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

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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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

26. 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

27. 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.