Tokyo, Dubai, Chicago, and New York are some of the world’s most influential cities in the world. We see them on New Year’s, we see them in eager advancements in technology, and we see them all over television, but why aren’t all cities like this? Is it the people, the places themselves, or something else? Wealth disparity, an often forgotten topic that keeps hidden in our world’s most ancient history. Throughout this article, you will start to understand how the past affects our future and how wealth disparities are causing harmful circumstances for millions of people. We will dive into colonization and ancient civilizations’ history to understand the wealth disparities in our world.

Let’s start by defining colonialism; colonialism can be defined as the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically (. Western Expansion started around 1500 when European countries began to explore and conquer and settle in different countries. To make it simple, we will begin with the imperialistic values of the European Renaissance. The European Renaissance began to with a low economy, although it had sustainable banks in northern Italy and southern Germany.Florence had a bitter narrative towards the capital and its Bardi bank in the 14th century, and the”Medici successor in the 15th financed much of the eastern Mediterranean trade.” (Webster 1).While many European countries were starting to search for new resources, Africa seemed to have abundant precious metals. Gold came from Central Africa Upper Volta (Burkina Faso) near Niger and interested those living in Portugal. When Prince Henry undertook a sponsorship in Portugal, he discovered voyages down the west coast of Africa. The motive of the expeditions was to find the river that ascended to mines. As trade became more frequent, many European trading ports started to appear in Africa. Although these trading ports soon became more dictatorial, European countries fought over African land mainly for their natural resources.Lines were drawn through African communities that had existed for many years, and theEuropean countries started to exploit African people’s labor.

Soon after the Europeans realized how valuable African people’s labor and the metals residing in their land were, the scramble for African territory began. The Conference of Berlin and British, also known as the “Congo Conference,” started. In the year 1884, by the request ofPortugal, the German Chancellor Otto von Bismark called upon the world’s major world’s western powers to negotiate and end the confusion over African territories. The countries that participated and were represented at the time included Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark,France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, and the list. Of the fourteen nations that participated, France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal were the conference’s significant players, controlling most colonial Africa. They were also competing for power withinEuropean politics.

The consequences of colonization still profoundly affect Africa today. In a case study done in2016, The report revealed the degree to which British companies controlled Africa’s essential mineral resources, notably gold, platinum, diamonds, copper, oil, gas, and coal. It document show companies listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE) — mostly British — operated in 37mining facilities in sub-Saharan African countries. They collectively controlled over $1 trillion of Africa’s precious resources. The UK government uses its power and influence to ensure that 3 British mining companies have colossal access to Africa’s raw materials. This is an example of the damage that bled from colonization in Africa today. To help this so-called “developing country,” we must understand—the root cause of its economic drought. Africa is among many continents affected negatively by colonization; many parts of South Asia and South America face these issues today.

As we move forward, we must remember that circumstance is not always left up to chance. If we continue to ignore how damaging greed was in the past, the countries that were once the most resourceful will continue their downward spiral. It is essential to address our history to reform it.