Ch. 20: Africa and the Ch. 20: Africa and the Atlantic Slave TradeAtlantic Slave Trade

The Atlantic Slave TradeThe Atlantic Slave Trade PortugalPortugal led the led the

way in exploring the way in exploring the African coast African coast Established Established

cities/factories for cities/factories for tradetrade

El Mina El Mina LuandaLuanda

Other nations Other nations followed Portugal, followed Portugal, brought competitionbrought competition

Development of Development of sugar plantations = sugar plantations = need for slave laborneed for slave labor

El Mina, a Portuguese coastal fortress

How Many Slaves Were How Many Slaves Were Exported?Exported?

As many as As many as 12 million12 million over four hundred years over four hundred years

High mortality + low High mortality + low birth rates = high birth rates = high demand for slavesdemand for slaves

Brazil received 42% of Brazil received 42% of slaves slaves

Trans-SaharanTrans-Saharan slave slave trade was mostly in trade was mostly in women in Islamic lands women in Islamic lands

Trans-Atlantic Trans-Atlantic trade trade took men for agricultural took men for agricultural laborlabor

Development of the Slave Development of the Slave TradeTrade

Portugal controlled Portugal controlled most of it most of it

From 1630 on, From 1630 on, competition increased competition increased

DutchDutch seized El Mina seized El Mina BritishBritish Royal Africa Royal Africa

Company Company Followed by Followed by FranceFrance Purchases of slaves Purchases of slaves

made through local made through local rulers rulers

Slave prices were Slave prices were based on the healthy based on the healthy male – male – Indies Piece Indies Piece

Triangular trade Triangular trade developed developed

African Slave Trade I

African Societies, Slavery, African Societies, Slavery, and the Slave Tradeand the Slave Trade

Traditions of Traditions of slavery deeply slavery deeply engrained in engrained in economic economic systems and systems and social hierarchy social hierarchy

In Islam, slavery In Islam, slavery accepted, but only accepted, but only non-Muslims non-Muslims

Slavery and African Slavery and African PoliticsPolitics

Europeans tapped Europeans tapped into the established into the established slave trade slave trade Settled along the coast Settled along the coast Intensified the slave Intensified the slave

trade trade Warfare typified Warfare typified

much of Sub-Sahara much of Sub-Sahara AfricaAfrica

Ghana and Songhay Ghana and Songhay took advantage – took advantage – became became intermediaries in intermediaries in slave trade slave trade

West Coast: West Coast: Asante/DahomeyAsante/Dahomey & East & East

Coast: Swahili/SudanCoast: Swahili/Sudan Serve as examples of Serve as examples of

the impact of slave the impact of slave trade trade

AsanteAsante (Ashanti) rose (Ashanti) rose to prominence during to prominence during the slave tradethe slave trade Ruled along the Gold Ruled along the Gold

Coast Coast Ruled for two centuries Ruled for two centuries

(1650-1820)(1650-1820) Dahomey Dahomey

Traded slaves for Traded slaves for European firearms European firearms

Swahili CoastSwahili Coast on the on the East Coast of Africa East Coast of Africa brought ivory, gold, brought ivory, gold, slaves from the interiorslaves from the interior

South AfricaSouth Africa Bantu peoples in Bantu peoples in

southern Africa were southern Africa were organized around organized around small chiefdoms small chiefdoms

Southern expansion Southern expansion brought Dutch brought Dutch contactcontact Settlers moving Settlers moving

inland from inland from Cape Cape ColonyColony looking for looking for farmland farmland

British control from British control from 1815 led to warfare 1815 led to warfare with Bantu with Bantu Boer Boer Great Trek Great Trek

African Slave Trade II

Zulu Rise to PowerZulu Rise to Power Shaka Shaka chief of the chief of the

Zulu (1818)Zulu (1818) Created a powerful Created a powerful

state that survived state that survived his death his death

All of southern All of southern Africa was involved Africa was involved in turmoil called in turmoil called mfecane mfecane (1815 – (1815 – 1840)1840)

The African DiasporaThe African Diaspora

Slave trade not only Slave trade not only forcibly brought slaves forcibly brought slaves into a different into a different culture, it brought culture, it brought foreign products into foreign products into AfricaAfrica

The The Middle Passage Middle Passage was traumatic for was traumatic for slaves and often lethalslaves and often lethal

Africans in the Africans in the Americans often Americans often employed in employed in agricultural laboragricultural labor

Slave Societies in the Slave Societies in the AmericasAmericas

A hierarchy developed A hierarchy developed distinguishing distinguishing saltwater slaves saltwater slaves (newly arrived) from (newly arrived) from creole creole descendants descendants

Creoles could gain more Creoles could gain more skilled work in better skilled work in better conditions conditions

N. American slave N. American slave population had a higher population had a higher birth ratebirth rate Less need for new slaves Less need for new slaves More cut off from Africa More cut off from Africa

than slaves in other areas than slaves in other areas

End of the Slave Trade / End of the Slave Trade / Abolition of SlaveryAbolition of Slavery

Abolition resulted from changes outside of Abolition resulted from changes outside of Africa Africa

Main change was from European Main change was from European intellectuals intellectuals William Wilberforce William Wilberforce

British stopped the slave trade in British stopped the slave trade in 18071807 Slavery was finally abolished in the Slavery was finally abolished in the

Americas when Brazil stopped the practice Americas when Brazil stopped the practice in in 18881888