Even before he ascended the throne of Belgium in 1865, King Leopold II sought to represent Belgian interests in Africa. In 1885, he declared the Congo Free State and secured international recognition of Belgium's hold over the Congo. In this region, Africans were tortured or worked to death, collecting ivory and rubber for Leopold II. Throughout his reign, Leopold II was able to deceive the world into believing that he did not profit from his colony. It was not until the 1890s when his actions were discovered by a clerk working for his shipping company. This clerk, E.D. Morel, created a successful transnational movement to protest his horrific treatment of Africans.
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Links for Further Exploration
Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness
Roger Casement's Report on the Treatment of Africans in the Congo
BBC Review of Belgium's Royal Museum for Central Africa
Created by Jessica L. Ho
Last Updated 7 December 2006
