African role in Columbian Exchange

1. DBQ: Age of the Atlantic Slave Trade: Between 1450 and 1870 over ten million humans were taken from Africa. This would have enormous consequences for both the African and American continents and for all the people involved, especially the slaves themselves.The European would tap into the pre-existing slave trade and negotiatie with the African Kingdoms for a new coercive labor source, the wealth of the slave trade through mercanilistic policies would generate wealth for some Africans but mostly Europeans for slaves, sugar and silver production, and the notion of cultural superiority would illustrate the exploitation of labor both of natives but African Chattel slavery as well.

2. African role in Columbian Exchange • Historical Context: • As all the Kings, Explorers and business financers had hoped, the Americas were full of opportunities to make money. Gold, silver and other minerals could be mined, and tobacco, sugar and other crops could be grown on plantations. In order to make use of these resources there would have to be a reliable supply of laborers to do the work. The Native American population had dwindled due to disease and war and did not provide enough labor. However, the Europeans had access to another cheap labor market that already existed, the African Slave Trade. While the use of slaves has existed in societies for millennia, it was not until the mid fifteenth century that Europeans began trading and capturing slaves from the African continent, just in time for the discovery of the Americas... Between 1450 and 1870 over ten million humans were taken from Africa. This would have enormous consequences for both the African and American continents and for all the people involved, especially the slaves themselves

3. Africa still maintained links to the Muslim world but came increasingly pulled into the world of the West • African culture blended with the cultures of those places slaves were brought to • During this period Africa itself remained relatively free of outside political control

4. The Portuguese • Established forts/trading (factories) posts with consent of local rulers • Allowed Portuguese to penetrate existing African interior trade routes • Established inland trade contact/collection points (lancados) • Trade was primary basis of relations with Africans but with trade came political, social, and religious relations

5. Doc #1:This letter identifies the economic importance of a new labor source • The purpose of the author is to identify the scarcity of labor, the need for precious metals (bullionism) and the desire for a new intensive labor source ( due to the unwillingness of the Spanish to mine). After the Natives became Christians (due , in part to the work by Bartolome de Las Casas and after the requirmiento requiring the Christianization of the inhabitants) , African enslavement became a more appealing coercive labor source. Chattel slavery(racialized slavery with the harshest treatment possible) would be the preferable method of mining, farming and port labor.

6. The Kingdom of Kongo • Missionaries succeeded in converting the royal family to Christianity – then general population • Portugal and Kongo exchanged ambassadors • Kongo treated with rough equality • Eventual enslavement of Kongo citizens led Kongo king to attempt to end slave trade and limit Portuguese activities

7. Further contacts with African tribes made as Portuguese made way down Africa’s coast • Portuguese established settlement at Luanda (Angola) • Portuguese outposts an attempt to control trade

8. Document #7 An Appeal from King Alfonso of the Kongo for the purpose of ending the slave trade • , “since this is caused by the excessive freedom given by your agents and officials to the men and merchants who are allowed to come to this Kingdom to set up shops with goods and many things which have been prohibited by us, and which they spread throughout our Kingdoms and Domains in such an abundance that many of our vassals, whom we had in obedience, do not comply because they have the things in greater abundance than we ourselves;” This illustartes that the Portugese are taking advantage of the kingdoms kindness and are creating instability of the kingdom through the slave trade. As a converted Catholic (Antonianism) he is begging both the King and the lord (Jesus) to cease the trade as it is depopulating his kingdom due to the insatiable demand of Portugese slavers for this coercive labor (Chattel slavery)

9. Slavery active on Christian-Muslim frontier • Trade between Iberia and Africa through African states • Trade expanded with introduction of sugar into Atlantic islands and later Brazil

10. Demographics • 1450-1850: 12 million Africans shipped across Atlantic • Only about 10-11 million actually arrived • Slave trade peaked in 18th century • High volume due to slave mortality rates and low fertility rates • Exception was United States. Why?

