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Turbulent Centuries in Africa

Turbulent Centuries in Africa. Chapter 16.4. European Outposts in Africa. 1400s Portuguese explored African Coast Built small forts Trade for gold Collect food and water Repair ships Lacked power to push into interior Attacked coastal cities of E Africa Mombasa Malindi

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Turbulent Centuries in Africa

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  1. Turbulent Centuries in Africa Chapter 16.4

  2. European Outposts in Africa • 1400s • Portuguese explored African Coast • Built small forts • Trade for gold • Collect food and water • Repair ships • Lacked power to push into interior • Attacked coastal cities of E Africa • Mombasa • Malindi • Hubs of international trade • Expelled Arabs and took over

  3. Coastal Cities • By 1600- sunk into poverty • Trade with interior dwindled • Dutch, English, French built forts • Exchanged muskets, tools and cloth for gold, ivory, hides, and slaves

  4. History of Slavery • 1500s • Europeans: slaves most important item in African trade • Slaves • Existed all over the world since ancient times • Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Persians, Indians, Aztecs all enslaved defeated foes • “Slave” comes from the word Slav • Large # of Slavs taken from S Russia to work as unpaid laborers in Roman times • Arab empire used captives from Africa as slaves • Worked on farming or large-scale irrigation projects • Artisans, soldiers, merchants • Some rose to prominence in Muslim world

  5. Slave Traders • Atlantic slave trade began to fill need for laborers in Spain’s American empire • Over 300 years, grew to profitable business • 10,000+ slaves per year • Work on tobacco and sugar plantations • Europeans seldom went into interior • Relied on African rulers to seize captives in interior and bring them to the coast • Captives exchanged for textiles, metalwork, rum, tobacco, weapons, gunpowder • Slave trade intensified as demand increased

  6. Triangular Trade • 3-legged trade network • First leg • Merchant ships brought goods to Africa to be traded for slaves • Second leg: Middle Passage • Slaves transported to West Indies • Exchanged for sugar, molasses, other products • Third leg • Products shipped to Europe or American colonies • Port cities that depended on slave trade • Nantes, France • Bristol, England • Salem, Massachusetts

  7. Middle Passage • Hundreds of Africans packed below the decks of slave ships • “Floating coffins” • ½ died on board • Some resisted or tried to seize ship • 1-6 month journey • depending on weather • Male captives chained together in pairs to save space

  8. Middle Passage • Fed beans, corn, yams, rice, palm oil • One meal a day with water • If food was scarce, slaveholders got priority over slaves • Some refused to eat • Force fed with speculum orim- device that held the mouth open • Most shackled throughout journey • Went to the bathroom where they lay

  9. Middle Passage • Very little air ventilation • Disease and starvation • Depression • Led to force feedings, lashings • Suicide frequent occurrence

  10. Resistance • Some African leaders tried to slow/stop trade • In the end, system that supported trade was too strong • Affonso I: Ruler of Kongo • Developed Kongo into modern Christian state • “It is our will that in these Kingdoms there should not be any trade of slaves nor outlet for them” • Trade in human lives is evil • Ruler of Northern Senegal • Futa Toro • Forbade sale of slaves in his ports • Returned gifts from sea captains • French found a new route to bypass them

  11. Impact • Estimated 20 million slaves sent to Americas • An additional 20 million died in Middle Passage • Stopped in mid-1800s • Caused decline of some African states, rise of others • Some small states disappeared forever • New states arose whose way of life depended on the slave trade • War waged between kingdoms for control

  12. Rise of New States • Oyo, Bornu, Dahomey • Asante kingdom in Ghana • Right to rule came “from heaven” • Monopoly over gold industry and slave trade • Played European rivals against each other

  13. Islamic Crusades • 1700-1800s • Islamic revival • North, West and East Africa • Social and religious reforms based on Sharia law • Wars quieted • Literacy increased • Trade improved • 1780-1880 • 12+ Islamic leaders rose to power

  14. Southern Africa • Bantu-speaking people migrated to S Africa • 1652: Dutch immigrants arrived • Built Cape Town • Ousted or enslaved herders • Boers • Calvinist belief that they were chosen of God • Looked on Africans as inferiors

  15. Shaka and the Zulus • Migrated to S Africa • Major force • Waged war on nearby peoples • Absorbed them into his regiments • Encouraged them to forget differences • Pride in Zulu kingdom • Threatened by Boers

  16. Boers vs Zulus • 1815 • Cape Colony passed from Dutch to British • Resented British laws that abolished slavery • Escaped rule by joining Boer families in moving north • “Great Trek” • Came across Zulus • Fighting broke out • Struggle raged until end of century

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