On 5 February 1885, King Leopold of Belgium declared his new colony the Congo Free State. What followed was one of the most horrific examples of European colonialism, as the regime began the ruthless exploitation of the local population, forcing them to extract natural resources and ship them back to Belgium.
8 to 10 million Africans were killed, with many more mutilated for acts as minor as failing to hit production targets.
George Washington Williams (1849-1891), a 19th century Black historian, minister and lawyer inaugurated the international human rights movement through his work in the Belgian Congo. He wrote a highly publicized letter to King Leopold of Belgium regarding the atrocities in the Belgium Congo. Williams' "An Open Letter to His Majesty Leopold II, King of the Belgians and Sovereign of the Independent State of Congo," published in 1890 was widely disseminated and generated a great deal of attention, which ultimately led to the loss of Leopold's control over the Congo.
Articles on King Leopold
George Washington Williams: 19th Century Black Historian
Open Letter to King Leopold
https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/primary-documents-global-african-history/george-washington-williams-open-letter-king-leopold-congo-1890/_
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