ABSTRACT
The imperial rivalry among European nations for possession of territories in Africa culminated in the colonization of the continent. In West Africa, the failure of the resistance to rebut these assailants engendered the hostile takeover of the region and the imposition of colonial authority. Formerly independent societies, states, kingdoms, and empires were forcibly merged in the process, marking the beginning of the colonial period in West Africa. This era wrought tremendous changes in the region politically, socially, culturally, religiously, and most significantly, economically. New polities, cultures, and religions emerged, modeled after those of the colonizers, called colonialists in this chapter to refer to the European countries who established colonial control even if they did not send thousands of settlers as they did in places like Algeria and Kenya. The colonial period gave way to decolonization, which saw the attainment of independence of former colonies. By the end of the colonial period, West Africans had come to borrow European institutions, although apparent disparities existed in practices. This chapter examines the imposition of colonial authority in West Africa, its administration, and its impact on the region.
