Jules Ferry Quotes
… that huge black continent so full of fierce mysteries and vague hopes …
Jules Ferry, 1832-1893, French Premier and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Description of Africa, 1890
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
Salisbury had always been opposed to colonial adventurism and was opposed to the jingo segment of English society associated with his Colonial Secretary Joseph Chamberlain. Nonetheless, Britain became more embroiled in Africa. Salisbury’s explanation was in French: “L’appetit vient en mangeant.”
On January 29, 1895 the Brass King, Koko, and 1000 warriors attacked the British trading station. The destroyed the harbor and docks and took many employees of the British Niger Company back to Brass as prisoners. The Niger Company had taken over the middleman trade that the Brassmen had previously enjoyed and had other grievances with the company. In a celebration of the victory, most of the company employee prisoners were eaten. See Koko’s later apology.
Exploring large parts of Africa
The fur trade as a result became the main driver for French colonization of Canada and America.
Ethiopia, then the only Christian country in Africa, was imperialistic and interested in private military adventurers to expand their empire just as the English, French, Belgians and Germans were. See Menelik’s statement on imperialism {607290}.
Part of French Sudan—now Mali. This was a Province of the Fulani Islamic Empire, Bambara, of the Greater Sudan. Despite fierce resistance, the French prevailed and colonized the territory. Muntaga, the brother of the Tukulor Islamic ruler Amhadu , provided a great example of the fiery rhetorical style which survives to this day in much of the Islamic world.
The French had a much different agenda in the new world than the British who wanted to create residential colonies. The French were more interested in trade—not in establishing permanent colonies. The result was that the French were in many ways better trading partners for the Indians than the English. They came without women, intermarried among the Indians and learned the languages; they did not contest for land, and they paid the Indians more for pelts and furs than the English were willing to. At the same time they exacerbated conflicts with the colonists, and encouraged Indian attacks on settlers as that kept competition out. They were not above giving Indians alcohol and encouraging them to rob the furs and/or kill their English competitors. So on two levels, they had to be removed. See the military view of Robert Rogers: {614122}.
Jules François Camille Ferry was a French statesman and republican. He was one of the leaders of the Moderate Republicans and served as Prime Minister of France from 1880 to 1881 and 1883 to 1885. He was a promoter of laicism and colonial expansion.
