BRITISH PARLIAMENTARY HEARING:
REGARDING ATROCITIES AND VIOLATIONS OF INTERNATIONAL LAW IN THE CONGO FREE STATE
JUNE 1904
Congolese rubber workers holding severed hands
THE SITUATION :
After the 1885 Berlin Conference, the Congo Free State was established as a “free-trade” zone in Central Africa. King Leopold II of Belgium was given control of the territory, which he ruled as “King-Sovereign.” As early as 1891, European and American missionaries began to report on atrocities committed by the King’s government and military in the Congo. After accusations that Leopold’s government was violating the free-trade article of the Berlin Act, the British Parliament started to question whether or not they should get involved in the problems in the Congo Free State. In 1903, the British Parliament asked Sir Robert Casement to investigate the claims of atrocities and violations of free-trade in the Congo Free State and report back.
THE QUESTION:
After hearing the findings of the Casement Report, and examining the questions around whether or not King Leopold II violated an international agreement, the members of the British Parliament must decide how to handle the situation. Should Great Britain take action alone, with other Great Powers, or encourage Leopold to make his own reforms without taking action? This decision sets a precedent for future cases involving human rights abuses and colonial administration around the world.
POLICY STATEMENT DUE:______HEARING DATE: ______
Day 9 / Day 10 / Day 11 / Day 12 / Day 13 / Day 14 / Day 15- Go over hearing,get groups
- Congo and Leopold / -Timeline of events
-The Rubber Trade Gallery Walk / - George W. Williams, Great Britain, and ED Morel
-Work on study guide for quiz (20 pts) / - Evaluate quotes in groups
-Work on part A of policy statement / - Work day
- Be ready to work all class in your groups
-Review for Quiz / - Quiz on Imperialism in the Congo (25 pts)
- Video on the Congo Free State / - Policy Statement Final Drafts due
-Prep for Parliamentary Hearing
Homework over February Break: Policy Statement Final Draft must be complete, proofread, and printed out. NO EXCUSES!!! Go to the library, Staples, or your friend’s to print out if you don’t have a printer. YOU MUST BE IN CLASS AFTER FEB BREAK WITH YOUR POLICY STATEMENT!!!!
HOW WILL THE HEARING WORK?
The class will be divided into five groups within the British Parliament:
Group 1: Act Now, Act Alone, Force Change, Use the British Navy
We are pushing for Great Britain to take action to stop the free-trade violations and atrocities, even if they are the only nation to act. As the world’s largest empire, Great Britain is the strongest of Europe’s Great Powers. Additionally, Great Britain has four colonies that border the Congo, and to allow the situation to further deteriorate would put our colonies at risk. The Congo Free State is giving colonialism a bad name around the world, and this affects us more than any other nation worldwide. Britain led the way in developing the free trade system that has made us wealthy. If we do not act to protect these free trade rights now, we will see the whole system start to fall. As a people, the British have a tradition of humanitarianism. It was our navy that took the lead in combating the trans-Atlantic slave trade, and the Parliamentary system that allows enlightened public opinion to demand change was born here. If other nations are unwilling to take a stand, it is our duty to forge ahead without them. We will send in the British military and force change in the Congo Free State.
Group 2: Act Now, Act Alone, Persuade the CFS to Change, Use the Media
Action must be taken, and taken now, but military action has too many unknowns for Great Britain. We do not want to get bogged down in a colonial war in a territory that we do not control. We already have enough on our hands, controlling India, South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, the Gold Coast, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Rhodesia, the list goes on and on. Great Britain is the leading light in the world, so action must be taken. We will fight the atrocities in the Congo Free State by using persuasion. We will condemn King Leopold in public and publish pictures and articles of the atrocities and the violations of free trade that are happening in the CFS. We will send in journalists and investigators to gather and publish information with the hope of exposing and embarrassing King Leopold into changing the situation in the CFS.
