1450 The Old World Web Analysis

Slavery in Africa and the influence of it on the Old World Web

Slavery is nowadays considered as one of the biggest injustice a person could do to another human being. However, slavery is as old as the human itself. This essay will focus on the development of slavery between 1450 and 1800, specifically in Africa. Slavery in Africa arose, because the possessions of human beings was an indication of wealth. Around 1450 people were in Africa were more scarce then land. So, in contrast to most of the countries, it didn’t matter how much land you possessed; it was about the amount of human beings you owned. (McNeill & McNeill 168) This essay therefore will focus on slavery the 15th, 16th and 17th century and, even more important, the essay
will point out the influence of slavery on the Old World Web from an economic, cultural and political point of view.

In 1450 the Old World Web consisted of a small part of the world.
Regarding to Africa, only Mediterranean Africa and the East coast of Africa were part of the Web. From 1450 on, a lot of developments had taken place regarding maritime skills. Because of the increase of navigational and geographical knowledge, some outsiders now dared to explore the hinterlands of Africa. They faced dangerous situations, tropical diseases and unnavigable rivers. Therefore, a lot of them did not survive this journey. (McNeill & McNeill 167) The result was that big parts of East-Africa lagged behind, and still depended on agriculture. However, there were some exceptions. Through the Zamzebi river and the Ethiopian coast, there was little interaction via the Indian Ocean with the Old World Web. This is also the place where we see the first signs of slavery. (McNeill & McNeill
167)
Other parts of Africa, like South-Africa, did join the Old World Web. The Dutch VOC (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie) moored on their way to the Indian Ocean at Cape Good Hope, for food- and drink supplies. By 1670 they decided to establish a permanent post at Cape Good Hope and send farmers to South-Africa to improve the African agriculture, which depended almost totally on slaves. (McNeill & McNeill 168) This were the first signs of Dutch Slavery. However, the slave trade increased enormously when the European countries took over the West-African coastlands. The Portuguese were the first to export these slaves, in 1441. First to Madeira and the Canary Islands. (McNeill & McNeill 168) This became such a great success that they decided to export the slaves to Brazil to work on their sugar plantations. Several years later the other European countries followed an slave trade became the biggest trademark of the century. Totally, about 25 million slaves were deported from their homeland to Brazil, Mexico, the US and other parts of Latin-America. (McNeill & McNeill 169)

The slavery trade didn’t only had advantages for Europe, it had advantages for Africa and America as well. This is the so called ‘Triangular Trade’. Textiles, rum and manufactured goods were brought from Europe to the African coast to trade them for slaves. The slaves were deported to the Americas, where they worked on plantations. These ‘cash crops’, like sugar, cotton and tobacco, which were cultivated on the plantations, were taken with the Europeans back to their countries. (McNeill & McNeill 169) This huge economical influence, caused not only the introduction of new products to the market, but also accelerated commercialization. (McNeill & McNeill 169) Longer trade-routes and a extending network caused a bigger demand for products and therefore a larger production. The European invasion in Africa did not only influence the economy; it also caused a cultural change.
When the slave-trade started to rise more and more, lots of European people decided to move to Africa to profit of the trade. These ‘foreigners’ brought their own language with them, which was often imposed to the African slave traders. Above that, they also expanded their own religion. They proclaimed their ideas and ideals to the habitants, who often got converted. (McNeill & McNeill 171) This expanse of religion also happened because of the growing trade-network. More and more areas got discovered and in those new areas, the Africans as well as the Europeans, came in contact with new cultures. Finally, the slave trade caused a great political impact on Africa. People felt the need to form a vast, stable state. If you didn’t, you were vulnerable and in danger to be enslaved. States often expanded therefore to show off their power. This power was often shown with guns to defend themselves. Militarization was hence also a result of slave trade. (McNeill & McNeill
171)

As have been discussed in this essay, slavery and slave-trade had a great impact on both Africa, as well as the whole World Web. However, the impact of the slavery trade wasn’t divided equally in countries. It had an impact on big parts of Africa, especially on the coastlands, but not everywhere. The poorer, rural, hinterlands were vulnerable and left out. Above that, there was a difference between the influence of slavery on the West-coast of Africa and on the East-coast. The West-coast had to deal with a big impact: the economy boomed, new languages and religions were introduced, and new crops/habits were brought in. On the East-coast it had an less bigger impact. The East was namely already discovered before; the East-coast was already a part of the Old World Web. (McNeill & McNeill 172)
Without slavery, a lot of things wouldn’t have happened, because there wasn’t any money to pay for labour. Slavery brought cultures in contact with each other and introduced things that we wouldn’t have known without this communication. Slavery contributed to globalization and extended the Old World Web.