion and modern governance
Hi John - Historian and educator here. I would be very careful about toying with the ideas of how Europe "civilized" Africa with medical developments, technology, and introducing Africans to the "modern state", creating more global peace. Remember that these innovations - medical included - were only brought to the continent to make their exploitation of the resources and people easier and the environment. The narrative of "well, the Europeans did bad things but they also brought a lot of good to the continent" is a Eurocentric perspective that is nowadays rejected by most Africanists. I know you probably didn't mean it that way, but a misguided viewer may misconstrue your messaging. I would point you to Tukufu Zuberi's "African Independence" for a stronger sense of the impact of colonialism and also how the imperialist legacy still affects Africa today. Overall, this video is a great starting point for those just getting interested in African colonial history in the Age of Empires. I will be using it in my high school World History class - I enjoyed your emphasis on maps.
Ethiopia is the only country that has not been colonized italy was defeated by Ethiopian army at the battle of adwa . We made history for all black people 🇪🇹❤❤❤
I feel you. But you are a beautiful continent and - learn from our European mistakes - don’t turn on one another, work together to make your wonderful continent the best it can be. Today’s European people want the best for Africa. Bless you.
@Rocka7038except y’all are not strong. They used manipulation to acquire the majority of what they have and they are manipulating information to stay in power. That’s not strength
You neglected to mention Russia, which was colonizing its neighbors, particularly expanding to the east. It's important to note that colonization doesn't always require a ship.
You are right, but the video was about colonisation in Africa. The Russians followed the path of an "internal colonisation". They tried to colonise Africa, but it was too far away and difficult to get to, so their attempt failed.
It was not really peaceful. It saw massacres and suppression of ethnicities. It has not been revised, as other European powers did, thus it is seen even today. @@vlashante
It's more ironic that africans wanted independence and to not live under european goverments, but now they flock to the west to live under european goverments instead of their own independent countries
@@Choodcelwell due to destabilization of their economies and corrupt leaders why would they want to suffer post colonization use your damn brain please
@@keymusabe7207or maybe because your grouping different people together as if their the same because their from the same continent. People of today are not responsible for what people of the past did, and the average person is not responsible for what the ruling class/government does.
14:30 “There were good things in colonizing Africa too like experimenting vaccines on the locals which advanced medicine.” Would love to see this line work in reference to the Holocaust in which the same rational and methods were applied.
Being algerian myself, it was repugnant to hear him say that. Our people were used as lab rats for the French to test their nukes in Reggan Sahara. As you said, it's like saying that the holocaust improved soap or médecine production.
Colonisation and the holocaust are incomparable. Colonisation was a way to control land and extract ressources It was never a genocidal project intended on exterminating (a) people.
no way after explaining the atrocities that European colonialism has committed against indigenous people around the world he said that its not a simple "good vs evil" (many of those countries are still struggling today BECAUSE of how destabalised they made those regions and not to mention coups....)
That’s true. I would rather live in today’s society though as opposed to being exploited by more powerful tribes like the Aztecs and Mayans….they did enough Evil without/before the Europeans.
It is not simple. Who wrote laws and moral codes that limited and stop many of the atrocities? If African got the right opportunities to conquer the world, will they be less violence? It's terrible for European colonial empires to carve up China. But leaving China by themselves and they massacre tens of millions of their population. Which moral codes/economic system did they use to stop that? The world isn't black and white.
@@jamman9569 What is great???? exploitation and wealth? or living in peace and harmony obeying GOD's laws? Your eurocentric idea of "Great" is wealth and control. No connection to righteousness at all.
The toxic legacy of European colonialism is still with us. We still have borders drawn in offices in Europe with no regard for the peoples living in those lands, leading to ethnic strife and division, most notably in Africa and the Middle East, with the Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Scramble for Africa, which has led to the wars in Congo, Biafra, and Sudan in Africa, and Palestine, Iraq and Syria in the Middle East, amongst others.
@johnny Harris Side Note: 14:40 even though we africans had less technology at that time, we were more advanced in herbal medicines so we already knew what could stop maleria and such other deseases new to Europeans. And we still have trees all around us we know what medicinal value each has in the rural and urban areas. So that medicinal discoveries was a push for the whites on their solution to make taking over easier for them but was nothing new to africans here. Yet a very enlightening film we have here from your perspective. Appreciate.🙏
@@cody0126a I think you are just ignorant of Africa. Herbs exist to this day and I have personally witnessed someone get sick with malaria and treat it completely with herbs (medicine - some which were used to develop quinine) till they are well.
@cody0126a Come to Africa, more specifically Ghana. And you will know the truth for yourself. Your studies (books) twist the facts. No one is immune to Maleria. We take herbs 🌿, chew, cook or cover ourselves in the heat of boiled herbs with wool... 😊. Lack of Knowledge ... 🙏🏼
As a guy who lives on the other side of the Planet of China, I was really inspired by these elaborate and educational videos. These really helped me to collect more parts for the whole map of the world. I rarely left any remarks but this time. Many thanks to Johnny and the co-workers behind the camera
@@topgtommy7314It is a little hard to tell as I assume English is not his first language - but I think he is making a joke about all the maps Johnny shows and the aesthetic map rolls Johnny does
i love how polished your vids are Johnny, i think at least out of the people i watch on youtube you make the most cinematic productions well done man you defo earnt that Emmy well done dude
How about following this up with the story of the World Bank another finance entities keep these countries enslaved and debt. And corporations still go to these places and extract resources without any profit going to the locals.
This is imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism. Companies, on their way to growing towards infinity, will eventually need to expand to foreign markets. It is in the best interest of these companies to make the conditions of these countries as profitable as possible (i.e. enslave the population and take all their natural resources)
good idea, except it ignores the role of how wealthy African elites here exploit their own people. few dare to touch this subject because it's so "sensitive." how exactly would "profit" be dispersed to "the locals" when it is indeed wealthy ruling African elites who are accepting Western money for their own gain?
Boy oh boy, I am studying for exams and I was a little demotivated to actually do immense research but now your video has ignited a hunger to actually delve into more literature.Your explanations, maps, videography are intriguingly inspiring.
It makes you wonder if there was a path in history for the world to become industrialized without the massive human rights abuses, and if there was, what was that path.
What's even sadder is that the video comes off as if the European s built the world and made it civilized. NOO...youtook land and culture and social norms from a people, and abusivelt forced them to adopt your norms - and you called it civilizing a people......
I am Kenyan. Born and raised. We learned about this in school but the severity of it has only sunk in as an adult. Watching films like Avatar (a fave for me), reminds of the stealing of our tribal lands, society, culture and identity by the white man. They still steal from Africa.
But ordinary Europeans love Africa and want the best for African people. We genuinely do and feel for all the past horrors that we put on your continent (and frankly also on ourselves during wwii). Let’s work together against the continued power grab -- let’s shed light when that happens so that ordinary Europeans can denounce their own gov and companies. Bless you all.
It’s important to mention how they built all those railroads so magically fast! Forced and free labour from the indigenous people. Let’s not forget about that detail.
@dinofangzz The Arabs role in destabilizing Africa is greatly over exaggerated. Yes they did help take over Egypt, Morocco and other countries but compared to what the Europeans did it was small potatoes. 14 million Congolese people got slaughtered not enslaved
@dinofangzz You can’t say something isn’t bad because something worse happened. North Africa as a whole has been a war zone for over 4 thousand years. Millions have been kings , slaves and conquerors.
@@botshelomoatshe3153 Are they not? Africa has gotten a lot of medically developments due to European intervention to combat diseases. Doesn’t mean they were good but a good reason your probably alive rn (and why the world population is so large today) is thanks to a lot of medical advancements in Europe (Ie Haber process, cure for malaria etc)
This whole three part series is amazing, quite literallly in tears and chills each episode!! As someone from the Philippines (former colony of Spain, a bit of UK,US and Japan) this series has summarized the world we live in now and how it came to be, much better than anything taught by my teachers/books I've read. "History is not the past but a map of the past, drawn from a particular point of view, to be useful to the modern traveller.” -Henry Glassie
It is very sad this history happened, the way our species treats each other. But we have to teach history and show how bad we can treat each other so we don’t repeat it. But we shouldn’t honor our history and put a blind eye to all the terrible things that occurred, like some people do (for an example like in American South), but learn from it, criticize it, and know how bad it was.
@@PremierCCGuyMMXVI That's a well expressed statement. History is a means, a philosophy to understand the past; actually understand it, as well as learn from it as well. Good and Bad are universal concepts, both of which are apparent in any year, century, and such in human history. There were times in which we as a species showed our truest potential to triumph, persevere and soar, while also showing the lowest bounds and decadence we are capable of. While history is gruesome, brutal, and a reality none of us want to experience, it is also something to be interested in, in various times: praise justly, as well as emulate for the sake of all good future endeavors. We should also understand that not all people were supportive of the acts that are deemed, obviously so, horrible, but each time period had its "standards", for which we should understand, whilst not condoning, or accepting lightly.
You are a top notch teacher! The way you present things with such energy & passion is incredibly attention grabbing. Held my attention till the very end! Very well done good sir 👏👏
The background music Johnny uses is super amazing makes you feel like he's letting you in on a big secret that's going to blow your mind😅 great content!
Such a well researched topic. I tried to read a book, 700 pages mind you, by Martin Meredith The Fate of Africa...and it omitted colonization, slavery, European conquest, robbery of cultural artifacts, literature. How could you possibly discuss Africa without these realities? You've done a great job sir. Please post your book list as well that you recommend on this topic.
As an African American, your video makes me so sad how people of color have been treated over the centuries… all in the name of so called civilization and advancement.
@elijahhelsel8948 Yes, they did. Also, nowhere in my comment did I make a derogatory comment that implied other races were less than others. You did tho so the racist comment applies to you.
I follow you from Egypt 🇪🇬 , one of the British colonies in the past. Really, I appreciate your efforts and your videos. They are incredibly wonderful in describing the realities of a tragic world that was created with the help of whims, greed, and the pursuit of power and wealth.
I dream of the way I get see the sphinx and the great pyrimids maybe valley of the kings too. What type of vibe do you get looking at that kind of stuff?
" Europe taking over the world has thrust humanity into an age of peace & prosperity"? What?!! You do realize many shifts in thought came from the ppl oppressed by them.
Johnny, you’re such a hard worker; I love your stories. I’m always impressed by the exhaustive lengths you expend to tell such fantastic stories!✨ Thank you.
@@johnnyharris He man !!! Do not says that EUROPA stole Africa !!! Some country did it, but not EUROPA !!!! Each country who done that should assume it !!!!! So, if your ancestor did it, it's not the case of all Europeans !!! It's a problem with your own consciousness !! Me, my people and my country don't have anything to do with Africa !!! We suport them against SOME EUROPEAN COLONISATER !!! I'm from ex-yougoslavia.
@@johnnyharris The last 500 years have been a blight on humanity. When you think that Egypt and Nubia lasted 9000 years, Chinese Civilization and Indus Civilizations lasted 6000 years, this blip of Western hegemonic rule is indeed a hiccup. The Chinese had fireworks for centuries and used gun power for beauty not to savagely murder people. They also traded with Africans along the Swahili coast kingdoms, Somaliland and great Zimbabwe for 2000 years. 1500 year old pottery was found in the palace ruins at Great Zimbabwe. These relationships were mutual respect without the Chinese trying to kill and STEAL all the wealth and land. Europeans had no civilization when Africans and Asians were charting the stars and performing surgeries understanding the anatomy of the human body. The European continent was diseased and unenlightened for most of its history. Europe had 1000 years of Dark Ages, and diseases, infertile land, that wiped out 90% of the population. The technology Europeans amassed was from other people, Egyptian knowledge funneled to Greece and Rome then the MOORS civilzed Europe after the 1000 years of Dark Ages. What should really be studied is this insatiable GREED and violent impulse to TAKE other people's property. To exploit other humans on this scale is not flattering. The BBC did a much better doc about the history of colonialism and it was not pretty. STARVING 100 MILLION South Asians, exterminating 10 MILLION CONGOLESE, exterminating TASMANIANS completely, SLAVERY, Native American GENOCIDE etc..is not erased by penicillin 🙄I think the ancient Egyptians, Persians, Yorubas, Nubians, Chinese , Axumite, Indus Valley civilizations that lasted thousands of years were much more civilized than the barbarian West. Creating a superiority mythology in order to STEAL, knowing that disease and ignorance almost wiped your entire continent out during the PLAGUE is a sign of mental illness. The culture of the West is based on a mental neurosis if we're honest.