Group 3: Work Multilaterally, Cooperate with Other Great Powers
While only three other governments have expressed interest in the cause so far, careful and determined diplomacy can bring others around to our point of view. Since it was a conference of the Great Powers in 1885 (Berlin Conference) that brought the Congo Free State into existence, it is imperative that all the Powers take action to address the problems. We are living in a new age of international organizations such as the Hague Tribunal, the Red Cross, and the League for Human Rights that are laboring to create a sense of law and norms of behavior that are expected of all civilized nations. Solving this problem together will enhance this cooperative spirit. In addition, acting alone could disrupt the balance of power among the nations of Europe and create further diplomatic problems for Britain. We will consult with other countries to figure out what to do and build a coalition to solve this problem.
Group 4: Focus on the British Empire
As the most powerful empire in the world, we must be careful about intervening in the affairs of another nation’s colony. We all know that agents of the British Empire have occasionally carried out actions against our colonial subjects that contradict our values. It is up to individual governments to investigate and punish actions in their own colonies appropriately. We also must acknowledge that Leopold’s government is responsible for some positive developments along with the negative. Leopold should be encouraged to run the Congo Free State more effectively. We should supply information to the Congo Free State that will help its government to investigate atrocities. At the same time, we must strive to govern our own territories as justly as possible. We can offer Leopold advice from our centuries of colonial experience. As for our trade interests, we must work to tie the economies of our colonies more closely to our home economy. In doing so, we can create the largest free trade zone in the world.
Group 5: Undecided Members of Parliament:
These members will examine the documents and major arguments of all four perspectives. They will create a chart of pros and cons for each option and create questions about the wisdom of each option. At the hearing, the various options will be presented to these members, who will then vote on which option the Parliament should choose.
Roles within each group:
In your groups, assign the following roles:
Group Director—organizes the presentation and manages the group. The Group Director is responsible for making sure the group’s policy statement is complete, proofread, and ready for presentation.
Foreign Policy Specialist—why will your option be the best in terms of your current international interests?
Economic Specialist—why is this the best economic decision for Great Britain?
Human Rights Specialist—why is your option the best route in terms of dealing with human rights issues?
Logistics Specialist – how will this option really have to work in practice? What will Great Britain need to organize for it to be successful? How will that look?
Procedure:
• Welcome and introduction of the Undecided Members of Parliament by Group 5 Group Director (standing at seat, 1 min)
• Presentation of Options by Group Directors 1,2,3,4 (standing in front of Parliament, 2 min each)
• Foreign Policy Specialists Present (all seated in front of Undecided Members, 2 min each)
– Group 5 Foreign Policy Specialist asks 2 questions to 2 Foreign Policy Specialists
• Economic Specialists Present (all seated in front of Undecided Members, 2 min each)
– Group 5 Economic Specialist asks 2 questions to 2 Economic Specialists
• Human Rights Specialists Present (all seated in front of Undecided Members, 2 min each)
– Group 5 Human Rights Specialist asks 2 questions to 2 Human Rights Specialists
• Logistics Specialists Present (all seated in front of Undecided Members, 2 min each)
– Group 5 Logistics Specialist asks 2 questions to 2 Logistics Specialists
• Undecided MPs deliberation period (outside of classroom, 5-10 min)
• Vote and debrief (5-10 min)
Policy Statement (Groups 1-4)
The policy statement is to be used during the Parliamentary Hearing, has 5 sections, and answers the questions in paragraph form for each section.
Section A
Summarize your group’s option and why it is the best one to take.
· Who should be responsible for the situation in the Congo Free State?
· What role should Great Britain play in the situation in the Congo Free State? What about other countries?
· What should happen to King Leopold II? What should happen to the Congo Free State and the Congolese people?
Section B
· What are Great Britain’s current international interests in 1904?
· Why will this option be the best in terms of these interests?
Section C
· What are the economic interests of Great Britain in 1904?
· Why is this option the best economic decision for Great Britain?
Section D
· What are the human rights concerns of the CFS?
· Why is this option the best in terms of human rights issues?
