TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE

• What was the status of enslaved people in some parts of Africa prior to the involvement of the Europeans?

  • In some African societies, before the involvement of Europeans, slaves were not considered property. They were more like a social class or designation within society
• What was the status of enslaved people in the medieval Muslim world?

  • In the Muslim world of the Middle Ages, many women were seen as a symbol of status. They were employed as sexual slaves in harems. They were also servants in armies and households and armies
• In what context did Europeans start the transatlantic slave trade?

  • They needed more labor work to export larger scales of cash crops
  • Since the indigenous population reduced because of the diseases the Europeans brought, they looked to Africa to perform the labor works in agriculture
• How did the transatlantic slave trade cause an increase in wars in Africa?

  Competition for captives, arms trade, destabilization of societies, incentives for expansion
• Competition for captives

  European slave traders often pitted African tribes against each other to capture more slaves. This incentivized warfare and raids to procure captives for trade
• Arms Trade

  Europeans traded firearms and other weapons to African kingdoms in exchange for slaves. This led to an increase in conflicts as rival groups sought to acquire more weapons to gain advantage over their enemies
• Destabilization of Societies

   The demand for slaves disrupted traditional African societies, leading to power struggles and social unrest. This often resulted in internal conflicts and wars as groups vied for control over trade routes and territories
• Incentive for expansion

  Some African kingdoms expanded their territories to capture more slaves or to protect themselves from slave raids. This expansionism often led to conflicts with neighboring tribes or kingdoms
• What goods moved across the triangular trade?

  • from africa to americas: slaves
  • from americas to europe: sugar, tobacco, and cotton
  • from europe to africa: textiles, rum, manufactured goods
• How did the transatlantic slave trade contribute to the Industrial Revolution?

  • It was due to the wealth the Transatlantic Slave Trade brought to Europeans
• Explain the continuities in systems of slavery from 1450 to 1750

  1. Economic Exploitation: Slavery remained primarily driven by economic motives. Whether in ancient times or during the transatlantic slave trade era, slaves were often seen as valuable commodities for labor-intensive industries such as agriculture and mining
  2. Dehumanization: Throughout history, slaves were treated as property rather than as human beings with rights. This dehumanization persisted from ancient times through the transatlantic slave trade, manifesting in brutal treatment, forced labor, and lack of legal protections
• Changes in systems of slavery from 1450 to 1750

  1. Scale of transatlantic slave trade

  2. Racialization of slavery
• Transatlantic slave trade

  • Unprecedented scale of human trafficking, with millions of Africans forcibly transported to the Americas over several centuries
  • Significant departure from earlier forms of slavery
• Slavery in previous eras

  • Involved people of various ethnicities and races
• Transatlantic slave trade

  • Became heavily racialized, with Africans being specifically targeted and enslaved based on their race
  • Profound and long-lasting impacts on societies
  • Continues to shape race relations today
• How the Atlantic slave trade represents continuity with earlier eras

  • Continuation of slavery as an institution for economic exploitation and labor control
  • Forced labor of individuals deprived of their freedom and treated as property
  • Dehumanization of slaves and use of violence to maintain control
• How the Atlantic slave trade represents something new in this era

  • Unprecedented scale of mass transportation of millions of people across continents
  • Racialization of slavery, particularly targeting and enslavement of Africans based on their race
  • Profound and enduring consequences for the societies involved, contributing to the development of modern concepts of race and racism
• • Slavery is a system where individuals are owned by others and forced to work without pay
• • From 1450 to 1750, different societies had various forms of slavery
  • Types of slavery included chattel slavery in the Americas, debt bondage, and indentured servitude
  • These systems varied in terms of legal rights, duration of bondage, and cultural attitudes
• • While "slavery" is a broad term, using it for all forms may overlook important differences
• • justification for slavery included racial inferiority, economics, religion, & concepts of civilization
• • many enslaved africans died in the translantic slave trade (before they even stepped onto american land)
• • europeans protected african regions fiercely
  • wanted to sell and export more than buy and import 
• • slave trade brought european nations more money
• • leg of the triangular trade linking africa to the americas was called the Middle Passage
  • began in ports in west coast of africa 
  • Middle Passage + ports is where African and European slave traders exchanged goods for enslaved people