@@zazazazizizi6276 True, I have to back you up here. It's only 6-7 European countries, sadly my country is amongst them. US creators keep generalizing and overlooking nuance. It's very detrimental, especially for Eastern european countries that have suffered and were captured as well as slaves. He just does it for clickbait. He is a great editor and storyteller, but not an objective journalist in my opinion. He has a very clear destain for anything Western and idolizes certain other empires/continents. And also highly dismisses current atrocities or what is going on en masse. Very passionate, but doesn't see his own failures.
When I found out about Johnnys Emmy I screamed with pride 👏👏👏 he's doing everything I wanted to do as a kid and I'm living vicariously through him at this point 🤗 seriously SO fcking proud!!! SUPER PROUD!
N0TE: "We happen to be the best people in the world with the highest ideals of social justice & inclusivity & progressiveness & education... "and the more of the world we inhabit, the better it is for humanity."
@@dkonfleek1362 the head of the FA got fired for saying "coloured person" when he meant to say "person of colour" even though he instantly corrected himself and said he works in America a lot so he got confused between the two phrases, in context he was saying "we need to ensure we support all out players of colour to stand up for their diverse interests"... not good enough "white man bad" they fired him.
Fun fact: Leopold II is still revered in Belgium to this day. There are numerous statues of him in different Belgian cities, and a large boulevard in Brussels carries his name.
Obscure as it sounds i believe this is due to him being a monarch rather than a normal politician turned genocidal. It somehow gives him the excuse of a Julius Caesar or Charlamagne.
People in west dont consider colonization bad they just realized that its an outdated method So dont be surprised if you see those genocidal men being celebrated
This is why Johnny Harris is an incredible content creator: Every episode he produces would take another creator months or years to make. Johnny delivers high quality and valuable content every few weeks.
It's because his team might have a lot of irons on the fire. Stuff does not happen in just a week. There is a process in putting together these projects, and it might not be quite linear as we see. And off course, skills, experience and so on.
I'm still amazed how you fit so much information so harmonically and informative into such videos, I can only imagine the amount of work been done for every video, how much text you need to go through, proofread, do fact check, etc., great job of you and those who help you, thank you for such quality content! 😊
The Europeans are inherently barbarians. They were civilized by Africans and later knew how make a guns to satisfy their barbaric nature. All world wars in history are initiated by the Europeans. They first hated themselves and then defused that hatred to the rest of the world. Correction, before and after the invasion of Africa. Europe didn't have the favour of God. Therefore, the only way they could survive was to invade the promised land and the descendents of Abraham.
European intellectualism emerged less than 2000 thousand years ago. It is relatively new compared to many other civilizations. There's a reason why, during one of the travels to Egypt by the Greek statesmen, Solon, was told the Greeks were like children by an Egyptian priest. Also, I will never understand why anyone who speaks of European expansion in dinstict good terms while glossing over the abhorrent actions committed by the same people.
I distinctly remember in college we were assigned to read King Leopold's Ghost. Parts of the book were so depressing to read that I had to stop reading mid-paragraph before returning to the book hours later. I have no issue reading such things when the book is fiction, but reading some of the things men are capable of doing to other men was just disgusting to digest.
And the sad thing is I bet u most Belgians don’t even know the details of what happened cus it’s not truly shown in their public school history books. It’s sad honestly…. I hope they sue for compensation over and over again. And yes I get how people complain about how they should move on and their has been compensation but nah… I bet none of the money ever truly ended into the victims hand and went to the corrupted governments.
@@ellenation2294 who cares? belgium people don't need to care for the doings of one man and his army, that have nothing to do with the population of belgium itself. also, it's called conquest and dictatorship, you're a lost soul with the way you're thinking
@@slXD100 right so ur saying Jews didn’t have to get compensated cus really it’s just a guy going nuts. No need to punish al the people that helped the guy which as a matter of a fact Germany actually did sign a punish ment last week on a 96 year old woman but who cares right? If u agree then fine I get ur point.
@@ellenation2294 history education in most of the world use particular rule to determine, what they should teach kids - history of countries which influenced the world they currently live in. That's why in Europe there is a lot of ancient Greece or Rome, but much less of all others ancient civilizations across Asia, Africa or America. That's why colonisation is not discussed deeply as the fact that some cultures disappeared means that they don't influence much current world. But that leaves some gaps in history, like whole Africa history before colonisation - e.g. West African kingdoms built on selling slaves. They were often reacher then Europe, but totally forgotten in schools
@@ellenation2294 you're comparing apples and pears here, you're so desperate and deluded that you compare a goal of eradicating an entire group of people from the face of the earth to consequences of conquest. that's how brainwashed you are.
This not only seems like an end to a 3 part story video, but as an end to a chapter of videos of Johnny Harris, cause lately he brought up a lot of these topics: the Belgium medicine, conflict in countries made by their borders and etc Awesome chapter! Thanks for that, Johnny!
The video takes many short cuts. For example, in North Africa, the colonization of Algeria took over a century with battles fought against forces of the regency of Algiers, local forces and even a King, emir Abdelkader. The main goal of France was to stop algerian pirates from controlling commercial roads in the mediteranean sea, it was not exploration in any shape or form. I think more nuance is needed, specially when the same process of colonization was used by other empires other than europeans and the reasons are not always the same. Thank you for the video though. Looking forward to your 2023 videos.
So true. If the world continues to look at Africa as a monolith, it takes away from the individual histories of different people groups and countries and these do not become widely / globally known, thus perpetuating the view of Africa as a monolith
@@mint8648 The mongols, the Ottoman empire, the Abbasid Caliphate, the russian empire, the chinese empire...even the morrocan empire which still keeps part of the land as Morroco today.
the idea of using the french and what they did to algerians as a positive is insane. they used algerians as human test subjects, used a form of residential schools, pillaged and murdered them and refused to allow them to practice any of their culture or language.
Hey Johnny, happy new year and just wanted to let you know just how much I’ve learned from your channel over the course of the last two years! I really love the content that you make and can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for next (maybe some more food videos)
I vehemently disagree with some of the narratives in this video. The ideals of justice, equality, human rights, morality were present for thousands of years long before colonization. The narrative that Europeans somehow spread it across the globe is just a cheap excuse justifying their actions and indirectly says the 'Africans and other races' did not have these qualities in them and that the Europeans had to bring this to them - this thought makes you no different than those colonizers. Also, using Africans as human experimentation guinea pigs is not called saving Africa through medicine. Many of these diseases were brought to Africa by the colonizers in the first place.
I have a biiiiiig, no, huuuuuuuge problem with your argument beginning at minute 28:28!!! Firstly, it makes it seem as if Europe is the reason we have peace and food!!! It is because of Europe that Afrika has not known peace for centuries! It is because of Europe that Afrika today does not have access to sustainable food supplies. I believe it is good to do a percentage analysis in this case. To look at the harm vs. the so-called “good!” And given this approach, Europe has been more harmful than helpful to Afrika! Period!!!
yeah youre right Britian should have just not used their naval fleet to stop the 1400 year slave trade the Islamic Empires were carrying out. Africans didn't end slavery and since they were selling slaves in Libya about 10 years ago i dont think they were gonna stop on their own...its written in the Quran that slavery is ok.
@@jasonarmstrong1229You’re comparing invading and taking over countries to stopping slavery? Britain could’ve done either one without doing the other. You’re speaking as if Europe is entitled to Africa because they stopped the slave trade that they profited off of for hundreds of years. The Dutch, Portuguese, Spaniards, and French especially. come on now, you're smarter than that
"America was new to Imperialism" By the standards of any other historical era, the spread of the US from the original thirteen colonies across the continental United States alone was Imperialism.
Technically you are correct, but if you hopped in a time machine and said it to the people at the Berlin conference they would've disagreed. It comes to how Africa was viewed as opposed to North America. The tribes of North America were seen as an obstacle and the land as already being the rightful property of Americans. (We call this idea Manifest Destiny, it's the belief god had already decided European settlers should take all of the continent.) So while America had already been doing Imperialism, no one saw it that way. They saw it as Americans moving into land that was already rightfully theirs, and engaging in colonial settlement. Africa on the other hand was different, Africa had resisted European expansion and it was very precient in their minds that Africa did not belong to Europeans. They also didn't have any intention of settling in the lands they took, so the people already there weren't seen as an obstacle. They were seen as just another resource to exploit. Colonial exploitation and coloni settlement are both objectively forms of Imperialism, but the US government and its people would never have looked at it that way. They had also never tried this specific style of imperialism where they take over and work the people to death for the natural or agricultural resources of the land. Now, obviously they had been working Africans to death for resources for centuries via generational chattel slavery so it's still basically the exact same crime. The difference is entirely regarding how Europeans and Americans viewed themselves and the world around them. Africa was land to be conquered, while America was land to be settled. Thus despite both being imperialistic, only one was viewed that way.
Don't let the great storytelling skills and the well put video fool you. Aside from the few things those with a deeper knowledge of African history will disagree with, this man tried really hard to make it seem like all the atrocities we (as Africans) suffered were justifiable by "the advancement" that Europeans "brought" (the real story behind the so-called discoveries that helped them fuel the occupation of Africa is another story). The precolonial history of Africa is still widely unknown by the masses and people need to know that colonialism brought chaos and fed preexisting divisions to help them make some parts of Africa unstable to this day. The horrific events that took place, the exploitation of our resources, both natural and human, and the meddling of European leaders in our affairs (even today) is not remotely worth the so-called benefits of the European rule of the continent/world.
Johnny never said that nor did he ever imply that. If you watch any of his videos, you will realise he always tries to highlight the bad of colonialism and hardly ever brings up the other side. That's where he comes from with most of these videos, he's trying to tell the story of how these events shaped our world. There certainly have been some horrendous acts along the way that have impacted millions, however it would be dishonest and misleading for any discussion of these events to pretend nothing good came along with the bad. Europeans really did forge the modern world that has seen incredible economic growth and rises in living standards worldwide as well as poverty rates and childhood mortality plummeting. That doesn't necessarily excuse the past but this is real history we're discussing. It's not black and white, but nuanced and complex. Any balanced discussion always seems to come along with people accusing it of being eurocentric as well as virtue signalling revisionism on the other side. Perhaps, being accused of both suggests it is truly balanced haha.
@matthowells6382 People who really know the Precolonial history of Africa will not necessarily agree with that. The issue is very deep and very difficult to elaborate in comments. There's a saying that goes "history is written by the victors", and as the ones dominated and exploited for centuries, our voices and perspectives are less known. Different perspectives will bring different understandings and from my perspective, as African, I sincerely don't agree with everything he said. I understand that from an outsider's point of view you will probably think that I just disagree for the sake of it, but my opinion is based on research and life experience. Cheers.
@@your_boy_lamine I don’t think you disagreed for the sake of it at all, as you say this topic is very complex and extensive. Plenty of scope for disagreement and discussion. I was simply disagreeing myself with your characterisation of Johnnys narrative :)
It's rare I leave youtube comments even on channels to which I subscribe, however this channel is awesome. I just wanted to say to Johnny Harris and the whole crew, thank you for all of your research and hard work. I have learned as an adult that I actually do enjoy learning about these topics that I found boring in school, and this is such a perfect way for a guy who struggles to read for more than 30 minutes.
