European imperialism had a considerable impact on the African continent through its cultural, economic and political ideas. This era of history is strongly imbued with ethnocentrism, that is, the belief that one's own culture is superior to that of another. Europeans colonized Africa believing they could bring civilization, but they were often unaware of Africa's very complex societies. European powers divided the African continent between them, without the consent of the people who actually lived there. Tribal stratification was transformed into a caste system where racial, ethnic and religious differences were of utmost importance, as delegated to them by European rule. The structure and activities of the African economy were governed by what the colonial powers deemed necessary. European powers intervened in African society and imposed their supposedly superior way of life on them. The slave trade was an important method used by Europeans to dominate Africa. Although the slave trade began to decline in the early 19th century, it gave Europeans access to the entire continent, allowing them to divide land as they saw fit. The sharing of land was not without wars and resistance. Europeans stole land from Africans and imposed their way of life on African society. The imperialists brought with them military technology, reducing the likelihood that Africans could resist their forces of ethnocentric civilization. To make matters worse, every country in Europe wanted its own share of the African continent. The imperial powers reached an agreement on available land in Africa at the Berlin Conference in 1884 and 1885. They agreed to implement... middle of paper ...... colonial system. It is obvious that none of these statements are true. European administrators apparently made no effort to delegate these principles within the African colonies. It's one thing to say something and then do the complete opposite. Actions speak louder than words and Europeans failed to defend their ideals within the African colonial system. It is possible that Europeans never intended to uphold such ideals and only used these ideals to cover up the corruption that existed in the African colonies. Europeans attempted to “civilize” African populations, but failed due to the pursuit of selfish gains. But who's to say they weren't "civilian", Africans had very complex societies that existed for thousands of years - far longer than the lifespan of Europe as a country to current time..