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What best explains Britain's involvement in the 'scramble for Africa'? In between 1874 and 1902, Britain acquired 4,750,000sqm of land and 90 million people. Before this period Britain had little interest in Africa, but now she went on to claim places from Egypt to Somaliland, from Rhodesia to the Sudan. Therefore there have to be many reasons why Britain wished to partake in what became know as the 'scramble for Africa'. Some have suggested economic factors, others strategic, but in truth there are far more, and often these reasons changed during the time period. Indeed, Salisbury said in 1891 'I do not know the cause of this revolution, but there it is.' Why did it happen? An economic argument suggests that Britain took part in the scramble in order to reap the rewards of increased trade and of the large amounts of raw materials and resources in each colony. For instance in...

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