Much of Angola’s colonial history was molded under the jurisdiction of the empire of Portugal. Especially after the Dutch occupation of the 1640s, the Portuguese stronghold in Angola was sturdier than ever. Their colonial rule during this period lasts for a period of almost three hundred years, reigning over Angola from 1655 until October 20, 1951, when Angola was designated an independent overseas province.
Portuguese interest in Angola initially sparked from its supposed expansion of Gold and other valuable materials. However, they soon found that Angola better served as a labor industry, and deemed slaves as the single-most valuable commodity in that area. Thus, slaves were exported from Angola, most of them destined for Brazil. However, the export of slaves did not last long as the Europeans were able to seize control of much of the Portuguese industry as part of the “scramble for Africa” taking place in the 1880s. Simultaneously, local African ethnic groups force Portuguese settlers into confined areas. As such, the Portuguese are at a disadvantage.
In the nineteenth century, the export of slaves was finally banned in Angola, leading to an end to their richest and most common export. However, the practice of slavery was not abandoned, and the country still attempted to utilize slaves within Angola’s bounds. This was eventually outlawed in 1875. Portuguese control still becomes stronger during this time, however, as the Portuguese are angered by their constant transformation from kingdom to republic.
In answer to a tightening of Portuguese control, in the 1950s and 60s, thee guerrilla groups from to fight of the Portuguese government and to achieve independence for Angola. They are: MPLA (Movimento Popular de Libertaccao de Angola), FNLA (Frente Nacional de Libertacao de Angola), and UNITA (Uniao Nacional para a Independencia Total de Angola). The government’s response to the situation is to send Portuguese peasants into Angola to act as slaves, rather than using the locals. As a result, forced labor is brought to an end, and provisions for education and health for native Africans in increased. In 1975, pressure from the guerilla groups forces Portuguese settlers out of Angola and Agostinho Neto, member of MPLA is deemed president of Angola, the rest of the MPLA being his government.