The history of the European exploration of Africa is a story of patience and dedication, as well as self-promotion and violence. Explorers opened the way for idealistic missionaries who hoped to eradicate the remaining slave trade.
The "scramble for Africa" after 1870 resulted in the European exploitation of the continent for financial gain and geopolitical advantage. European colonial rule is one of the uglier chapters of modern history, whose worst legacy was the apartheid state of South Africa.
Why did Europe want to get involved in Africa after 1880 given its initial lack of material wealth?