Section E
· How will this option really have to work in practice?
· What will Great Britain need to organize for it to be successful? How will that look and are there any concerns?
*The policy statement must include at least 3 quotes from the packet + the following terms:
Imperialism, Congo River, Congo basin, rainforest, rubber trees, Congolese tribes, slave trade, Berlin Conference, Berlin Act, King Leopold, Parliament, Free Trade, monopoly, CFS, debt, missionaries, cannibalism, Force Publique, rubber tax, atrocities, George Washington Williams, ED Morel, Casement Report, Boer War
Policy Pros/Cons Chart with Questions (Group 5)
The policy pros/cons statement is to be used during the Parliamentary Hearing, has 5 sections, raises concerns about each option, and includes questions to investigate.
Section A
Introduce Parliamentary Hearing and the Issue
· What is happening in the Congo Free State? Why is it important?
Section B
· What are Great Britain’s current international interests in 1904?
· Create a Pro/Con chart for options 1-4 in terms of Great Britain’s international interests.
· Create 2 questions for the 2 groups that raise the most concerns.
Section C
· What are the economic interests of Great Britain in 1904?
· Create a Pro/Con chart for options 1-4 in terms of Great Britain’s economic interests.
· Create 2 questions for the 2 groups that raise the most concerns.
Section D
· What are the human rights concerns of the CFS?
· Create a Pro/Con chart for options 1-4 in terms of Great Britain’s human rights interests.
· Create 2 questions for the 2 groups that raise the most concerns.
Section E
· How will these options really have to work in practice? What issues may that bring up?
· Create a Pro/Con chart for options 1-4 in terms of Great Britain’s policy actually working.
· Create 2 questions for the 2 groups that raise the most concerns.
*The policy pro/cons statement must include at least 3 quotes from the packet + the following terms:
Imperialism, Congo River, Congo basin, rainforest, rubber trees, Congolese tribes, slave trade, Berlin Conference, Berlin Act, King Leopold, Parliament, Free Trade, monopoly, CFS, debt, missionaries, cannibalism, Force Publique, rubber tax, atrocities, George Washington Williams, ED Morel, Casement Report, Boer War
Grading Rubric for Writing Assignment and Parliamentary Hearing(160 points) / 40 pts
Exceeds / 30 pts
Meets / 25 pts
Approaches / 0-20 pts
Initiates /No evidence
Preparation
§ I can use my in-class time efficiently and work productively with a small group of my peers to develop a clear argument.
Writing: Research and Historical Accuracy
§ I can read and interpret primary source documents, including maps, graphs, images and texts, to support an argument. I can make connections to people, events, and important terms of the time period and connections to broader themes like Imperialism
Writing: Persuasiveness
§ I can make a clear, accurate, and convincing case for my group’s option. I can create a writing piece that is proofread and presentable.
Presentation
§ I can speak knowledgably and appropriately about events surrounding the Congo Free State and the 1904 British Parliamentary Hearing.
White King, Red Rubber, Black Death:
Film Guide
PART I:
The beginning of the film opens with photos of Congolese people without limbs (i.e. hands, feet, etc.). Why do you think they were missing limbs?
Who “personally owned” the Congo Free State and where were they from?
The movie suggests Leopold built the Royal Museum for Central Africa in order to send a message to Belgium and the world about his control of the Congo. What message was he trying to send?
PART II:
How did Leopold feel about the Congolese? Did he respect them?
What did George Washington Williams – who filed a report to the U.S. Government – say about the conditions in Congo?
Leopold wasn’t making enough money early on. What did he do to “ratchet up” the effort?
Why did Leopold want to harvest rubber? What were the conditions for harvesting it like?
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION (Answer and be ready to share):
1. Why do countries engage in imperialism? What are the characteristics of imperialism?
2. Is Leopold’s colonization of the Congo similar to other types of imperialism we’ve studied already? Why or why not? Is it dissimilar?
3. How might the situation in the Congo Free State affect Congo’s later history up until today?