Dr. Hendrickson Period 2
Migrations Essay From the period of 1700 to 1900, long-distance migrations that included the African Slave Trade and the movement of Irish and British colonists to America. After the African Slave Trade was banned, the use of indentured servants was put into place. An agricultural famine caused Irish to flee to America. The African Slave Trade was caused by a need for labor in the Americas. The imported slaves mainly worked on plantations that supplied cotton and tobacco. Agriculture wasn’t new to the slaves as they farmed back in Africa too. The difference was that the slaves became actual property of the plantation owner which means their freedoms were very limited. Another change that took place was the change from slaves to indentured servants. Indentured servants were not property, but they are laborers who requested a free passage to America in return for work. The African Slave Trade of course came to an end when in 1803, Denmark abolished the trade in slaves and other European nations followed in its footsteps. By 1845 most major slave trading countries illegalized slave trading. About twenty years later in America, slavery was completely abolished after the Civil War. As a result, a new source of labor was needed in America. The use of indentured servants were then put into place.. Much continuity took place as well as changes. On many passages the slaves took to America, many slaves died from diseases. Disease remained a major cause of death among slaves because of the lack of medicinal objects. The African Diaspora remained constant it profited both Africa and America with economic gain such as crops for America and firepower for Africa. Continuity includes how African culture and religion was brought over to the Americas even after missionaries attempted to convert the imports to Christianity. There was much change and continuity over time involving the African Slave Trade.