The Success And Failure Of The Triangular Trade

English naval commander and administrator John Hawkins made three trips to West Africa in the 1560s and captured Africans to be sold to the Spanish in America. The profits he made in the process were substantial. On returning to England, Queen Elizabeth became interested in directly partaking in his next voyage by providing a ship named ‘Jesus’. At times, trade in Africa turned out to be profitable, while at other times it was the profit in the Americas that stood out. However, there were instances when the journeys across the Atlantic would fail as slave ships would be lost at sea. But when all the successes and failures are taken into account, the level of profit would be enough to vindicate further participation in this form of trading for
These people could have been great inventors and innovators. The warfare on the continent of Africa led to severe social commotion and stifled technological advance. On the whole, the triangular trade as an economic system was fundamentally designed to favor the Europeans at the expense of African lives and their society. Not only did the Europeans change the economic scenario of Africa, but also the sociocultural and religious models of the continent that were endearments or byproducts of the slave trading
The racial ideology in the system was dictated by the power relationship shared by Europeans and Africans. It involved the use of violence for social suppression, persuading slaves to change the way they perceive their interests and circumstances, and ensuring continual mastership by suppressing culture. White supremacy in the Americas was a product of the geographical origin and racial features of the African slaves. The divide in wealth did not just antagonize slaves as mere laborers, but formed a relationship of dominance and submission. The psychic impact and exhaustion the captured slaves underwent while taken on board ships (a trip from three weeks to three months) was so great that they could barely offer any kind of resistance to the masters. When the African acquired the lifestyle of a slave, he could not claim ownership of his own life as he alienated himself from the socially recognized existence outside of his master. This led to eventual social and psychological suppression. The slave owners continued to ensure mastership of slaves through isolation from the social heritage of their ancestors. Masters forbade slaves from assimilating the experience of their ancestors into their own lives. They were also not allowed to inform their closest family members of their understanding