Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Research Paper
Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: How it Affected Africa The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade was the largest connection between the Old and the New World in the 15th through the 19th centureis. The route went from Europe to Africa, Africa to the New World, and then the New World to Europe again. This route was used for slave trade with Africa and was used for centuries. Africans allowed this trade of slaves because the people being sent away were their rivals. Tribes that participated in the trading used their war captives as the people they traded; it was a win-win situation in their eyes. They were able to get their enemy males farther away and get luxury goods out of the deal. This trade between Europe and Africa took place all throughout the 15th
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to 19th centuries. Over time the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade had an enormous negative affect for Africa allowing a demographic toll in its states, left the country unstable politically/economically and socially diffenrent. Africa was left in much confusion and was very vulnerable in the centuries to come. Africa faced a demographic toll as many as sixteen million total Africans were transported to the New World over time.
But the shocking facts are how it grew so rapidly in the matter of five centuries. In the 15th through the 16th centuries a total of two thousand slaves were transported, then is the 17th century twenty thousand, in the 18th century was the height of the amount of people being transported at the amount of fifty five thousand. As time went and the products coming from the New World were being enjoyed and had a higher demand causing a demand for more slaves. Out of the sixteen million Africans transported only twenty-five percent of them died in the middle passage, which is approximately two million of Africans died. Losing so many people lead to a demographic disaster in Africa and hurt Africa greatly. As Walter Rodney states “The decisiveness of the short period of colonialism and its negative consequences for Africa spring mainly from the fact that Africa lost power. Power is the ultimate determinant in human society, being basic to the relations within any group and between groups. It implies the ability to defend one 's interests and if necessary to impose one 's will by any means available. In relations between peoples, the question of power determines maneuverability in bargaining, the extent to which a people survive as a physical and cultural entity. When one society finds itself forced to relinquish power entirely to another society that in itself is
a form of underdevelopment."1 Africa was left with a demographic toll that would leave them to struggle to stay modernized even to this day.
Africa having lost millions of people then had to face social changes. They had to reconstruct their relations and traditional values. They developed a regression as whole societies were destroyed, communities relocated away from slave trade routes, and racism began. Europeans looked down at Africans from the beginning by the way they looked. They thought their skin was black because they worked in the sun all day and the sun made peoples skin darker so they deserve the hard labor intensive work. The Europeans saw the slaves as un-human and just property. This is the beginning of what we call racism. Africa was politically becoming decentralized and leadership rigid. Violence breaks out all over Africa as the majority of the Africans that were traded were the productive fourteen to thirty-five men and Europe demands more. Even the economy suffered! The economy was hindered since Africa pulled back from trading and had to focus all energy to hide and defend themselves from the Europeans.
Bibliography
Davidson, Basil. Africa in History. New York: Macmillan, 1969.
Parker, John, and Richard Rathbone. African History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007.
Rodney, Walter. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. London: Bogle-L 'Ouverture, 1983.
Shillington, Kevin. Encyclopedia of African History. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2005.
to 19th centuries. Over time the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade had an enormous negative affect for Africa allowing a demographic toll in its states, left the country unstable politically/economically and socially diffenrent. Africa was left in much confusion and was very vulnerable in the centuries to come. Africa faced a demographic toll as many as sixteen million total Africans were transported to the New World over time.
But the shocking facts are how it grew so rapidly in the matter of five centuries. In the 15th through the 16th centuries a total of two thousand slaves were transported, then is the 17th century twenty thousand, in the 18th century was the height of the amount of people being transported at the amount of fifty five thousand. As time went and the products coming from the New World were being enjoyed and had a higher demand causing a demand for more slaves. Out of the sixteen million Africans transported only twenty-five percent of them died in the middle passage, which is approximately two million of Africans died. Losing so many people lead to a demographic disaster in Africa and hurt Africa greatly. As Walter Rodney states “The decisiveness of the short period of colonialism and its negative consequences for Africa spring mainly from the fact that Africa lost power. Power is the ultimate determinant in human society, being basic to the relations within any group and between groups. It implies the ability to defend one 's interests and if necessary to impose one 's will by any means available. In relations between peoples, the question of power determines maneuverability in bargaining, the extent to which a people survive as a physical and cultural entity. When one society finds itself forced to relinquish power entirely to another society that in itself is
a form of underdevelopment."1 Africa was left with a demographic toll that would leave them to struggle to stay modernized even to this day.
Africa having lost millions of people then had to face social changes. They had to reconstruct their relations and traditional values. They developed a regression as whole societies were destroyed, communities relocated away from slave trade routes, and racism began. Europeans looked down at Africans from the beginning by the way they looked. They thought their skin was black because they worked in the sun all day and the sun made peoples skin darker so they deserve the hard labor intensive work. The Europeans saw the slaves as un-human and just property. This is the beginning of what we call racism. Africa was politically becoming decentralized and leadership rigid. Violence breaks out all over Africa as the majority of the Africans that were traded were the productive fourteen to thirty-five men and Europe demands more. Even the economy suffered! The economy was hindered since Africa pulled back from trading and had to focus all energy to hide and defend themselves from the Europeans.
Bibliography
Davidson, Basil. Africa in History. New York: Macmillan, 1969.
Parker, John, and Richard Rathbone. African History: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007.
Rodney, Walter. How Europe Underdeveloped Africa. London: Bogle-L 'Ouverture, 1983.
Shillington, Kevin. Encyclopedia of African History. New York: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2005.