THE SLAVE TRADE AND THE ORIGINS OF MISTRUST IN AFRICA

The Atlantic Slave Trade’s impact to the social workings of Africa were one not only in the personal connections of the people but in the culture as well. During this trade many in Africa were left in states of fear of being taken feeling unsafe in even their own land. Another one of the effects the Atlantic Slave Trade had on the social construct of Africa is in how their history and cultural identity resulted in the aftermath. Through the slave trade, Africans were removed from their homes at a young age disallowing them from learning from their elders about their own culture. Even if that culture was taught to them before hand, those captured would have been forced to assimilate into their new environment losing that culture and history they once had. The Atlantic Slave Trade had also brought on a popularity in the use of domestic slaves used by upper class within Africa which brought on another on set of issues particularly in Western and Central Africa. Because of several raids occurring to

At the beginning of the fifteenth century the Atlantic slave trade was at its peak. Many believe that only Europeans benefited from having Africans as slaves, but they are wrong. Africans of different tribes would destroy settlements, capture the villagers, and sell them at the market as they were a baked good at a farmer’s market in today’s society. Europeans and Africans both played a major role in the slave trade and are both to blame for the capturing and selling of African slaves.

For 300 years, Africa participated in the Atlantic slave trade, providing humans in exchange for other goods. During that 300 years, some twelve million Africans were transported to the Americas. This mass, forced migration had many consequences for Africa, in many aspects of its history. In World History classes—both high school and college— these consequences for Africa are usually omitted, and a more Eurocentric view of the Atlantic slave trade dominates. Because of this, many are not aware of the impacts of the slave trade on African societies. This paper aims to remedy this, by presenting the major impacts that Trans-Atlantic Slave trade had on the social and political history of Western Africa. By focusing on Western Africa, this

The slave trade wreaked havoc in Africa. For four centuries this continent was the scene of wars for the capture of slaves. Millions of Africans exported to the distant lands, millions more died in long marches to the coast and in the warehouses waiting to be shipped. The forced exodus of millions of people caused the decline of the vegetative growth of the African population, as men and women of childbearing age were sold.

When you think of the African slave trade, do you realize that over 10 million people were removed from that continent in less than 500 years? Some scholars believe it may be as large a number as 20 million.1 I would like to pose a few questions and attempt to answer them in this collection of writings and opinions. The evidence and historical documents will show some of the economic and social impacts the Slave Trade had on the African continent.

The Atlantic slave trade lasted from the 15th to 18th century. Between 10 and 12 million slaves were moved from Africa to South America. About 15 percent died and the ones who survived were sold as property. Only five percent of the slaves went to America (Green, 2012). The slaves were used to make sugar, tobacco and coffee (Slave Trade:, 2007). None of these things were good for us other than for desire, but nothing to sustain human life. Africans were captured by other Africans and traded for goods like metal tool and guns. Slaves were the source for private wealth and were viewed as an economic commodity. They were sold like cattle and branded on their cheeks. The slaves performed all kinds of labor from agricultural labors and house work. The slaves would work 48 hours straight at times. 23 years was the average life expectancy of slaves. The slave owners suddenly got a bright idea that if they kept their saves healthy enough, they could reproduce and in return make babies that would later be sold to become slaves. Slavery was defined as the permanent, violent, and personal domination of naturally alienation and generally dishonored persons. They were removed from their culture and dehumanized and suffered from social death. In this paper, I will discuss the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, how it took place and how is has influenced our culture today.

Nathan Nunn, author of the article “The Long-Term Effects of Africa’s Slave Trade” was interested in researching and determining how the slave trade had affected Africa’s economy in the subsequent years. Rather than taking a human rights approach, Nunn chose to focus on the economic approach and sets out to investigate how certain characteristics of the slave trade have affected the development of the society economically. To be more specific, Nunn states that his thesis statement is that the African slave trade was not only damaging to the society but that there was a correlation between the process of acquiring slaves and the negative impact in the economy in the following years. To demonstrate that he would be creating a relationship with

Colonization created the system of slave trade, in order to help build the economic foundations of established colonies. However, doing so leaves the victims of this trade with a legacy of limited potential. For instance, past colonization has influenced disproportionate distributions of income in South Africa; the lowest on the continent. “Colonialism has left South Africa with a legacy of migrant labor, particularly among workers in the gold and diamond mine…” As a result, it guarantees that the majority of the black African population is stricken with poverty in contrast with the history of wealth and

The black slave trade, the trading in human beings which linked Europe, Africa, and the America’s from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, sustained a colossal colonial machine based on the slavery system. (Schmidt) Around ten to twelve million African’s were forcefully taken to the New World to fulfill a labor shortage. These millions of African captives sold as slaves provided the labor required for the exploration of mines and plantations of sugar cane, tobacco, coffee, and cotton. (Schmidt)

Taking a journey through the slave trade begin with the involvement of many factors. We tend to look at the Europeans kidnapping Africans from the Continent of Africa and taking them to a strange land. This begun two hundred and forty-five years of slavery in North America. A process of cultivating land, providing a diverse labor force, and the reproduction of a multiracial generation. Slavery helped shaped a worldwide economy and a political process that African descendants, have an interest in today. On the other hand, it instilled inferiority to the enslaved race. The unfortunate laws of the slavery, encourage a race of people to overcome and reap the benefits of their ancestral sacrifices.

There are several consequences brought by the slave trading intensification. The exportation of slaves from Mozambique

When I think of the early modern era it’s very hard for me to not think of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Growing up as a black man in America it is instilled in me to search the history of my ancestors just to have a sense of who I am and why I am the way I am. Many changes occurred in the world during this time and the world today is a result of what took place in that time of history. In this paper I will explain the changes that impacted that time and how it may have negatively or positively affected the world.

Slavery is what built the Roman Empire, a civilization which shaped and still shapes human ideology today. According to Green, “From 1500 to 1880 CE, somewhere between 10 and 12 million African slaves were forcibly moved,” (“The Atlantic Slave Trade”). This was due to the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, one of many trade routes that transported slaves inhumanely. Slavery is a definite crime towards humanity, but it is what cause economic growth in different regions and helped them in expansion. America’s cotton plantation, indigo, tobacco, and rice business thrived along with South America’s sugar businesses (“How Slavery Helped Build a World Economy,” Dodson). Consequently, this growth in economy increased trade with other areas, especially Europe. The labor of slaves laid the foundation of the industrial revolution, and influenced the expansion and interconnection of

Since the turn of the fifteenth century to around the mid to late nineteenth century, slavery had become the world’s largest international trade crime. The view of slavery has always been about one prospect for business, which is capitalizing on the use of cheap labor to increase bottom line profits. The slave trade was most prevalent in the United States, England and France each with their own form of immigration for new slaves. Even with the outlaw of slavery in America the mid nineteenth century by the end of the colonial period, nearly every fifth American had some type of ties to an African migrant slave. Nonetheless, the introduction of slavery into the United States was one of the major means of immigration for Africans into North America

Some changes in the slave trade however had a positive effect on prices and profits. From 1675 to 1807, there was rapid growth in the slave trade industry, as mortality rates fell with the improvement of health standards, decreased length of voyages and a decrease in piracy (Eltis et al., 2010). This leads us to conclude that profits increased throughout the slave trade; however, it is difficult to argue this with certainty. The British efforts to abolish trade also contributed to profits of non-British traders. Because of its abolition laws, Britain gave up its dominance in the slave trade and the supply of goods, which in turn increased American, French, Spanish, Portuguese traders’ share of the market (Kauffmann & Pope, 1999). While extremely