As an Englander it has always fascinated me how the power base there got started & I find that I have to go all the way back to the centralizing of the country with William the Conqueror & his Norman nobles, possibly even further back with some of the statutes of the city of London that made certain financial & political things possible.
@@Paraclef Sorry, I wasnt trying to offend you. I dont find anything wrong with you being proud of your heritage. My german grandparents were very proud of theirs.
The conqueror took advantage of the times no actual record keeping can be seen as credible today. Its a great part of history and thats why we are all here. No one did anyone favours, we just survived.
You are one of the creators I've followed, for years, no fall off in interest. You make the most insightful, elaborate and entertaining videos of informative topics. Things that help us look at our world in a more holistic way. Thank you, and thanks to your team for all that you do.
Wow this is amazing i wish each and every African could watch this video. Africans are divided and we are getting poor. Julius Malema talks about this!!! Its time for us to unite as one
Ethiopian here, im so proud to be an Ethiopian thanks to my ancestors for holding of those creeps from changing our traditions and lifestyle. Here we are today speaking our own native language in all the 80 different ethnic groups (sadly there is some unrest at the moment) but yeah all of our holidays are religious and victory days when we pushed out the gringos. We set an example for our whole continent that nothing could take whats ours from us. Jah ✊🏾 🇪🇹
Yet, Ethiopia is in a worse state than other previously 'colonised' states? I've never understood the notion that European expansionism inhibited the development of the African continent; if so, why has Ethiopia failed to develop?
@@AndrewArminRyan Ethiopia is literally one of the fastest growing economies in Africa currently and is advancing at a rapid pace. And so what if they are poor? We don’t need Europeans to tell us where civilised or not. Let us be poor on our own 😂😂
The scramble for Africa, was more devastating than the slave trade ( which was extremely horrendous in itself), because during slavery 3 million blacks were enslaved , tortured and killed; in the scramble for africa arguably 30 million africans were enslaved, tortured and killed. I am telling CHRIS ROCK that the reason why he has seen no African boats coming to save them is that. the motherland was destroyed and still been destroyed by the same imperialist. Africans suffered and are still suffering more than african Americans. For me AFrican americans suffer more from lack of the past knowledge and current state of things. The only way Africans will survive is by recognising the individual African tribes are actually the true African nations and not the evil boundaries created by the foreign imperialists following a quest for independence.
@@Pfalz536 As someone who has lived in Nigeria, the people aren't inferior and are every bit as intelligent and creative as anywhere else in the world. The problem is that these people barely got introduced to the concepts of European civilization 150 years ago, of course they aren't going to be great at it yet. Corruption is rampant, living conditions aren't great in most of it, but they're getting better. Not to mention the fact that Europeans forced a lot of warring tribes into a single nation and we expect them to be peaceful, it's just not gonna happen.
@pfalz How are the people inferior? The people are forced to survive in a system that they did not create, adopt a way of living alien to them and we compare them to Europeans that created the system and assume everyone that does not measure up to the system they create is inferior? Interesting, I would argue that Europeans have destroyed the world which is why the human race is on the edge of extinction due to global warming caused mainly by these so called “superior” people.
I have always considered myself more as an european rather than danish. I love our cultural heritage, and am a Dane in that perspective. It is so depressing every day seeing, across the world, what nationalism and borders bring with it in terms of hate and fear. Thank you for making yet another important video.
@@DefenderOfLogic Totally agree. There's trying not to be too woke, and then there's straight up whitewashing of just how much carnage Europe caused to Africa.Tens of millions of black people killed. It should be discussed with the same energy that the invasion of Ukraine or the Holocaust would be.
@@DefenderOfLogic If it's fictional then no one wants to hear it as historic. Which was what the first vid was. But Johnny and his team really delivered with the rest.
Wait, your video/animation seems to imply that France started colonization in North Africa because of Léopold II... But colonization of Algeria began in 1830.
I know that the focus of this video is on Europeans and their role, but it would be worth mentioning how the Arab people had already established the slave trade in Africa before the Europeans arrived, thus setting in place an environment where slavery was a norm (for lack of a better word) which the Europeans came and built upon, making it easier for them to take advantage of a pre-existing situation. African people were already being oppressed. I myself am from Africa. Edit: I just wanted to add that the Arab world had been practicing slavery in parts of Africa since the days of the ancient Egyptians - that’s centuries! And slavery was only abolished in the 1900s in some middle eastern countries. I know that slavery does not quite equal colonization but I feel that more conversation needs to be had around this rather than always looking at the role of Europeans. Yes, European colonization should not be underplayed but there were other players in the story.
this doesn't make any sense. The Arab world didn't exist with ancient egypt. Either way, slavery probably existed from before the dawn of known history across the world. Arabs didn't cause slavery to become a norm in Africa any more than they did anywhere else.
@@chillin5703 depends on what you mean by arab. arabia has been inhabited for 125000 years. Sabaean (Old South arabian) appeared in Yemen by 750 BC, that is contemporaneous to the 3rd intermediate period of ancient egypt 1069-664 BC. as for slavery. evidence of slavery predates written records; the practice has existed in many cultures and can be traced back 11000 years ago due to the conditions created by the invention of agriculture during the Neolithic Revolution.
@@zombieat the Arab world is usually taken to refer to the vast stretch and network of Arab dominated areas generated after the Arab conquests. We don't use the term for pre medieval times.
africans always fought each other, enslaved each other, killed each other. So I don't understand why you talk of 'stolen'. Europeans were just a stronger competitor; blaming them just because they were better than africans in fighting is racism. Why don't you focus on pirates and looters from africa and asia raiding all over Europe, from Iceland to Malta? They also enslaved millions and millions people, did they worth less than africans? Clearly there's a very bad bias in your thoughts
Doesnt make them any better, as a matter of fact, it makes them alot worse since they did it on mass scale and worse treatment and severe unjust profit from it. No worries, At least us Pink whteboys CUCCOLDS get to SURRENDER our gfs and wives (by being greatly replacement), especially beautiful feminine white women, to BIG BLACK CO..♠🍆💕
Mr. Harris and Mr Ballen are the best story tellers in the world right now. Just amazing . Im 35 But im watching them videos almost daily. Mr Johnny Harris, the way you presented your story is FAR BETTER than how giant TV Networks shows. Its just groundbreaking and amazing to the core. God bless you Mr Harris. From the small remote island of Panglao, The Philippines
When you say "Europeans" you should say clearly mention in title who did it! Slavic people do not "stole" Africa, Western Europe is one who did this including slave trading together with Arabs! We as a Slavic Europeans have nothing to do with this neither we shipped African Slaves around.
@@irinaserban2378 Yes and that slavery is mostly done by their own people, their own parents are selling their kids into the forced merriges even if they have a money since of "tradition", if you wish l would gladly expose your statement and if you can prove me wrong
@@irinaserban2378 Give concrete example? When the Slavic people especially South Slavs enslaved Roma people how you call it now days? I do not talk about poverty, l talk about proof that they were slaves without any freedom?
Well, you have a point. Now I'll just say western europeans. Aaaand if you think of the etymology of the word "slave"... Yep, that's not fair to the slavics.
People who are against African migration to Europe should really watch this… think about how many trillions of $ were exploited from Africa during colonialism 😢
This is Brilliantly put together & I thank you for your unbias reporting. My ancestors were subjected to a brutal colonialism by the Brit’s & the French in Africa. Lines were drawn in Berlin & implemented across Africa forcing countless families to be divided on a invisible lines. Whenever my ancestors fought back & resisted their illegal invasion, they were murdered, killed and their lands taken with impunity. There’s a great saying in Africa which is ‘The Europeans took everything from Africa and put it in their museums but left the pyramids behind because it was too heavy for them to left it’ That’s my 2pences World peace.
I usually find your videos pretty reductive on what capitalism and imperialism can do, but I'm impressed by this one. Great job ! I'm Belgian. And although I now know a lot more than I used to, my perspective is heavily skewed by my education. Here, we didn't learn anything about the horrors of the belgian Congo. History teachers gloss over it, and if a question too dangerous is brought up, "it wasn't Belgium it was the personal empire of Leopold I". Let this be a reminder for descendant of colonizers : You don't know your history. It has been cultivated, hidden and contorted to fit colonial powers, and you've benefitted from it, you're benefitting from it now. And former colonized nations are still paying the price, that capitalism continues to extract. Open your mind to other perspectives, because we need that if we want to change things for the better, even at home but more importantly, abroad.
In your teachers defence, it unironically was Leopolds personal empire. Belgium did not want to govern, and they were pressured into governing due to the brutality of Leopold II
@@keshi5541 I’m not sure what more proof I can provide besides the transition of ownership. To summarise, Belgium were skeptical of Leopold’s ambitions because they saw it as a waste of money, so he undertook the project himself privately. Unfortunately he was a psychopath and things escalated out of control, and following pressure from the British government the Belgian government ratified its annexation after reforms had failed. Abir Congo Company = private property of King Leopold II of Belgium Congo Free State = private state of Leopold II of Belgium in personal union with Belgium (sharing the same monarch) Belgian Congo = a Belgian colony in Central Africa The Colonial Charter on the Belgian annexation of the Congo Free State depicts the annexation of the territory. Hopefully I explained this sufficiently. Sorry if it’s a bit confusing, it’s from memory
While I agree to most of the things Johnny Harris said, it's privilege talking. "there were positive things because of Europeans being there in the Africa" - for developing the medicine. It was outright clinical experiment on the native people. And most of those medicines are still unreachable to the poorest in the continent. The same medicines which were experimented on them is now rationed as "Charity" to them. Europeans were there for their money minded colonial motives. Not for the betterment of the mankind. Period!
your videos are far superior to what we learn from school. some say you are balanced, biased, focused, deep... etc. For me, you simply open my mind and see the world differently. thank you Johnny.. may your kind multiply
Trust me, he is biased... He can open your mind, opened mine too, but you can open even more. Those videos he made are great, but lack sociological analysis. What does colonization means to African people? He barely discuss this point... He talks like Africa was a land of adventures for white man to conquer... Almost proud of what his ancestors did. Biased, it's what we expected from someone who belong to a dominant culture explaining the world that was once dominated by his own cultural background.
@@danielcosta3175 Cara, você falou muito bem, é surreal ver um homem em pleno século XXI utilizando os argumentos que ele falou. Sinceramente, tem horas que eu me pergunto qual é o problema dos europeus. Por quê eles sempre querem dominar a narrativa e justificar os atos deles...
Johnny, thank you for your hard work. Your channel is so very informative, and it really helps to understand why the world is what it is today. With out freedom of speech your channel would not be possible. I urge others to recognize Johnny's stories, and to see that our freedom of speech could be in jeopardy in the near future.
Thanks for watching! I made a poster about maps & i hope you like it. You can check it out here: store.dftba.com/products/all-maps-are-wrong-poster
Bro i think you used the wrong map of India. PLEASE LOOK INTO IT
Hey man great videos. However I find it abit weird how you present some aspects of this. I'm personally disgusted by the brutality of humans but you make it seem like not every single kingdom or tribe on the planet at this point in time was not conquering and racistic divided other clans or cultures.
Although terrible I find it odd that the Europeans are presented as "extra evil" when they did what all societies did and had been doing for thousands of years. Admittedly the Europeans did it on a much much larger scale but point me to a culture, kingdom, tribe that would not had done the same if capable.
Could you help me out here because I genuinely dont get this.
Thanks and keep the videos coming, loving them!
Third comment?
Thanks for this information, but I will like you to do a complete long documentary on all the loots from west Sahara Africa, and how terrorist are created
I got my posters yesterday 😁 beautiful 🤩
As a Congolese it will always anger me the horrendous acts that Léopold 2nd projected in Congo because the consequences of his actions has left a lasting impact on the country till this day
Those old photographs of Congolese slave labourers with their hands chopped of are so disturbing. And, yeah, the post-colonial period has also been rough for Congo-a lot of it no doubt due to all the shit that went down during the colonial era.
