King Leopold's Ghost: The Congo Reform Movement

Lucas and Luna explore the international outcry against King Leopold II's atrocities in the Congo Free State. They trace the origins of the Congo Reform Association, focusing on key figures like E.D. Morel, Roger Casement, and William Sheppard. The episode details the horrifying system of rubber quotas, the Force Publique, and the sentry system that enforced them. Lucas explains how Morel's journalism and Casement's consular report sparked a global movement, leading to the annexation of the Congo by Belgium in 1908. The conversation also touches on the role of African American activists like Booker T. Washington and George Washington Williams, and the legacy of the reforms. This episode continues the series' examination of the Berlin Conference's human cost and the fight for justice in the face of colonial exploitation. #CongoFreeState #KingLeopoldII #CongoReformAssociation #EDMorel #RogerCasement #WilliamSheppard #ForcePublique #Rubberatrocities #BelgianCongo #Colonialism #Humanrights #BookerTWashington #GeorgeWashingtonWilliams #BerlinConference #Africa #19thcentury #History #FexingoHistory #ScrambleForAfrica #KingLeopold Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo