1 / 27

Chapter 20: Africa and the Africans in the Age of the Atlantic Slave Trade

Chapter 20: Africa and the Africans in the Age of the Atlantic Slave Trade. The Atlantic Slave Trade. The Portuguese established factories: forts and trading posts with resident merchants. Most with interior access to gold. Most with the consent of local rulers.

diata
Download Presentation

Chapter 20: Africa and the Africans in the Age of the Atlantic Slave Trade

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Chapter 20: Africa and the Africans in the Age of the Atlantic Slave Trade

  2. The Atlantic Slave Trade • The Portuguese established factories: forts and trading posts with resident merchants. • Most with interior access to gold. • Most with the consent of local rulers. • El Mina- the most important gold trade factory • Trade was the basis of Portuguese relations with African peoples. • Missionary efforts to convert rulers in Africa. • NzingaMvemba of Kongo made the region Christian with Portuguese support.

  3. In the beginning… • Slavery existed in Africa for thousands of years, the African Diaspora out of the continent exploded in dimension due to European and Arab demand for slaves • Portuguese began to make treks into the interior of Africa to make contact with peoples for trading purposes • Trading contacts brought about social, religious, and political impacts upon the African and Portuguese.

  4. European Colonies in Africa • Africans viewed Portuguese as strange but incorporated them into their world • Portuguese saw Africans as savages who could be civilized and converted. • Colonies were small, but had lots of missionary work • By 17th century Dutch, French and English all began to get involved • By 1600, slave trade dominates all commerce.

  5. The Atlantic Slave Trade • Luanda- permanent Portuguese settlement, which would later be Angola • Portuguese established outposts on Mozambique Island, Kilwa, Sofala and Mombasa. • In the 17th century, the Dutch, English and French competed with the Portuguese for trading stations. • The slave trade was a major interest to the Portuguese. • First slaves brought to Portugal from Africa in 1441.

  6. The Atlantic Slave Trade • Portuguese originally raided for slaves along the coast but realized that trade was an easier way to get more slaves. • 1450 (raiding slaves)= 50 slaves per year • 1460 (trading slaves)= 500 slaves per year • Slave trade was important when plantations (sugar) demanded constant labor. • By 1600, the slave trade predominated over all other kinds of commerce on the African coast.

  7. The Atlantic Slave Trade • Estimated Slave Imports into the Americas by Importing Regions, 1519-1866 • Brazil= 3,902,000 • British Caribbean= 2,238,200 • Spanish America= 1,267,800 • French Caribbean= 1,092,600 • Guianas= 403,700 • British North America= 361,100 • Dutch Caribbean= 129,700 • Danish Caribbean= 73,100 • = 9,468,200 total

  8. The Atlantic Slave Trade • Between 1450-1850, it is estimated that 12 million Africans were shipped across the Atlantic. • Mortality rate on slave ships was 10-20%. • The 17th century was the biggest slave trade by volume. • Mortality was high and fertility was low, so the only way to keep large numbers of slaves was to import more and more. • Dimensions of the trade varied over time.

  9. Stats: • Between 1450 and 1750, 12 million Africans transported across Atlantic • 10-20% mortality rates • 10-11 million survived • Rate of transport increases over time • 80% transported between 1700s and 1800s • High volume necessary due to high mortality and low fertility • Rates of trade reflect changing economic and political situation in the New World • Slave trade with Muslim world continues • 3 million transported between 1450 and 1750 • Wars increase in Africa as both cause and effect of slave trade

  10. The Atlantic Slave Trade • Most slaves were taken from sub-Saharan Africa (Senegambia region) but later were taken from west central Africa. • Over 3 million slaves were taken by Muslim traders from trans-Saharan area, Red Sea and east Africa. • Atlantic slave trade was mostly men, while the trans-Saharan slave trade was mostly women. • Portugal controlled most of the African coastal trade until 1630. • Dutch seized El Mina in 1637., became major competitor

  11. The Atlantic Slave Trade • 1660 English charter Royal African Company to engage in slave trade • English monopoly on slave trade • Fewer than 10% of employees survived • The majority died in the first year • Currencies involved in slave trade • Triangular trade • Profitability of slave trade • Drew African economy into world economy • Resulted in African economies becoming dependent on trade with Europe

  12. African Societies, Slavery and the Slave Trade • In Africa, slaves were used as servants, concubines, soldiers, administrators and field workers. • Slaves used for gold mining, salt production and caravan work. • Europeans essentially tapped into existing routes and supplies of slaves. • African rulers generally did not enslave their own people, but enslaved neighboring peoples.

  13. African Societies, Slavery and the Slave Trade • Europeans intensified African enslavement. • Endless wars promoted the importance of the military and made the sale of captives an extension of politics. • Shift of power within Africa due to European coastasl presence. • Ghana and Songhay become powerful because of gold trade. • Gun and slave cycle

  14. African Societies, Slavery and the Slave Trade • Two major empires rose to prominence in the period of slave trade. • Asante • 20 small states • Access to firearms • Osei Tutu- supreme civil and religious leader • Military conquests • Dahomey • Access to firearms • Autocratic and brutal political regime • Over 1.8 million slaves exported

  15. East Africa & Sudan: • Swahili towns continue commerce in gold, ivory, and slaves with Middle Eastern markets • Bantu speaking people dominated the region • 18th century saw Islamization • By the 1840, new political units were created • Attempts were made to stamp out paganism and illiteracy • Large numbers of captives from the religious wars were shipped down the coast to Europeans • By the 19th century slaves made up to 50% op the population of this region

  16. White Settlers and Africans in Southern Africa • 16th Century- Bantu-speaking peoples occupied eastern regions of southern Africa. • Agriculture, herding, iron and copper • 1652- Cape of Good Hope established as a Dutch colony for ships sailing to Asia (Dutch East India Company) • Depended on slave labor from Asia, Indonesia but then used African labor • Competition and warfare • 17,000 settlers, 26,000 slaves

  17. White Settlers and Africans in Southern Africa • 1795- Great Britain seized the Cape Colony • 1815- Under formal British control, 18th century, France becomes a major trader • Nguni people- had occupied southern and eastern Africa • Shaka Zulu- began African unification process • New military and political organization • Absorbed and destroyed neighbors • Mfecane- wars of crushing and wandering • Zulu Wars of 1870’s – Britain ends wars and asserts control over South Africa

  18. The African Diaspora • Slave Trade- the principle way in which African societies were drawn into the world economy • Slavery meant destruction of villages and capture in war – grueling and deadly • Forced march to trading town • One third of captives died on their way to be traded • Cargo sizes varied on slave ships

  19. The African Diaspora • Middle Passage: Passage to the Americas was traumatic • Slaves were taken, branded by hot irons, confined and shackled • Slave ships were dirty, unsanitary • Slave labor was first used for sugar plantation labor, but later for rice, cotton and tobacco • Other occupations for slaves

  20. The African Diaspora • African-born saltwater slaves and Creole slaves • Hierarchy of slaves by slaveholders • Some African nobles and religious leaders still exercised authority within African community • Compositions of slave-based societies

  21. The African Diaspora • Family formation was difficult for slaves • People lost local African identity: • Created new family units • Growth of communities of runaway slaves • Religion- continuity and adaptation • Conversion to Catholicism • African religion • Resistance and rebellion • Palmares • Suriname

  22. The African Diaspora • End of Atlantic slave trade and abolition of slavery • Economic, political and religious changes in Europe and the colonies • Opponents of slavery and trade appeared into the mid-18th century • 1807- British slave trade was abolished • 1888- Portuguese slave trade was abolished

  23. In the beginning of the Early Modern Age, the relationship between Europeans and Africa and Africans was • Often one of relative equality in which no one power was dominant • One of mutual respect • An inferior status with Europeans pre-dominating • Dominated by superior European technology • Contentious and led to constant warfare

  24. The slave trade out of Africa was controlled by • African trading guilds • Key African forest kingdoms such as Benin, Oyo, Ashante, and Kongo • European slave traders and African rulers working jointly • Muslim traders • The Europeans, especially the Dutch and Portuguese

  25. The trans-Atlantic slave trade differed from the trans-Saharan slave trade to the Muslim world in that • The trans-Atlantic was less brutal than the trans-Saharan slave trade • The trans-Saharan slave trade included women for domestic work as s concubines • The Atlantic route transported whole families to the Americas, whereas the trans-Saharan trade broke up families • The trade to the Muslim world ended before the trans-Atlantic trade began. • More people were transported across the Sharar than across the Atlantic.

More Related