International Congo Society

Infobox Former Country
native_name = "Association Internationale du Congo"
conventional_long_name = International Congo Society
common_name = Congo
continent = Africa
region = Congo
country = Democratic Republic of the Congo
era = New Imperialism
status = Provisional government|
event_start =
year_start = 1879
date_start = November 17
event_end = Free state established
year_end = 1885
date_end =
event1 = Flag recognized
date_event1 = April 10, 1884
event2 = Sovereignty recognized
date_event2 = November 8, 1884
p1 = Association Internationale Africaine
flag_p1 = Flag of Congo Free State.svg
s1 = Congo Free State
flag_s1 = Flag of Congo Free State.svg|

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capital = Boma|
leader1 = Leopold II of Belgium
title_leader = Owner
representative1 = Maximilien Strauch
title_representative = Chairman
deputy1 = Henry Morton Stanley
title_deputy = Plenipotentiary

The International Congo Society ( _fr. Association Internationale du Congo) was an association founded on November 17, 1879 by Leopold II of Belgium to further his interests in the Congo. It replaced the Belgian "Committee for studies of High-Congo" ("Comité d'études du Haut-Congo"), which was part of the "Association Internationale Africaine" created for exploration of the Congo. The goals of the International Congo Society was to establish control of the Congo basin and to exploit its economic resources. The Berlin Conference recognized the society as sovereign over the territories it controlled and in 1885 its structures were acquired by the Congo Free State.

Berlin Conference

The "Berlin Conference" or "Congo Conference" of 1884-85 regulated European colonization and trade in Africa. King Leopold II was able to convince the powers at the conference that common trade in Africa was in the best interests of all countries. The General Act of the conference divided Africa between the main powers of Europe and confirmed the territory controlled by the Congo Society as its private property, which essentially made it the property of Leopold II.

On April 10, 1884, United States Senate authorized President Chester A. Arthur "to recognize the flag of the AIC as the equal of that of an allied government". On November 8, 1884, Germany recognized the sovereignty of the society over Congo.

External links

* [http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/topic.jsp?topic=country_democratic_of_the_congo Timeline for Congo] - History Commons