As the European nations searched for new means of income and new deposits of natural resources to deplete, they realized that the self contained continent of the "dark people" had been yet unscathed by previous pursuits of outside income for their own usage. These nations, namely Britain, France, Portugal, Germany, Italy and to a smaller extent Belgium and Spain, quickly decided that Africa was too rich a land to leave untapped. Thus they met in 1885 in Berlin to mark out their spheres of interest for the invasion and total colonization of Africa.

             Britain, striking first and fiercest, easily gained control of numerous rich lands easily overpowering the native Africans with military technology and organization. By 1910, Britain found itself in full control of Egypt, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, East Africa, and most of Sub-Saharan Africa. British holdings were strategically planned to include the lands with the most amounts of natural resources, and positioning that could possibly allow for the invasion of others" holdings in the future.

             Britain also was very strategic in its ruling of its colonies. They racistly and oppressively controlled each colony, implementing governments in which white British men held all posts as the British population in Britain was less than a tenth of the populations of its colonies. The British had no intent to make the Africans British citizens. The Africans were strictly labor used in the exportation and depletion of all objects of value back to Britain in increasing Britain"s wealth. No African was given the authority to make any kind of decision for himself. African lives were ruled by the strict guidelines that the British colonial government mandated, leaving no room for diversion as these rules were violently enforced. This left the Africans for little hope for change, as they had no power to change their own reality and even worse their own future.