Editing Scramble for Africa (section)

== Background ==
Prior to the scramble, Europeans already had economic interests on the African continent and traded with African kingdoms for natural resources as well as slaves, which kickstarted the [[Atlantic Slave Trade]]. After the slave trade was abolished, British explorers discovered the source of the Nile river in 1858, which would lead to the successful colonization of much of the continent.

In 1884, as European colonial powers were already invading and annexing portions of Africa, German chancellor [[Otto von Bismarck]] arranged the Berlin Conference to prevent war between the European powers. The conference formalized the General Act with representatives of the British Empire, France, Imperial Germany, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Italy, Russia, Sweden-Norway, and the Ottoman Empire to establish territorial claims within the continent and end slavery.