@@SimonGrayDKin fairness Congo has never been great be it Europeans taking advantage or Congolese kings doing the same the people have always been used
The transatlantic slave trade won’t be so successful if the King of Congo didn’t go around capturing other tribes to sell off to Europeans, he traded Africans off for Indian gems, Chinese porcelain and lots of guns so he can dominate over other tribes.
Takes two to tango, Europeans arriving at the shores of Africa cannot just load up their slave ships without an eager supplier
As a Congolese myself it's sad even to see that the Belgians and European descent nations including USA etc.., are still supporting the wars occurring in the Eastern part of my Country DRCongo, where I am from here in Uvira. Especially the wars are in Uvira,Beni,Bunagana,Home,Ruchuru etc..
It saddens me to hear about all the slavery in the mines
This is so educational. I’m from Nigeria and this doesn’t get taught in schools. They paint our colonizers as good people who brought civilization. As you pointed out correctly, these exploits paved way for modern science and medicine but at what cost? Africans need to wake up! We are not less!!! Our leaders need to put aside greed and start getting things done
I'm shocked to hear this? I feel like in the west I've grown up being told how warlike the colonizers were and now im hearing in nigeria they teach them as nothing but good people lmao.
Yes, they taught us Mongo Park discovered West Africa. That was out first foray into history at primary school.
You are believing an American propaganda. They just want to make Europe look bad so they can take all the gratitude only themselves.
Didn’t know they y’all colonizers were great and brought civilization. Thank you for your transparency.
Without the west you wouldnt even have roads in Africa. Before the Europeans arrived, African tribes would fight each other, so lets not act like youre better. Be thankful.
I have absolutely no idea how you drop 20-30min of amazing videos weekly. Congrats to you and all the people around who help you. Hope 2023 brings you guys even cooler projects.
yeah its good but its not just him he has an entire team
@@tpeterson9140 "congrats to all the people around who help you" ... sometimes reading the entire comment helps lil bro
Paying for an entire team certainly helps
@@deeznuts3472 i blame my dog
3.25 million subs. A production team of 5-10 people at least, and loads and loads of people supporting the channel one way or another to make everything possible.
This series blew my mind. The thing I like the most is how he ties in everything that happened to the present day and how things that happened 200 years ago have an impact even today. I give you your flowers , also amazing editing
Unpopular question : while it could have been anyone, was it inevitable that "someone" would eventually get the technological edge, gather ressources and go on to conquer the world? Like Genghis Khan and his small tribe of mongolians who like, discovered meritocracy and horses and went on to dominate all of Asia in a few decades?
Do technological leaps require concentration of ressources, and do those concentrations necessarily require some sort of violence (including social and economic violence)? Was the way to the very awesome machine I hold in my hands always going to be shitty, or was there always a non-shitty route there that we just collectively ignored?
Conquest always happened with or without technological edge, the problem of this video is the narrative as Europe “stole” which is true conquering is stealing land from someone else and it happened through out history and is still happening, it is just the europeans got in that specific period the edge and expanded. Other empires did so as well just look at egypt, it got conquered by arabs and the local populace got assimilated
Unfortunately when imperialism leads to not "some sort of violence" but a great deal of violence. Genghis Khan wiped out a huge chunk of the world's population then, colonialism lead to the death of millions in Africa. Thus I won't sit here and claim that colonialism did not lead to technological leaps, yes it did so but it was built on the blood of millions and effects that are still felt on the continent today. And yes war is the biggest catalyst for innovation
Ugh I know. these are eternally debatable questions. Useful ones tho
@@carlmunene yes colonialism and imperialism killed a lot of people so did every expansion ever, the agenda here is to vilify exclusively the europeans like they were the only ones being expansionists. Through out the ages stronger powers subjugated weaker ones Turks where pillaging the whole europe for centuries and depopulated Anatolia to such an extend that the regions demographics flipped, but i dont see people making videos how turks plundered europe or about Tatar raids into Ukraine or the Barbary coast slaver raids which stopped only when France subjugated and colonized Alger. And if they are made most go under the rader so a one sided opinion is formed - West Bad. My frustration is people only focus on a specific part of history and kinda forget or dont learn the rest of it
@@carlmunene "With great violence comes great technological progress"? 😬
Proud of my Ethiopian ancestors for stopping this massive force in their own. That’s why the lion is the symbol of our nation. And it’s our victory that made the whole African nations realize they can achieve freedom too.
But you guys massacred a lot of Erithrians.
@AvazBahromov Russia and Ukraine are fighting. This happens with countries of close regions. However the Europeans did not conquer and this is the point being made
Please we are still colonized by Neocolonialism and proxy forces and wars.
@ogwiseog You don't truly understand intent..
Nice.
Always heartwarming to hear my country, Ethiopia, the only African nation to have kept its independence without any outside help despite astronomical odds against it. Kudos to Emperor Menelik II and our ancestors for their wisdom and valor. Unique in itself but also shows what Africans are capable of when they work together.
It’s not like Ethiopia was strong at that time but the reason is Ethiopia does not have a sea
Ethiopia was among the first christian nations, before even the roman emperor Constantine. I applaud Ethiopia who stood in their faith against the imperialist "christian" 19th century Italy.
"Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Zimbabwe. None of these countries have coastlines, and they have been under control. Having a naval fleet and coastlines grants you greater power."
@@muuse2684
Real world Wakanda.
@@muuse2684 Not true... Check your facts... What about the other African country's with no sea? I use to think like you. I use to think well because Ethiopia has no resources but that's not true either. Ethiopia is the start of the Nile river.
To Johnny Harris. It is extremely rare to have someone teach history from a truthful perspective rather than continually spreading lies to downgrade a people and lift themselve up. It always does my heart well when I see good European people like yourself. You did an exelent job!!! I'm looking forward to following you. I love history.
I remember studying Belgian colonization. It's genuinely painful to read about the horrific methods they used to stay in control, and how the way they left it pretty directly lead to the Rwandan Genocide and a ton of other wars in that region. I'd love to see you discuss that on your channel eventually, it's super interesting and super horrible.
China will be 100X more brutal.
Yeah Belgian treatment of its colony was shocking even for the times, to the point where it may have been a major factor in changing Western opinions on colonization and slavery. Leopold was a psychopath and even the imperialist europeans ghought he was disgusting.
You could correct me be weren't the ones who applied those methods from Congo. From what i remember Leopold only cared about the results .
As a belgian, I'm ashamed to say i know almost nothing about my country's colonization past. In middle school only a single history lesson was dedicated to this of which I've aleady forgotten the lion's share. But I do remember pictures we were shown of the horror that was carried out by order of the king. I feel like this is something everybody tries to forget here, but the damage in Congo was never compensated and the country seemingly never recovered from this. I hope Europe and especially my country can still make up for this in some way and hopefully help to build stable self supporting nations in middle Africa that are free from all the resource exploitation, war and corruption that still ravage the land today. However this is probably just wishfull thinking :/
The french were the worst
The implied chronology of the animation at 8:30 is off. The French rule in Algeria began in 1830, decades before Leopold II became king in Belgium. And of course European colonial settlements in southern Africa date back to the 17th century. But the animation makes it look like they are starting at zero after Leopold II went into the Congo. I see why these stories were skipped for time, but the wrong animation still bothers me.
The whole story like he tells it sounds like the Berlin conference and Leopold started the scramble for Africa, when in fact they were the last chapter.
African colonization by Europeans started in the 15th century even farther back if you want to consider the Greeks conquering Egypt in 332 BC. His videos put narrative over facts
I hate to say it but like a lot of Johnny Harris videos, it prioritizes aesthetics over historical accuracy
They didnt invade far inLand, including French; before the vaccine was invented.
Johnny harris is very dramatic and cinematic so I recommend not taking all your history from him he plays up alot of shit for the dramatic effect
14:16 The Battle of Isandlwana in 1879 was one of the few instances where indigenous people in Africa (in this case the Zulu people, my people) were able to defeat colonial invaders, i.e. The Mighty British Army. All this despite the technological disadvantage. (Look, South Africa was eventually colonised but credit needs to be given be to a people that successfully defended themselves, albeit momentarily, armed with nothing more than spears and cow-hide shields).
S/O to my Ethiopian Brothers, their forefathers were able to successfully do what many on the continent couldn't, respect!
We the Benin empire in today Nigeria did it too.
@@izzyNFT69 Do you mean actual history or the colonial imposition that passes as history?
@@ProsperNyawuza There is an audience for your actual history, but it is very difficult for that wider audience to access. 20 years ago I was negotiating with foreign students to get what the high school textbooks in their country were teaching their younger cousins, and when I did get one or two history books, they were as difficult to read as my grandparents' European history books. There may be better histories in university textbooks these days, but that does not reach very many people. The technology for modern media is becoming more and more available, and just as China, Korea, and Japan have been popularizing their history in the world, the peoples in Africa need to popularize their history. Make contests and in several rounds of competition, the quality of presentation will rise. Don't just make snarky comments, produce something that will prove your point and demonstrate usefulness.
@@MNkno You're triggered and I trying to understand why? I was told to "brush up on my history" which was arguably more "snarky" than merely asking for confirmation on what history the above commentor was referring to.
In my initial comment I said "one of a few instances where..." NOT "the only instance where..." this fundamental misunderstanding of the English language is what, I think, led us to this meaningless back and forth. Few means: amounting to or consisting of a small number; thereby acknowledging the existence of other indigenous African people that were able to thwart colonial invasion without having to name them.
In the spirit of my comment, which was to inform, another commentor informed us of another such occurance, The Benin Empire (which I found insightful and actually "liked" the comment).
You see, in your visceral whirlwind of emotion you failed to realise that one doesn't need to necessarily physically "produce something to prove my point". It can also be a collaborative effort to inform one another in the comments on a video such as this.All that is required is an ability to read, comprehend, Google search but most importantly to have our egos and emotions kept in check!
I wish you all the best for the year ahead,
PEACE!
So till now we are (Africans) still conquered and under their spell.Our president's are like answerable to the imperialists.
Strange thing is Europeans are always happy to admit what they did in Africa but will deny open genocide in the present day.
What "open genocide"?
so I shouldnt be happy over a hungarian-polish king of madagascar chosen by its own people, damn i think im gonna go and praise the american colonization then
What genocide?
Noone is killing entire groups of people in the modern day
@@yoloswaggins7121read a book for heaven’s sake
My country Romania didn't do anything in Africa
I'm a simple man, I see Johnny upload, I click, I watch and enjoy :)
One thing that you got wrong in this video Johnny is that Leopold II didn’t decide to just to stake claim in the middle of Africa which is now the Congo. During the Berlin conference the land that is the Congo was a heated debate due to no one agreeing who would take control of the area, so the European powers decided to give the Congo to Leopold as his own personal colony, not the Belgian government, because the other European power couldn’t decide which one of them should have it.
But when the Belgian government took over the colonies, the Belgian Congo was still being exploited and the Belgian government was responsible for the Rwandan genocide.
@@jasonhaven7170 I still blame the toothless UN for not doing enough to stop it. Toothless Peacekeepers. They showed the world the "Peacekeepers" are just for show
This was somewhat covered on the Covid Vaccine as a Belgium undertake resulted in the formation of Jansen Vaccines, later acquired by J&J.
I believe VOX did the video on it. And yes, they mentioned Leopold wanted Congo all for himself, which later was striped from him, and granted to his Country, Belgium.
Yes, he might have overlooked this little detail , but, for the audience at large, it was sufficient enough to grasp, given the format and time constraints. It got Congo and Belgium in the topic.
What the genius behind this video was trying to say is "how the WEST stole africa"
europe is a continent, not a country.
Most nations of central and eastern europe never had colonies outside of europe.
The fascismowoke Moe Runs
I think Johnny makes these videos just so he can show off his map collection.
