Economics 172Issues in African Economic Development

Lecture 16

March 14, 2006

Economics 172 2

Outline:

(1) Introduction to Part II of the course

(2) Slavery in African history

(3) Impacts of slavery on African economic development (Nunn 2005)

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Schematic Outline of the Course

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Schematic Outline of the Course

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Schematic Outline of the Course

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Schematic Outline of the Course

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Slavery in African history

• Large numbers of Africans were forcibly enslaved during the 15th-19th centuries, starting with the Portuguese in Congo in the 15th century

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Map of Africa

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Slavery in African history

• Large numbers of Africans were forcibly enslaved during the 15th-19th centuries, starting with the Portuguese in Congo in the 15th century

Atlantic Ocean trade 11-13 million

Sahara, Red Sea trade 5 million

Indian Ocean trade 2 million

TOTAL 18-20 million

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Map of Africa

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Slavery in African history

• At the peak of the trade in the 18th century, huge numbers of Africans were being captured every year:

# people / year (range)

1450-1600 2,500-7,441

1601-1700 13,324-18,680

1701-1800 61,300-97,469

Late 1800s 33,300-50,230

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Why was Africa targeted by slave traders?

• Location relatively close to the Americas

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Why was Africa targeted by slave traders?

• Location relatively close to the Americas

• Pre-existing internal slave networks: in the late 1800s, 18-44% of Africans were slaves of other Africans (based on early European colonial surveys)

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Why was Africa targeted by slave traders?

• Location relatively close to the Americas

• Pre-existing internal slave networks

• Less military might (e.g., compared to Asia)

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Why was Africa targeted by slave traders?

• Location relatively close to the Americas

• Pre-existing internal slave networks

• Less military might (e.g., compared to Asia)

• Others?

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What impact of the slave trade on society?

• Lower population density less urbanization

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What impact of the slave trade on society?

• Lower population density less urbanization

• Strategies to avoid capture lower output

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What impact of the slave trade on society?

• Lower population density less urbanization

• Strategies to avoid capture lower output

• Shorter time horizons less investment

• Efforts diverted into slaving, away from production

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What impact of the slave trade on society?

• Lower population density less urbanization

• Strategies to avoid capture lower output

• Shorter time horizons less investment

• Efforts diverted into slaving, away from production

• Radical changes in the nature of political power

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What impact of the slave trade on society?

• Lower population density less urbanization

• Strategies to avoid capture lower output

• Shorter time horizons less investment

• Efforts diverted into slaving, away from production

• Radical changes in the nature of political power

• Breakdown of social cooperation, cultural changes

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Whiteboard #1

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Whiteboard #2

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Whiteboard #3

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Whiteboard #4

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Whiteboard #5

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Map of Africa