The Bible and the Gun

3 Pages 693 Words

In reviewing Basil Davidson’s documentary “The Bible and the Gun,” many different thoughts as well as emotions become more than present along with a greater understanding of the history of the lives of many Africans. The African people were well aware of the beauty, resourcefulness, and sanctity of their land, yet in the eyes of the British, the land was equivalent to wealth and nothing more. The Africans were targeted by the British as well as other Europeans for their land primarily but once their lands became inhabited, their every move would now be under the control of the white man.
Due to the fact that the African people were considered to be the “inferior race,” the white man seemed to have no qualms with mistreating or exploiting them to the best of their abilities. The white man’s desire was to make the Africans ultimately landless. Davidson also makes a point to outline the importance of the slave trade and the fact that it was used in the conquest over Africa and its people. The arrival of the Europeans into Africa was persistent and continuous, after learning the American way of wealth. A man by the name of David Livingston was one of the most well known explorers of the African land. He was a geographical researcher and sought out and accomplished to find a nautical route/waterway through the many rivers running through Africa. Along with being a researcher, explorer, he was also a missionary in hopes of promoting the faith of Christianity as well as the idea of commerce. He was one of the only European explorers who treated the African people as people and was respected, not feared. Livingston was also responsible for the naming of the Victoria Falls.
The vast lands of Africa were rich with natural resources such as diamonds, gold, ivory as well as many skilled workers that were a necessity in these lands that were foreign to the Europeans. Not only did the Europeans have insights on the way they went abou...