an how it was wiped out. A white man arrived there to the amazement of the people, and eventually they consulted their Oracle to learn more about him:

The elders consulted their Oracle and it told them that the strange man would break their clan and spread destruction among them.

As a result, the people of Abame killed the white man. Later, however, three white men and other men returned, waited until everybody was in the market, and opened fire, slaughtering everybody accept for those who were sick or elderly, or those few who managed to escape. Obierika comments to Okonkwo that "A great evil has come upon the land as the Oracle had warned," and it is clear that white men are automatically linked with evil, the breaking of the tribe and destruction in this novel.

In Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, hints of the white man's arrival in Umuofia begin in part 1 with details that reveal a trading network of European technologies. For example, Okonkwo possesses a "rusty gun" and a "machete." These technologies reveal that Europeans were indirectly influencing the lives of Umuofians from the coastal trade.

In part 2, rumors of white men are carried by refugees from the village of Abame. These refugees told the story of how a "white man" riding "an iron horse" came to the village and was killed for trying to convert the village to Christianity. In retribution:

three white men and a large number of other men surrounded the market. They must have used a powerful medicine to make themselves invisible until the market was full. And they began to shoot. Everybody was killed except the old and sick who were at home and a few men and women whose chi were wide awake and brought them out of the market.

It is telling that the first reports of the white men include such savage violence. It is also important to note that the Igbo immediately interpret this technological superiority as "powerful medicine," assigning the Europeans with magical powers. This power imbalance continues throughout the remainder of the novel and is a defining feature of British interactions with the Igbo in Achebe's novel.

The first white men to arrive are missionaries. Their primary goal is to convert as many Igbo to Christianity as possible. Naturally, the outcasts of Igbo society are drawn to the Church first, so many Igbo, including Okonkwo, do not view the outsiders as much of a threat. This also shows that the British colonization of Umuofia is more subtle than a simple military occupation. There were many Igbo who directly benefited from the arrival of the British and viewed the colonizers favorably. Okonkwo's son Nwoye is an example of this, as he abandons his family to become a Christian, possibly as a means of rebelling against his father.

The attitudes of the British missionaries toward the Igbo are varied. Some, like Mr. Brown, are open to learning and accepting Igbo traditions and cultural norms. Others, like Mr. Smith, are more rigid in their views of Igbo culture. All of the white people, regardless of their views on Igbo society, wield an inordinate amount of power in Umuofia. Through their economic, religious, and bureaucratic power, they irrevocably change Umuofia.

I hope this helps!

When the white European colonists initially arrive in the region, their plan to colonize the Igbo tribes relies on introducing the Christian religion to the Natives before establishing their bureaucracy. They discover that a "frontal attack" is not possible and find it more beneficial to convert the Natives, which allows them to gain allies and gives them more time to establish a foothold in the region. After the Europeans establish Christian churches and missionary outposts, they build stores and open schools. The Igbo villagers benefit from the European churches, schools, and stores and gradually begin to assimilate into Western culture. Once the churches, schools, and stores are built, the Europeans establish their bureaucracy, which is supported by their military. The dominant European government and military then begin to wield their power by undermining the Igbo tribe's authority figures and even arrest their village leaders. After the Europeans arrest the village leaders, the Igbo tribes are forced to obey the colonists, who proceed to build and further colonize the region. In regards to the European mindset towards the Igbo tribes, the colonists believe they are superior and view the Natives with contempt. The majority of European colonists view the Igbo villagers as uncivilized savages, who deserve to be conquered.