Africa and the Slave Trade

1
Africa and the Slave Trade

• Chapter 20

2
Impact of Slave Trade in Africa

• Diaspora - any group that has been dispersed
  outside its traditional homeland, especially
  involuntarily,
• Demographic changes
• Depopulation due to volume of trade
• Able to recover due to New World crops
• Involvement in Global economy
• State-building in Africa
• Increased violence (guns)

3
History of Slavery in Africa

• Common in ancient world
• Practiced in Africa Muslim world
• Enslavement of neighboring peoples
• Slaves form of property wealth
• Trans-Saharan trade
• Slaves into Islamic territories
• Increased dramatically with Atlantic Slave Trade

4
History of Slavery

• Changes in slavery
• Women and children were most commonly enslaved in
  the Trans-Saharan trade
• WHY???
• Atlantic Slave trade preferred men
• WHY???
• IMPACT???
• Dramatic increase in volume
• WHY???

5
Introduction to the Slave Trade

• European trading posts along W. coast
• Forced to cooperate with African rulers
• WHY???
• Commercial goals combined with military and
  missionary efforts
• Congo converted to Christianity
• Slaves became pop. trading item in Atlantic world
• First to Europe in small numbers, then to
  Americas in large numbers

6
Organization Atlantic Slave Trade

• Eu. Forms rel. with African rulers
• Exchange manufactured goods and guns for slaves
• Slaves sold on west coast were usually POWs
• Captives sold to Europeans in coastal markets
• Europeans get very wealthy
• Up to 300 profit in some cases
• Still risky due to high mortality
• African rulers use guns to expand their borders
• capture more slaves

7
African Kingdoms

• Large states emerged and prospered near the west
  coast as a result of the Atlantic slave trade
• States competed with each other for control of
  the trade
• Major states involved
• Benin
• Ashanti (Asante)
• Dahomey

8
Benin

• Involved in slave trade, but did not allow it to
  dominate the economy
• Also traded textiles, pepper, ivory
• Existed as powerful state before European
  influence
• At height of power when Europeans arrived
• Had well developed culture before European
  arrival

9
Ashanti (Asante)

• Located on Gold Coast
• Originally 20 small states, united around 1650
• Osei Tutu claimed title of asantehene
• Supreme ruler (pol. and rel.)
• Advised by council members from the various
  tribal groups
• Took advantage of guns and used them to expand
  borders
• Remained powerful until 1820s
• Controlled gold and slave trade for many years
• Slaves large part of economy 2/3 of trade

10
Dahomey

• More dependent upon slave trade
• Development of the state
• Centered about 70 miles from coast, building
  power since 17th century
• Involvement in slave trade
• 1720s use of guns to create autocratic state
  built upon slave trade
• Imposed their own culture on the people they
  conquered
• Royal court controlled slave trade and used
  military to raid neighbors for captives

11
African Culture

• Europeans were often impressed with the culture
  of the African states
• Creative and artistic
• Europeans would often commission African art
• Types of art
• Weaving and basketry, metal working, elaborate
  sculptures and carvings in wood and ivory
• Bodily adornment

12
East Africa and the Sudan

• Swahili Coast
• Dominated by Ottoman Empire
• Some European influence
• Will increase over time
• Slave trading centers for slaves to Muslim world
• Islams spread into the interior of Africa turned
  violent in the 18th century
• Reform efforts aimed at eliminating pagan
  practices and encouraging Islam

13
South Africa

• Less affected by slave trade
• Lack of large states less war and fewer captives
  to be sold into slavery
• Some kidnapped
• Europeans began to create colonies in Southern
  Africa
• Led to conflict over land
• Slowly begin to take governmental control

14
The Abolition of Slavery

• Slavery was major part of the world economy for
  several centuries
• In the modern period, opposition to slavery will
  rise
• Social changes in Europe and Americas
• Gradually, more and more nations abolished
  slavery
• 1888 Brazil last American nation to end slavery
• Globally, slavery continues for another century
  before being officially abolished