First Contacts.

    Beginnings are an important part of people and as we have seen, countries. The foundation on which things are founded or started can set up people or countries to be successful or fail miserably. Finding the gems of Tanzania was no easy feet for the explorers. Before being found, Tanzania was able to keep to itself, living off what the land provided. Tanzania went through a few different powers before it gained its independence back in 1961.

    Tanzania was primarily controlled by Omani Arabs beginning in 1698. Under the Omani rule Tanzania actually came to life again. At least for a time trade was happening and new settlements were founded. As with most success when word gets around someone tends to get greedy! Zanzibar was the place most people wanted to settle and do business. In the last half of the 18th century, Tanzania had many revolts and uprisings do to people trying to take advantage each other. Sa'id Sultan gained leadership around 1806 and focused on controlling the rebellions so work could resume.

    The first Portuguese sailor to make it to Tanzania was Vasco de Gama. In 1498 he was sailing the East coast of Africa in search of the Orient and found Tanzania instead. Word spread about things happening in Tanzania. Others knew Tanzania had ivory and slaves and fertile land. For Europe, they waited and watched for the right moment to make their claim in Tanzania. As people traveled and traded goods there was also disease spreading which in turn weaken any control people had. Europe saw this and waited. Carl Peters began making treaties as a way to explore the land. This gave way for British settlers and European settlers to come and make claim to territory.

    Around this time Europe was in the midst of an Industrial revolution. Europe had much to gain from expanding to new territories. Zanzibar had rich, fertile land for cultivating and offered a good starting point to getting their hands on some new land. Once in Tanzania Europeans could force farmers to grow crops, exchange cattle, or people for ivory or land deals.

    Most of the decisions Europe made in regards to Tanzania was selfish and motivated by furthering their own agenda. The people of Tanzania likely thought they would somehow benefit from some of these business deals but in the end they did not. For Tanzania's their quality of life was greatly diminished. They were forced to work really hard and produce items for trade for money they never saw. People were traded overseas and would most likely never see their families again. This disregard for the effects of Tanzania's caused a lot more rebellions and instability within itself. People began stealing from each other, villages were burned down, farming crops were ruined, and many people lost their lives.




Sources:

--Tanzania:Omani Conquest (1698-1884); Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa; www.content.eisa.org.2a/old-page/tanzania-omani-conquest; updated September 2005, 2015,April, 15

-- Tanzania: History; Lonely Planet; www.lonelyplanet.com/tanzania/history; updated 2015; 2015,April, 15