I think it's the other way around, he make these videos to justify buying/ printing beautiful maps (he's dyslexic and prefer reading printed material)
the smell of old maps must be really good
😂😂😂
Maybe
💯
😂😂😂😂
The reasons Europe was able to take over Africa in the 19th century were not just because they invented new medicines; by that time, Africa had been severely weakened by the transatlantic slave trade where its young population had been systematically drained from the continent for centuries. Only then were European capable of penetrating the continent’s local powers.
Makes since
!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cope.
*sold
Also because machine guns
Having access to such rich and well-written content is one of the wonders of the internet.
Your work is an inspiration to creators around the world.
Much love from Brazil!
@@EmmanuelMotelin Disagreed. He presented the story well, the good and the bad. That was the whole point. That the bad of the past is also a reason for the good of today. It wasn't intentional or planned, but a system put by imperialists evolved into the world order that we know of today. All the data suggest life has improved for vast majority of the world and you can read about that.
It's not a story if good vs evil, just history and how things came to be.
Western European Colonialism was one of the most EVIL acts ever commited in the history of humanity, all of you need to educate yourselves on how much Evil and genocides and exploitation was commited
We never would have gotten shit like this in 2004
@@EmmanuelMotelin Having access to no content at all is even worse.
@@kobil316SH Noam Chomsky's book "Political Economy of Human Rights" did this with his book, "Year 501: The Conquest Continues" back in 1994! Too bad few people read Chomsky's books.
I like the way you simplify a boring history lesson into very interesting presentations. I'm from Malaysia, we had been under British colonialism for nearly 117 years. They bring a lot of good things, as well as bad things, and most of Malaysian speak English. We are not receive horrible faith as bad as native people in America and Africa but those imperialist taking a lot of resources here, and we become second class people in our own land.
I believe, things had changed a lot. Hope we can live in a better world, where people spread love, not hate.
But the story ain’t boring tho… lol but yeah homie explains things that just captivates ya!
Just a honest question here, if they didn't come to "your land", would your country be what it is today? My ancestors left poor conditions in India got on a boat and went to the west indies. I'm sure I wouldn't be here today if they hadn't gotten on the boat.
@@shabba213 I don't know, but I can say it will be different, may be other imperialis come here or may be we have different set of map now. As I mention earlier there are two sides of narrative here. Colonialism bring some good and some violently bad. Generally speaking, no nation love to be controlled by outsiders.
Unfortunately it's the beginning of resentment revenge and hate Era on the way. Domination fading away self worth growing self love. This will not going to make happy for th perpetrators. I am witnessing it. Asian becoming richer smarter buying companies in the west makes some people here sad or not liking it. Until you become self success and show who you are as a nation no equality or exploitation continues.
@@shabba213 simply look at history and you will know the answer: TRADE
before the coming of European, south east asia, the tropical corner of the world already master in international sea trades and manufacturing own gunpowder weapons
The needs of technology will simply find way to be adapted as long as there is trade and money..
Just like southeastasia today, no European power but still manage to catch up in industry and technology
you should make a detailed video on how Ethiopia wasnt colonized because it really changes a lot of narratives, regarding civilization, religion and modern governance
Two ways to take over a country...by War or by Economics. Ethiopia was not colonized by War but are colonized by Economics.
@@atibabba Just like China today is the about to be the world power because it's winning the econmic war.
@@atibabba Ethiopia was only occupied. It wasn't a colony in any way.
@Jerry Louis with The Thickness You have no idea what an occupation is.
Eareaera
Hi John - Historian and educator here. I would be very careful about toying with the ideas of how Europe "civilized" Africa with medical developments, technology, and introducing Africans to the "modern state", creating more global peace. Remember that these innovations - medical included - were only brought to the continent to make their exploitation of the resources and people easier and the environment. The narrative of "well, the Europeans did bad things but they also brought a lot of good to the continent" is a Eurocentric perspective that is nowadays rejected by most Africanists. I know you probably didn't mean it that way, but a misguided viewer may misconstrue your messaging. I would point you to Tukufu Zuberi's "African Independence" for a stronger sense of the impact of colonialism and also how the imperialist legacy still affects Africa today.
Overall, this video is a great starting point for those just getting interested in African colonial history in the Age of Empires. I will be using it in my high school World History class - I enjoyed your emphasis on maps.
It's impressive how this mentality is so common to Europeans and some Asians. People still think Colonisation did helped the colonized.
Ethiopia is the only country that has not been colonized italy was defeated by Ethiopian army at the battle of adwa . We made history for all black people 🇪🇹❤❤❤
Talk about 1935-37
Yeah but look at the absolute state of the country though, sure you may not have been colonised but damn, probably would've been better off if you had
@@alistairwalley4299 3rd largest African colony better than every other one behind them
@@alistairwalley4299never better off from the devil. Always better to be free and with God
@@HatianTemplarsyeah let's talk about the occupation and the resistance that is more of amazing bravery than the first war
As an African woman it’s still very painful to see this
I feel you. But you are a beautiful continent and - learn from our European mistakes - don’t turn on one another, work together to make your wonderful continent the best it can be. Today’s European people want the best for Africa. Bless you.
Lmfaoo 😂😐🤣
@@starfox4022only racist demon who laughs at this evil matter
@Rocka7038except y’all are not strong. They used manipulation to acquire the majority of what they have and they are manipulating information to stay in power. That’s not strength
And now much of Africa is being colonised again…by the Chinese 😢
You neglected to mention Russia, which was colonizing its neighbors, particularly expanding to the east. It's important to note that colonization doesn't always require a ship.
Russian colonisation is different and peaceful
You are right, but the video was about colonisation in Africa. The Russians followed the path of an "internal colonisation". They tried to colonise Africa, but it was too far away and difficult to get to, so their attempt failed.
It was not really peaceful. It saw massacres and suppression of ethnicities. It has not been revised, as other European powers did, thus it is seen even today. @@vlashante
@@vlashantepeaceful?! Are you freaking kidding? The number of massacres and ethnic cleansing committed by russia is insane
@@vlashantecries in Göktepe massacre lol
Isn’t it ironic how now the Europeans do not want Africans in Europe but Europeans felt they had the right to Africa.
It's more ironic that africans wanted independence and to not live under european goverments, but now they flock to the west to live under european goverments instead of their own independent countries
@@Choodcelwell due to destabilization of their economies and corrupt leaders why would they want to suffer post colonization use your damn brain please
Ironic?
It’s called ⚪️supremacy
They were better pre colonisation....
@@keymusabe7207or maybe because your grouping different people together as if their the same because their from the same continent. People of today are not responsible for what people of the past did, and the average person is not responsible for what the ruling class/government does.
14:30 “There were good things in colonizing Africa too like experimenting vaccines on the locals which advanced medicine.” Would love to see this line work in reference to the Holocaust in which the same rational and methods were applied.
Good things 👀not far my ancestors...your just wow😤😤
Being algerian myself, it was repugnant to hear him say that. Our people were used as lab rats for the French to test their nukes in Reggan Sahara. As you said, it's like saying that the holocaust improved soap or médecine production.
Facts
Colonisation and the holocaust are incomparable. Colonisation was a way to control land and extract ressources
It was never a genocidal project intended on exterminating (a) people.
@@ericpennington2189 what I don't get it
no way after explaining the atrocities that European colonialism has committed against indigenous people around the world he said that its not a simple "good vs evil" (many of those countries are still struggling today BECAUSE of how destabalised they made those regions and not to mention coups....)
@@fraskf6765t's very simple, that's what h people do , point the finger and say they did it toooooo ...
That’s true. I would rather live in today’s society though as opposed to being exploited by more powerful tribes like the Aztecs and Mayans….they did enough Evil without/before the Europeans.
No way did you ignore the explanation of that or how some of these civilizations weren't great either.
It is not simple. Who wrote laws and moral codes that limited and stop many of the atrocities? If African got the right opportunities to conquer the world, will they be less violence? It's terrible for European colonial empires to carve up China. But leaving China by themselves and they massacre tens of millions of their population. Which moral codes/economic system did they use to stop that? The world isn't black and white.
@@jamman9569 What is great???? exploitation and wealth? or living in peace and harmony obeying GOD's laws? Your eurocentric idea of "Great" is wealth and control. No connection to righteousness at all.
The toxic legacy of European colonialism is still with us. We still have borders drawn in offices in Europe with no regard for the peoples living in those lands, leading to ethnic strife and division, most notably in Africa and the Middle East, with the Sykes-Picot Agreement and the Scramble for Africa, which has led to the wars in Congo, Biafra, and Sudan in Africa, and Palestine, Iraq and Syria in the Middle East, amongst others.
Even here in Europe, Ballkan, my region, all the borders have been drawn by the same superpowers...and we still face the consequences.
@johnny Harris Side Note: 14:40 even though we africans had less technology at that time, we were more advanced in herbal medicines so we already knew what could stop maleria and such other deseases new to Europeans. And we still have trees all around us we know what medicinal value each has in the rural and urban areas. So that medicinal discoveries was a push for the whites on their solution to make taking over easier for them but was nothing new to africans here. Yet a very enlightening film we have here from your perspective. Appreciate.🙏
You had natural immunities. Nothing to do with herbs.
@@cody0126a I think you are just ignorant of Africa. Herbs exist to this day and I have personally witnessed someone get sick with malaria and treat it completely with herbs (medicine - some which were used to develop quinine) till they are well.
@@cody0126a You have no idea what he's talking about.
It's bizarre how even he did so much studying he still repeated the "we brought civilization and technology to them" talk 😐
@cody0126a Come to Africa, more specifically Ghana. And you will know the truth for yourself. Your studies (books) twist the facts. No one is immune to Maleria. We take herbs 🌿, chew, cook or cover ourselves in the heat of boiled herbs with wool... 😊.
Lack of Knowledge ... 🙏🏼
As a guy who lives on the other side of the Planet of China, I was really inspired by these elaborate and educational videos. These really helped me to collect more parts for the whole map of the world. I rarely left any remarks but this time. Many thanks to Johnny and the co-workers behind the camera
How are you on youtube?
@@torossia China's not North Korea, they have youtube.
Wait you can’t get your hands on the whole world map in china easy ? Lol no way I know it’s not funny but real question
@@topgtommy7314It is a little hard to tell as I assume English is not his first language - but I think he is making a joke about all the maps Johnny shows and the aesthetic map rolls Johnny does
i love how polished your vids are Johnny, i think at least out of the people i watch on youtube you make the most cinematic productions well done man you defo earnt that Emmy well done dude
polished doesn't mean accurate, unbiased or true
Bruh, I'm pretty sure the word is "earned", not earnt 🤣🤣
I know you thought it would be similar to "learn - learnt
Yes, embellishes stories and fills them with half truths to make them that cinematic
agree.
Yeah nothing like a polished white pro imperialism white supremacy centric version of history to start off the day
How about following this up with the story of the World Bank another finance entities keep these countries enslaved and debt. And corporations still go to these places and extract resources without any profit going to the locals.
Exploitation
doesnt fit with leftist agenda.
This is imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism. Companies, on their way to growing towards infinity, will eventually need to expand to foreign markets. It is in the best interest of these companies to make the conditions of these countries as profitable as possible (i.e. enslave the population and take all their natural resources)
good idea, except it ignores the role of how wealthy African elites here exploit their own people. few dare to touch this subject because it's so "sensitive." how exactly would "profit" be dispersed to "the locals" when it is indeed wealthy ruling African elites who are accepting Western money for their own gain?
@@TheOtherMwalimu The African elites are capitalists too. I don't see how nationality applies here
Boy oh boy, I am studying for exams and I was a little demotivated to actually do immense research but now your video has ignited a hunger to actually delve into more literature.Your explanations, maps, videography are intriguingly inspiring.
The British caused a lot of damage here in Nigeria and we are still feeling the effects up till now. It angers me each time I think about it.
It makes you wonder if there was a path in history for the world to become industrialized without the massive human rights abuses, and if there was, what was that path.
Cry
@@urmum3773 Cry about a well done steak because it's not red enough with blood dripping. Lol
@@TeeSpells You alright, mate?
@@urmum3773 Sure is Sir are you still crying?
I am from South Africa and I am deeply saddened by this.
Bro I’m “African-American” and I am too. The crazy part is: it gets deeper than this. Great job Johnny.
@@YARI589 It's Very true. Sad to be African/Black
What's even sadder is that the video comes off as if the European s built the world and made it civilized. NOO...youtook land and culture and social norms from a people, and abusivelt forced them to adopt your norms - and you called it civilizing a people......
@jameslentsoane9037 Why? You realize some of the biggest empires were from Africa right?
@@cramking3085 It also leaves out the fact various African kingdoms/empires were doing the same thing long before Europe had the capacity to.
I am Kenyan. Born and raised. We learned about this in school but the severity of it has only sunk in as an adult. Watching films like Avatar (a fave for me), reminds of the stealing of our tribal lands, society, culture and identity by the white man. They still steal from Africa.
watch out for those chinese bro. yall already severely indebted to them😂
and what about those commies in africa that steal from yourselves😂😂🎉
But ordinary Europeans love Africa and want the best for African people. We genuinely do and feel for all the past horrors that we put on your continent (and frankly also on ourselves during wwii). Let’s work together against the continued power grab -- let’s shed light when that happens so that ordinary Europeans can denounce their own gov and companies.
Bless you all.
Ok they are rich by stealing..... Sensible
It’s important to mention how they built all those railroads so magically fast! Forced and free labour from the indigenous people. Let’s not forget about that detail.
You can't say they saved Africans while they found them alive as if they found them dead
@dinofangzzit was all negative no matter what “positive” outcomes. Over 40 million people got killed plus countless civil wars
@dinofangzz The Arabs role in destabilizing Africa is greatly over exaggerated. Yes they did help take over Egypt, Morocco and other countries but compared to what the Europeans did it was small potatoes. 14 million Congolese people got slaughtered not enslaved
@dinofangzz You can’t say something isn’t bad because something worse happened. North Africa as a whole has been a war zone for over 4 thousand years. Millions have been kings , slaves and conquerors.
I also find it offending how he low key keeps saying there are positives
@@botshelomoatshe3153
Are they not?
Africa has gotten a lot of medically developments due to European intervention to combat diseases. Doesn’t mean they were good but a good reason your probably alive rn (and why the world population is so large today) is thanks to a lot of medical advancements in Europe (Ie Haber process, cure for malaria etc)
This whole three part series is amazing, quite literallly in tears and chills each episode!! As someone from the Philippines (former colony of Spain, a bit of UK,US and Japan) this series has summarized the world we live in now and how it came to be, much better than anything taught by my teachers/books I've read. "History is not the past but a map of the past, drawn from a particular point of view, to be useful to the modern traveller.” -Henry Glassie
Indeed, to learn and understand the past, so as not to repeat it as well.
It is very sad this history happened, the way our species treats each other. But we have to teach history and show how bad we can treat each other so we don’t repeat it. But we shouldn’t honor our history and put a blind eye to all the terrible things that occurred, like some people do (for an example like in American South), but learn from it, criticize it, and know how bad it was.
@@PremierCCGuyMMXVI That's a well expressed statement. History is a means, a philosophy to understand the past; actually understand it, as well as learn from it as well. Good and Bad are universal concepts, both of which are apparent in any year, century, and such in human history. There were times in which we as a species showed our truest potential to triumph, persevere and soar, while also showing the lowest bounds and decadence we are capable of. While history is gruesome, brutal, and a reality none of us want to experience, it is also something to be interested in, in various times: praise justly, as well as emulate for the sake of all good future endeavors. We should also understand that not all people were supportive of the acts that are deemed, obviously so, horrible, but each time period had its "standards", for which we should understand, whilst not condoning, or accepting lightly.
thank you for saying that. it means a lot
So african should say thank you for colonization ?
Johnny seem so proud of his ancestors
I would really love to see one of these videos on South Africa. We don’t have many resources animated and explained like this.
th-cam.com/video/B--gQVANKCE/w-d-xo.html
I am in support of this
Animate one your self bruh damn.
@@ltmcolen thanks for this. Definitely checking it out
Oh god please no. This video was already horrible neoliberal. Johnny doing one on South Africa will border a hate crime
You are a top notch teacher! The way you present things with such energy & passion is incredibly attention grabbing. Held my attention till the very end! Very well done good sir 👏👏
The background music Johnny uses is super amazing makes you feel like he's letting you in on a big secret that's going to blow your mind😅 great content!
I feel like I’m watching a feature film, something like a thriller or an action movie, rather than a documentary. Really absorbing!
The music was so good I couldn't pay attention lol
What song is this at 12:21?
I mean those string instruments 🤤
It is
Such a well researched topic. I tried to read a book, 700 pages mind you, by Martin Meredith The Fate of Africa...and it omitted colonization, slavery, European conquest, robbery of cultural artifacts, literature. How could you possibly discuss Africa without these realities? You've done a great job sir. Please post your book list as well that you recommend on this topic.
well researched hahahahaha
Who put all those people into slavery...?
@@zoanth4 yet they themselves didn't have slaves.
@@benweya lol what are you talking about? Every major African empire and kingdom had slave labor
@@benweya TO THIS VERY DAY IN 2023 slavery is still legal in Mali lmfao
As an italian journalist trying to kickstart an explainer youtube channel, this content and you as a person are extremely inspiring. Keep it up!
As an African, I deeply appreciate you sir.
As an African American, your video makes me so sad how people of color have been treated over the centuries… all in the name of so called civilization and advancement.
Africans did it, too, so this comment is kinda weird.
@jamman9569 they didn't treat them as less then human and didn't do that on a large scale just say you're rcist and move on
@elijahhelsel8948 Yes, they did. Also, nowhere in my comment did I make a derogatory comment that implied other races were less than others. You did tho so the racist comment applies to you.
@@elijahhelsel8948The Africans were just Innocent docile beings. Yea Right 😂 All Humans exploited their neighbors.
@@elijahhelsel8948they did. Part of other tribe = not worth anything. That is how it was
I follow you from Egypt 🇪🇬 , one of the British colonies in the past. Really, I appreciate your efforts and your videos. They are incredibly wonderful in describing the realities of a tragic world that was created with the help of whims, greed, and the pursuit of power and wealth.
I dream of the way I get see the sphinx and the great pyrimids maybe valley of the kings too. What type of vibe do you get looking at that kind of stuff?
What about Ottoman colonizers.
Egypt wasn't a British colony.
The Sultanate of Egypt, later the Kingdom of Egypt, was a protectorate of the British Crown.
@@AndrewArminRyan Protectorate and Colonies are the same.
You and your team produce incredibly high-quality, in-depth storytelling! I am deeply engaged in every video!
Agreed 💯
" Europe taking over the world has thrust humanity into an age of peace & prosperity"? What?!! You do realize many shifts in thought came from the ppl oppressed by them.
Right?! How someone can say it and don't see the absurd on this.
Johnny, you’re such a hard worker; I love your stories. I’m always impressed by the exhaustive lengths you expend to tell such fantastic stories!✨ Thank you.
wow. one of the most generous comments of the year. thank you. I'm tired these days so it means a lot
@@johnnyharris He man !!! Do not says that EUROPA stole Africa !!! Some country did it, but not EUROPA !!!! Each country who done that should assume it !!!!! So, if your ancestor did it, it's not the case of all Europeans !!! It's a problem with your own consciousness !! Me, my people and my country don't have anything to do with Africa !!! We suport them against SOME EUROPEAN COLONISATER !!! I'm from ex-yougoslavia.
@@johnnyharris The last 500 years have been a blight on humanity. When you think that Egypt and Nubia lasted 9000 years, Chinese Civilization and Indus Civilizations lasted 6000 years, this blip of Western hegemonic rule is indeed a hiccup. The Chinese had fireworks for centuries and used gun power for beauty not to savagely murder people. They also traded with Africans along the Swahili coast kingdoms, Somaliland and great Zimbabwe for 2000 years. 1500 year old pottery was found in the palace ruins at Great Zimbabwe. These relationships were mutual respect without the Chinese trying to kill and STEAL all the wealth and land. Europeans had no civilization when Africans and Asians were charting the stars and performing surgeries understanding the anatomy of the human body. The European continent was diseased and unenlightened for most of its history. Europe had 1000 years of Dark Ages, and diseases, infertile land, that wiped out 90% of the population. The technology Europeans amassed was from other people, Egyptian knowledge funneled to Greece and Rome then the MOORS civilzed Europe after the 1000 years of Dark Ages. What should really be studied is this insatiable GREED and violent impulse to TAKE other people's property. To exploit other humans on this scale is not flattering. The BBC did a much better doc about the history of colonialism and it was not pretty. STARVING 100 MILLION South Asians, exterminating 10 MILLION CONGOLESE, exterminating TASMANIANS completely, SLAVERY, Native American GENOCIDE etc..is not erased by penicillin 🙄I think the ancient Egyptians, Persians, Yorubas, Nubians, Chinese , Axumite, Indus Valley civilizations that lasted thousands of years were much more civilized than the barbarian West. Creating a superiority mythology in order to STEAL, knowing that disease and ignorance almost wiped your entire continent out during the PLAGUE is a sign of mental illness. The culture of the West is based on a mental neurosis if we're honest.
it's called swarming
@@zazazazizizi6276 True, I have to back you up here. It's only 6-7 European countries, sadly my country is amongst them. US creators keep generalizing and overlooking nuance. It's very detrimental, especially for Eastern european countries that have suffered and were captured as well as slaves. He just does it for clickbait. He is a great editor and storyteller, but not an objective journalist in my opinion. He has a very clear destain for anything Western and idolizes certain other empires/continents. And also highly dismisses current atrocities or what is going on en masse.
Very passionate, but doesn't see his own failures.
When I found out about Johnnys Emmy I screamed with pride 👏👏👏 he's doing everything I wanted to do as a kid and I'm living vicariously through him at this point 🤗 seriously SO fcking proud!!! SUPER PROUD!
N0TE:
"We happen to be the best people in the world with the highest ideals of social justice & inclusivity & progressiveness & education...
"and the more of the world we inhabit, the better it is for humanity."
As a coloured person from South Africa, I'm constantly reminded of the effects of colonialism, then apartheid and now supposedly "unconscious bias"
Isn’t the term coloured offensive
People literally say it everyday in America
@@dkonfleek1362 the head of the FA got fired for saying "coloured person" when he meant to say "person of colour" even though he instantly corrected himself and said he works in America a lot so he got confused between the two phrases, in context he was saying "we need to ensure we support all out players of colour to stand up for their diverse interests"... not good enough "white man bad" they fired him.
@@dkonfleek1362that’s a lie we do not refer to ourselves as color people, stop lying 🤥 you know that isn’t true or you should know if you don’t
@@khalidqawdhan3265 no. Coloureds are an ethnic group in South Africa.
They teach you day and night about Anne Frank but never teach you about Leopoldo the 2nd
Fun fact: Leopold II is still revered in Belgium to this day. There are numerous statues of him in different Belgian cities, and a large boulevard in Brussels carries his name.
Obscure as it sounds i believe this is due to him being a monarch rather than a normal politician turned genocidal. It somehow gives him the excuse of a Julius Caesar or Charlamagne.
Jeez
Revered is a strong word
He is not revered. His statue in my city was removed after being vandalised multiple times. The people did not chose to have the statues and names
People in west dont consider colonization bad they just realized that its an outdated method
So dont be surprised if you see those genocidal men being celebrated
This is why Johnny Harris is an incredible content creator: Every episode he produces would take another creator months or years to make. Johnny delivers high quality and valuable content every few weeks.
