Women In East African Slave Trade

However, although the slave trade had been increasing, the economic changeover proved relatively simple. Rubber would take the place of slaves, with cloves providing additional assistance. In addition, the slave trade would take a toll on Africa and the potential of how productive they could’ve been. Labor was exported for a fraction of its value: slaves tended to be young, and most productive members of society. “Thus, Atlantic Africa experienced no significant economic “development” during the era of the slave trade, for the exception of a few indigenous economic benefiting from the involvement in the transatlantic system.” The clampdown of the slave trade and the progressing shift to exporting natural resources in Africa, integrated the
continent deeper within the capitalist world economy more than ever before.
The end of the slave trade, brought about commercial integration across the entire continent of Africa, and brought about major economic changes. While economic policies were meant to keep the prices of goods low, agriculture became much more commercialized. Thus a rise of laborers would come about and travel place to place for work. “As European powers penetrated deeper into rural areas, carrying commercial agriculture to villages previously out of reach of global trade, and opening up commercial opportunities in rural areas.” However, European motives for the occupation of Africa can be seen through Charter Companies. Companies had enforcement groups to collect raw materials, like rubber, and terrorized/harassed towns in the process if they refused to cooperate. “Commercial power brought with it the power to expand one’s following, the power to buy slaves, wives, or both-female slaves playing a particularly important role in the perpetuation of households and political establishments.” The overall expansion of commercial trade during the colonial period, imports grew in bulk and range to include luxury as well as essential consumer goods. This growth in their prosperity, however, made the African territories increasingly vulnerable to world market conditions beyond their control, and also made them more dependent on the colonial powers.
The drastic economic change from colonial rule would have an impact on the gender roles native Africans would have.
While family life and the status of women remained relatively the same in the southern and western zones of Africa, women in eastern Africa generally enjoyed a higher economic and cultural status. While growing communities granted some degree of freedom for women from men control, however, “prostitution and beer-brewing were the most common fates for women who had left their rural homes. Elsewhere, while the cash-crop economy brought commercial opportunities for both men and women, most of these went to men; women engaged in some causal labor, but their roles often confined to domestic work, such as cultivating food crops, and rearing children, especially in areas where the men were involved in labor migration.” All in all, legal systems under European control shows that women were at a disadvantage, because men, especially elite men, had much more advantages/opportunities than women, and benefited off of women’s unpaid
labor.
Of all the impacts colonial rule had on Africa, the most significant one that damaged the African economy is the exploitation of their resources. Prior to European colonialization of the continent of Africa, trade had been done domestically. The arrival of colonial empires redirected all trade in Africa to international export markets. In addition, “colonial governments did nothing to stop situations such as that in Gambia where rice that could have been grown by native farmers much more cheaply was imported, and in order to pay for it farmers were forced to devote their energies in the cultivation of groundnuts.” Because food crops for African consumers made less money than that of export crops, and because heavy transport charges added to the already high price of international imported goods, the native people were at a major disadvantage. This can be seen as the greatest impact colonialism had on Africa, because African economies focused on the production of a few cash crops for the consumption in world markets they had no control over. Thus, colonial rule merged the continent of Africa into the world economic system, however, Africans were unequal partners in economic and trade.

Colonial rule on in Africa lasted a little under a century, however during that time, colonial administrations created an extensive infrastructure, introduced an agriculture cash crop system, and transformed the traditional standards of rank and wealth.
However, the economic impact Colonial rule had on Africa, held very negative results. The infrastructure that was created was to exploit the natural resources of the continent. This would stall industrial and technological development for Africa. The Slave trade would have devastating effects on Atlantic Africa; there can be little doubt that trade stunted economic growth and diversification, as well as demographic growth, with population levels at least remaining the same, if not declining, as a result of the regular export of people. The impact of European colonialism of Africa happened for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was economic. Before colonial rule, Africa was increasingly adapting and advancing economically. Though Colonial rule help progress economic development in some places, many others had not, which effected the natural process of African development. Had European powers never interfered with African development, its development would be completely different and many of the problems that affect it today would not
exist.