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Leopold & Morel: A Story Of ‘Free Trade’ And ‘Native Rights’ In The Congo Free State, Padideh Ala'i
Leopold & Morel: A Story Of ‘Free Trade’ And ‘Native Rights’ In The Congo Free State, Padideh Ala'i
Working Papers
This article explores the role of the doctrine of free trade in the creation of the Congo State in 1885 and the relationship between free trade and native rights with respect to the subsequent campaign to reform the colonial administration of the Congo State. On one hand, King Leopold II of Belgium successfully used the rhetoric of free trade and native rights to camouflage his personal ambitions in Africa. He set up international associations with the stated aim of "exploring and civilizing Africa" through "legitimate trade" and "suppression of the slave trade", Leopold convinced the major European powers and the …