It's because his team might have a lot of irons on the fire. Stuff does not happen in just a week.
There is a process in putting together these projects, and it might not be quite linear as we see.
And off course, skills, experience and so on.
I love how justifying colonialism is “great content” I’ll never trust a white liberal again.
I'm still amazed how you fit so much information so harmonically and informative into such videos, I can only imagine the amount of work been done for every video, how much text you need to go through, proofread, do fact check, etc., great job of you and those who help you, thank you for such quality content! 😊
How does he credit solely Europeans for our current era. That’s is Eurocentric
The Europeans are inherently barbarians. They were civilized by Africans and later knew how make a guns to satisfy their barbaric nature.
All world wars in history are initiated by the Europeans. They first hated themselves and then defused that hatred to the rest of the world.
Correction, before and after the invasion of Africa. Europe didn't have the favour of God. Therefore, the only way they could survive was to invade the promised land and the descendents of Abraham.
Yo the meat riding is crazy.
I thought the same! This was an crazy amount of work he put in there.
One of the best youtube videos i have ever seen
European intellectualism emerged less than 2000 thousand years ago. It is relatively new compared to many other civilizations. There's a reason why, during one of the travels to Egypt by the Greek statesmen, Solon, was told the Greeks were like children by an Egyptian priest.
Also, I will never understand why anyone who speaks of European expansion in dinstict good terms while glossing over the abhorrent actions committed by the same people.
I distinctly remember in college we were assigned to read King Leopold's Ghost. Parts of the book were so depressing to read that I had to stop reading mid-paragraph before returning to the book hours later. I have no issue reading such things when the book is fiction, but reading some of the things men are capable of doing to other men was just disgusting to digest.
And the sad thing is I bet u most Belgians don’t even know the details of what happened cus it’s not truly shown in their public school history books. It’s sad honestly…. I hope they sue for compensation over and over again. And yes I get how people complain about how they should move on and their has been compensation but nah… I bet none of the money ever truly ended into the victims hand and went to the corrupted governments.
@@ellenation2294 who cares? belgium people don't need to care for the doings of one man and his army, that have nothing to do with the population of belgium itself. also, it's called conquest and dictatorship, you're a lost soul with the way you're thinking
@@slXD100 right so ur saying Jews didn’t have to get compensated cus really it’s just a guy going nuts. No need to punish al the people that helped the guy which as a matter of a fact Germany actually did sign a punish ment last week on a 96 year old woman but who cares right? If u agree then fine I get ur point.
@@ellenation2294 history education in most of the world use particular rule to determine, what they should teach kids - history of countries which influenced the world they currently live in. That's why in Europe there is a lot of ancient Greece or Rome, but much less of all others ancient civilizations across Asia, Africa or America.
That's why colonisation is not discussed deeply as the fact that some cultures disappeared means that they don't influence much current world.
But that leaves some gaps in history, like whole Africa history before colonisation - e.g. West African kingdoms built on selling slaves. They were often reacher then Europe, but totally forgotten in schools
@@ellenation2294 you're comparing apples and pears here, you're so desperate and deluded that you compare a goal of eradicating an entire group of people from the face of the earth to consequences of conquest. that's how brainwashed you are.
This not only seems like an end to a 3 part story video, but as an end to a chapter of videos of Johnny Harris, cause lately he brought up a lot of these topics: the Belgium medicine, conflict in countries made by their borders and etc
Awesome chapter! Thanks for that, Johnny!
The video takes many short cuts. For example, in North Africa, the colonization of Algeria took over a century with battles fought against forces of the regency of Algiers, local forces and even a King, emir Abdelkader. The main goal of France was to stop algerian pirates from controlling commercial roads in the mediteranean sea, it was not exploration in any shape or form.
I think more nuance is needed, specially when the same process of colonization was used by other empires other than europeans and the reasons are not always the same.
Thank you for the video though. Looking forward to your 2023 videos.
So true. If the world continues to look at Africa as a monolith, it takes away from the individual histories of different people groups and countries and these do not become widely / globally known, thus perpetuating the view of Africa as a monolith
That nuance doesnt fit his narrative.
What other non european empire used companies to take over large territories? (excluding japan of course)
@@mint8648 The mongols, the Ottoman empire, the Abbasid Caliphate, the russian empire, the chinese empire...even the morrocan empire which still keeps part of the land as Morroco today.
@@AnisLaaha can you name the companies that undertook their conquests? (also russia is european)
the idea of using the french and what they did to algerians as a positive is insane. they used algerians as human test subjects, used a form of residential schools, pillaged and murdered them and refused to allow them to practice any of their culture or language.
Algerians regularly took white slaves, especially Frankish women as sex slaves during medieval times, so French actions are justified
@@Randomname254 well that's a xenophobic individual that's honest in admitting it
Well, that's civilisation and development, they say.
your videos are so well edited! 10/10
Yeah ❤
Hey Johnny, happy new year and just wanted to let you know just how much I’ve learned from your channel over the course of the last two years! I really love the content that you make and can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for next (maybe some more food videos)
I vehemently disagree with some of the narratives in this video.
The ideals of justice, equality, human rights, morality were present for thousands of years long before colonization.
The narrative that Europeans somehow spread it across the globe is just a cheap excuse justifying their actions and indirectly says the 'Africans and other races' did not have these qualities in them and that the Europeans had to bring this to them - this thought makes you no different than those colonizers.
Also, using Africans as human experimentation guinea pigs is not called saving Africa through medicine. Many of these diseases were brought to Africa by the colonizers in the first place.
Thanks for clarifying it. The video sounds like it was made by an European coloniser. Bizarre arguments.
I have a biiiiiig, no, huuuuuuuge problem with your argument beginning at minute 28:28!!! Firstly, it makes it seem as if Europe is the reason we have peace and food!!! It is because of Europe that Afrika has not known peace for centuries! It is because of Europe that Afrika today does not have access to sustainable food supplies. I believe it is good to do a percentage analysis in this case. To look at the harm vs. the so-called “good!” And given this approach, Europe has been more harmful than helpful to Afrika! Period!!!
Wonderfully said.
yeah youre right Britian should have just not used their naval fleet to stop the 1400 year slave trade the Islamic Empires were carrying out. Africans didn't end slavery and since they were selling slaves in Libya about 10 years ago i dont think they were gonna stop on their own...its written in the Quran that slavery is ok.
@@jasonarmstrong1229You’re comparing invading and taking over countries to stopping slavery? Britain could’ve done either one without doing the other. You’re speaking as if Europe is entitled to Africa because they stopped the slave trade that they profited off of for hundreds of years. The Dutch, Portuguese, Spaniards, and French especially. come on now, you're smarter than that
"America was new to Imperialism" By the standards of any other historical era, the spread of the US from the original thirteen colonies across the continental United States alone was Imperialism.
Technically you are correct, but if you hopped in a time machine and said it to the people at the Berlin conference they would've disagreed. It comes to how Africa was viewed as opposed to North America.
The tribes of North America were seen as an obstacle and the land as already being the rightful property of Americans. (We call this idea Manifest Destiny, it's the belief god had already decided European settlers should take all of the continent.) So while America had already been doing Imperialism, no one saw it that way. They saw it as Americans moving into land that was already rightfully theirs, and engaging in colonial settlement.
Africa on the other hand was different, Africa had resisted European expansion and it was very precient in their minds that Africa did not belong to Europeans. They also didn't have any intention of settling in the lands they took, so the people already there weren't seen as an obstacle. They were seen as just another resource to exploit. Colonial exploitation and coloni settlement are both objectively forms of Imperialism, but the US government and its people would never have looked at it that way. They had also never tried this specific style of imperialism where they take over and work the people to death for the natural or agricultural resources of the land. Now, obviously they had been working Africans to death for resources for centuries via generational chattel slavery so it's still basically the exact same crime. The difference is entirely regarding how Europeans and Americans viewed themselves and the world around them. Africa was land to be conquered, while America was land to be settled. Thus despite both being imperialistic, only one was viewed that way.
It sure feels illegal to watch this masterpiece for free. You outperformed yourself this time, Johnny!
Don't let the great storytelling skills and the well put video fool you. Aside from the few things those with a deeper knowledge of African history will disagree with, this man tried really hard to make it seem like all the atrocities we (as Africans) suffered were justifiable by "the advancement" that Europeans "brought" (the real story behind the so-called discoveries that helped them fuel the occupation of Africa is another story). The precolonial history of Africa is still widely unknown by the masses and people need to know that colonialism brought chaos and fed preexisting divisions to help them make some parts of Africa unstable to this day.
The horrific events that took place, the exploitation of our resources, both natural and human, and the meddling of European leaders in our affairs (even today) is not remotely worth the so-called benefits of the European rule of the continent/world.
Johnny never said that nor did he ever imply that. If you watch any of his videos, you will realise he always tries to highlight the bad of colonialism and hardly ever brings up the other side. That's where he comes from with most of these videos, he's trying to tell the story of how these events shaped our world. There certainly have been some horrendous acts along the way that have impacted millions, however it would be dishonest and misleading for any discussion of these events to pretend nothing good came along with the bad. Europeans really did forge the modern world that has seen incredible economic growth and rises in living standards worldwide as well as poverty rates and childhood mortality plummeting. That doesn't necessarily excuse the past but this is real history we're discussing. It's not black and white, but nuanced and complex. Any balanced discussion always seems to come along with people accusing it of being eurocentric as well as virtue signalling revisionism on the other side. Perhaps, being accused of both suggests it is truly balanced haha.
@matthowells6382 People who really know the Precolonial history of Africa will not necessarily agree with that. The issue is very deep and very difficult to elaborate in comments. There's a saying that goes "history is written by the victors", and as the ones dominated and exploited for centuries, our voices and perspectives are less known. Different perspectives will bring different understandings and from my perspective, as African, I sincerely don't agree with everything he said. I understand that from an outsider's point of view you will probably think that I just disagree for the sake of it, but my opinion is based on research and life experience.
Cheers.
@@your_boy_lamine I don’t think you disagreed for the sake of it at all, as you say this topic is very complex and extensive. Plenty of scope for disagreement and discussion. I was simply disagreeing myself with your characterisation of Johnnys narrative :)
Ok the rest of the world should quit sending ship loads of food to africka then
@@paulhunter9613 nothing they send will ever be worth what was taken.
One of the best series I have ever seen , it was a question that was ingrained in my mind for long but your video really helped me !
10 pages of sources/references shows how *much* effort goes into making a single video. The Emmy is well deserved.
Thanks for the interesting and informitive content! You obviously put a lot into your work and it should be appreciated if only a little.
Your comment is somewhat confusing . Not sure if you hate or like what he did?
@@zackabee5498 it isn't, just learn how to read
@@zackabee5498 you are right, his English is op we can't understood it
It's rare I leave youtube comments even on channels to which I subscribe, however this channel is awesome. I just wanted to say to Johnny Harris and the whole crew, thank you for all of your research and hard work. I have learned as an adult that I actually do enjoy learning about these topics that I found boring in school, and this is such a perfect way for a guy who struggles to read for more than 30 minutes.
This one is not added to the europe playlist, may be harder to find. Amazing work!
had same program - didnt think i made a part three. until i watched this about africa and found out it was the missing part
You need to do one on british rule in india.
Cringe
@@puny_God How?
@@Hegde- every possible way
@@puny_God how?
@@puny_God huh?
As an Englander it has always fascinated me how the power base there got started & I find that I have to go all the way back to the centralizing of the country with William the Conqueror & his Norman nobles, possibly even further back with some of the statutes of the city of London that made certain financial & political things possible.
You don't know the truth... and this why sharia is legal in england, and grooming gangs are free to change your children into kebabs.
You sound proud
@@stomachegg041 You sound lost.
@@Paraclef Sorry, I wasnt trying to offend you. I dont find anything wrong with you being proud of your heritage. My german grandparents were very proud of theirs.
The conqueror took advantage of the times no actual record keeping can be seen as credible today. Its a great part of history and thats why we are all here. No one did anyone favours, we just survived.
You are one of the creators I've followed, for years, no fall off in interest. You make the most insightful, elaborate and entertaining videos of informative topics. Things that help us look at our world in a more holistic way.
Thank you, and thanks to your team for all that you do.
yes great parisatoids
Wow this is amazing i wish each and every African could watch this video. Africans are divided and we are getting poor. Julius Malema talks about this!!! Its time for us to unite as one
Ethiopian here, im so proud to be an Ethiopian thanks to my ancestors for holding of those creeps from changing our traditions and lifestyle. Here we are today speaking our own native language in all the 80 different ethnic groups (sadly there is some unrest at the moment) but yeah all of our holidays are religious and victory days when we pushed out the gringos. We set an example for our whole continent that nothing could take whats ours from us. Jah ✊🏾 🇪🇹
Italy took Ethiopia during WW2 tho
Yet, Ethiopia is in a worse state than other previously 'colonised' states?
I've never understood the notion that European expansionism inhibited the development of the African continent; if so, why has Ethiopia failed to develop?
@@AndrewArminRyan A MAN CHOOSES 💥 A SLAVE 💥 OBEYSSSS
@@AndrewArminRyan Ethiopia is literally one of the fastest growing economies in Africa currently and is advancing at a rapid pace. And so what if they are poor? We don’t need Europeans to tell us where civilised or not. Let us be poor on our own 😂😂
@@XXXTENTAClON227😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 in a dream
Why haven't you either started a store to buy the maps you feature on the show or partnered with a printer/map maker to sell the maps that you use?
You can just go buy them from the map maker yourself?
Congolese here, Thx for sharing our story with the world. I hope Patrice Lumumba rests easy. Can you please make a video on him? if you havent?
The scramble for Africa, was more devastating than the slave trade ( which was extremely horrendous in itself), because during slavery 3 million blacks were enslaved , tortured and killed; in the scramble for africa arguably 30 million africans were enslaved, tortured and killed.
I am telling CHRIS ROCK that the reason why he has seen no African boats coming to save them is that. the motherland was destroyed and still been destroyed by the same imperialist. Africans suffered and are still suffering more than african Americans. For me AFrican americans suffer more from lack of the past knowledge and current state of things.
The only way Africans will survive is by recognising the individual African tribes are actually the true African nations and not the evil boundaries created by the foreign imperialists following a quest for independence.
This channel is amazing! The way as you speak, explain, the music at the background, imaging, etc. Superb wotk you do teaching history!
Africa is not poor, it's poorly managed.
The managers were fired.
Or the eople are too inferior
@@Pfalz536 As someone who has lived in Nigeria, the people aren't inferior and are every bit as intelligent and creative as anywhere else in the world. The problem is that these people barely got introduced to the concepts of European civilization 150 years ago, of course they aren't going to be great at it yet. Corruption is rampant, living conditions aren't great in most of it, but they're getting better.
Not to mention the fact that Europeans forced a lot of warring tribes into a single nation and we expect them to be peaceful, it's just not gonna happen.
@pfalz How are the people inferior? The people are forced to survive in a system that they did not create, adopt a way of living alien to them and we compare them to Europeans that created the system and assume everyone that does not measure up to the system they create is inferior? Interesting, I would argue that Europeans have destroyed the world which is why the human race is on the edge of extinction due to global warming caused mainly by these so called “superior” people.
@@Calikid331
It's gonna happen, but it takes time and vision. Remember, Germany used to be a bunch of warring tribes.
Now I am interested in how Ethiopia resisted colonization. I really love this channel.
I have always considered myself more as an european rather than danish. I love our cultural heritage, and am a Dane in that perspective.
It is so depressing every day seeing, across the world, what nationalism and borders bring with it in terms of hate and fear.
Thank you for making yet another important video.
This video is a good closing chapter for this wonderful series. You heard the people and corrected yourself. Very nice.
He succumbed to the pressure of protecting the emotions of people who did not like what they heard.
@@DefenderOfLogic Totally agree. There's trying not to be too woke, and then there's straight up whitewashing of just how much carnage Europe caused to Africa.Tens of millions of black people killed. It should be discussed with the same energy that the invasion of Ukraine or the Holocaust would be.
@@DefenderOfLogic If it's fictional then no one wants to hear it as historic. Which was what the first vid was. But Johnny and his team really delivered with the rest.
This video is disgusting- my comments is here on the matter
Wait, your video/animation seems to imply that France started colonization in North Africa because of Léopold II... But colonization of Algeria began in 1830.
I know that the focus of this video is on Europeans and their role, but it would be worth mentioning how the Arab people had already established the slave trade in Africa before the Europeans arrived, thus setting in place an environment where slavery was a norm (for lack of a better word) which the Europeans came and built upon, making it easier for them to take advantage of a pre-existing situation. African people were already being oppressed. I myself am from Africa.
Edit: I just wanted to add that the Arab world had been practicing slavery in parts of Africa since the days of the ancient Egyptians - that’s centuries! And slavery was only abolished in the 1900s in some middle eastern countries. I know that slavery does not quite equal colonization but I feel that more conversation needs to be had around this rather than always looking at the role of Europeans. Yes, European colonization should not be underplayed but there were other players in the story.
this doesn't make any sense. The Arab world didn't exist with ancient egypt. Either way, slavery probably existed from before the dawn of known history across the world. Arabs didn't cause slavery to become a norm in Africa any more than they did anywhere else.
@@chillin5703 depends on what you mean by arab. arabia has been inhabited for 125000 years. Sabaean (Old South arabian) appeared in Yemen by 750 BC, that is contemporaneous to the 3rd intermediate period of ancient egypt 1069-664 BC. as for slavery. evidence of slavery predates written records; the practice has existed in many cultures and can be traced back 11000 years ago due to the conditions created by the invention of agriculture during the Neolithic Revolution.
@@zombieat the Arab world is usually taken to refer to the vast stretch and network of Arab dominated areas generated after the Arab conquests. We don't use the term for pre medieval times.
@@chillin5703 trading slaves for 1400 years in Africa became pretty normal id think.
I like your videos. Very informative. Helped me with some new thoughts for a research article I was writing for publication.
africans always fought each other, enslaved each other, killed each other. So I don't understand why you talk of 'stolen'. Europeans were just a stronger competitor; blaming them just because they were better than africans in fighting is racism. Why don't you focus on pirates and looters from africa and asia raiding all over Europe, from Iceland to Malta? They also enslaved millions and millions people, did they worth less than africans? Clearly there's a very bad bias in your thoughts
Doesnt make them any better, as a matter of fact, it makes them alot worse since they did it on mass scale and worse treatment and severe unjust profit from it.
No worries, At least us Pink whteboys CUCCOLDS get to SURRENDER our gfs and wives (by being greatly replacement), especially beautiful feminine white women, to BIG BLACK CO..♠🍆💕
Mr. Harris and Mr Ballen are the best story tellers in the world right now. Just amazing . Im 35 But im watching them videos almost daily. Mr Johnny Harris, the way you presented your story is FAR BETTER than how giant TV Networks shows. Its just groundbreaking and amazing to the core. God bless you Mr Harris.
From the small remote island of Panglao, The Philippines
When you say "Europeans" you should say clearly mention in title who did it! Slavic people do not "stole" Africa, Western Europe is one who did this including slave trading together with Arabs! We as a Slavic Europeans have nothing to do with this neither we shipped African Slaves around.
But then again there is the slavery of the Roma people in Eastern Europe
@@irinaserban2378 Yes and that slavery is mostly done by their own people, their own parents are selling their kids into the forced merriges even if they have a money since of "tradition", if you wish l would gladly expose your statement and if you can prove me wrong
Excellent comment
@@irinaserban2378 Give concrete example? When the Slavic people especially South Slavs enslaved Roma people how you call it now days? I do not talk about poverty, l talk about proof that they were slaves without any freedom?
Well, you have a point. Now I'll just say western europeans.
Aaaand if you think of the etymology of the word "slave"... Yep, that's not fair to the slavics.
People who are against African migration to Europe should really watch this… think about how many trillions of $ were exploited from Africa during colonialism 😢
This is Brilliantly put together & I thank you for your unbias reporting. My ancestors were subjected to a brutal colonialism by the Brit’s & the French in Africa. Lines were drawn in Berlin & implemented across Africa forcing countless families to be divided on a invisible lines. Whenever my ancestors fought back & resisted their illegal invasion, they were murdered, killed and their lands taken with impunity.
There’s a great saying in Africa which is ‘The Europeans took everything from Africa and put it in their museums but left the pyramids behind because it was too heavy for them to left it’
That’s my 2pences
World peace.
I like that u don’t simply present existing information, but researched it, and…… processed the information with critical thinking.
I usually find your videos pretty reductive on what capitalism and imperialism can do, but I'm impressed by this one. Great job !
I'm Belgian. And although I now know a lot more than I used to, my perspective is heavily skewed by my education.
Here, we didn't learn anything about the horrors of the belgian Congo. History teachers gloss over it, and if a question too dangerous is brought up, "it wasn't Belgium it was the personal empire of Leopold I".
Let this be a reminder for descendant of colonizers : You don't know your history. It has been cultivated, hidden and contorted to fit colonial powers, and you've benefitted from it, you're benefitting from it now. And former colonized nations are still paying the price, that capitalism continues to extract.
Open your mind to other perspectives, because we need that if we want to change things for the better, even at home but more importantly, abroad.
In your teachers defence, it unironically was Leopolds personal empire. Belgium did not want to govern, and they were pressured into governing due to the brutality of Leopold II
@@XXXTENTAClON227 Proof?
@@keshi5541 I’m not sure what more proof I can provide besides the transition of ownership. To summarise, Belgium were skeptical of Leopold’s ambitions because they saw it as a waste of money, so he undertook the project himself privately. Unfortunately he was a psychopath and things escalated out of control, and following pressure from the British government the Belgian government ratified its annexation after reforms had failed.
Abir Congo Company = private property of King Leopold II of Belgium
Congo Free State = private state of Leopold II of Belgium in personal union with Belgium (sharing the same monarch)
Belgian Congo = a Belgian colony in Central Africa
The Colonial Charter on the Belgian annexation of the Congo Free State depicts the annexation of the territory.
Hopefully I explained this sufficiently. Sorry if it’s a bit confusing, it’s from memory
While I agree to most of the things Johnny Harris said, it's privilege talking. "there were positive things because of Europeans being there in the Africa" - for developing the medicine. It was outright clinical experiment on the native people. And most of those medicines are still unreachable to the poorest in the continent. The same medicines which were experimented on them is now rationed as "Charity" to them. Europeans were there for their money minded colonial motives. Not for the betterment of the mankind. Period!
your videos are far superior to what we learn from school. some say you are balanced, biased, focused, deep... etc. For me, you simply open my mind and see the world differently. thank you Johnny.. may your kind multiply
Trust me, he is biased... He can open your mind, opened mine too, but you can open even more. Those videos he made are great, but lack sociological analysis. What does colonization means to African people? He barely discuss this point... He talks like Africa was a land of adventures for white man to conquer... Almost proud of what his ancestors did. Biased, it's what we expected from someone who belong to a dominant culture explaining the world that was once dominated by his own cultural background.
@@danielcosta3175 Cara, você falou muito bem, é surreal ver um homem em pleno século XXI utilizando os argumentos que ele falou. Sinceramente, tem horas que eu me pergunto qual é o problema dos europeus. Por quê eles sempre querem dominar a narrativa e justificar os atos deles...
Johnny, thank you for your hard work. Your channel is so very informative, and it really helps to understand why the world is what it is today. With out freedom of speech your channel would not be possible. I urge others to recognize Johnny's stories, and to see that our freedom of speech could be in jeopardy in the near future.
Really amazing content from this channel, appreciate the hard work.