11. In total populations, slaves in American colonies never more than ¼ - in Caribbean, slaves 80-90 percent • Brazil received the most slaves – about 42 percent of all those who reached the New World due to high demand over longest period of time

14. Demographic patterns • Trans-Saharan slave trade mostly women and children. Why? • Atlantic slave trade mostly male. Why? • How might these patterns impact African demographics

15. Control of the slave trade by Europeans reflected the political situation in Europe: slavery was led by Portugal as was exploration • As power of Portuguese eclipsed so too was its control of slave trade • As Britain became power in Europe it took over slave trade • Slave trade had costs- • Majority of Europeans died the first year out • Less than 10 percent of employees of Royal Africa Company returned to Britain Document # Illustrates a n engraving ( William Blake Was a famous poet) Depicting a symbolic gesture of a favorable Relationship with natives, African and Europeans For the purpose of placing the interactions between The old and new worlds in a favorable light ( perhaps To the Catholic church or royalty or to justify The slave trade and imperialism.

16. The Process of slave trading • Europeans often dealt directly with local rulers- paid tax or offered gifts • Mulatto agents bought slaves at inland trade centers and transported slaves to coast • Both Europe and African states involved in trade – both sought slaving monopolies Document #5 OffobahCugoano describes his capture into slavery I was early snatched away from my native country, with about eighteen or twenty more boys and girls, as we were playing in a field. We lived but a few days' journey from the coast where we were kidnapped, and consigned to Grenada... We were soon led out of the way which we knew, and towards evening, The purpose of this document is to identify the role of African Kingdoms in the Process of gathering slaves and the terrible treatment ( since property was owned by royalty, wealth was often derived from the procurement of slaves for guns, rum and molasses)

17. Documents # 2.3.4.5..9 Descriptions of conditions of enslavement for the purpose of identifying the abhorance of chattel slavery, the flagrant violations of humanity and the greed of slavers in maximizing profits for coercive labor ( some may be grouped economically, others politically) Document #2 Life of Olaudah Equiano was a freed slave whose narrative became a clarion call for the abolitionist movement about the inhame treatment of slaves for the British government. “. I was not long suffered to indulge my grief; I was soon put down under the decks, and there I received such a salutation in my nostrils as I had never experienced in my life: so that with the loathsomeness of the stench and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I the least desire to taste anything” Document #3 is an illustration of the condisions of the slave ships to identify how the slavers attempted to maximize profits by cramping slaves in “coffin positions’ as human cargo ( Chattel as a commodity) Document #4 illsutares the economic and/or cultural description of chattel slavery” slaves were property; that they were outsiders who were alien by origin or who had been denied their heritage through judicial or other sanctions; that coercion could be used at will; that their labor power was at the complete disposal of a master; that they did not have the right to their own sexuality and, by extension, to their own reproductive capacities; and that the slave status was inherited unless provision was made to ameliorate(improve) that status. “ Document #9 identifies the most famous freed American slave (Frederick Douglas) and his treatment by his master Mr. Covey and a altercation where Douglas reacted to the harsh punishment and indicates the indomitable spirit of the cause to end the institution of slavery ( it will not come util the 19th century after 500 years of the institution)

18. The economics of slavery • Was it profitable? One voyage might give a profit of 300 percent. But counting risks and costs, trade gave about a 5-10 percent profit overall • Slave trade vital to plantations and mines of New World – therefore contributed to growth of European economies • Linked Africa to globalized trade networks – Triangular trade

20. 1652- Dutch colony at Cape of Good Hope established (VOC) • Dependent on slave labor brought from SE Asia – later incorporated African peoples • Colony expanded by Afrikaners (Boers) • Britain seized colony in 1795 • Chafing under British rule, Boers moved north creating numerous autonomous Boer state • Document #6 • - from Volume 1 of J.H. Bernardin de Saint Pierre’s Voyage to the Isle de France, Isle de Bourbon, The Cape of Good Hope… (1773) • “I do not know if coffee and sugar are essential to the happiness of Europe, but I do know well that these two products have accounted for the unhappiness of two great regions of the world: America has been depopulated so as to have land on which to plant them; Africa has been depopulated so as to have the people to cultivate them.” • The purpose of this document is to identify the exploitation of the Americas and Africa through the exploitation of land, labor and capital known as mercantilism.

21. Slavery in Africa • Slavery an established institution before arrival of foreign slavers • Slavery used for labor and to extend lineage • The Sudanic states took on Islamic concepts of slavery • Europeans were able to tap into pre-existing slave trade routes • African states happy to supply slaves in return for European goods • African states rarely sold their own people - rather they sold captives from neighboring tribes

22. Western African states gained power through contact with Europeans (middlemen such as Sudanic states) • Use of gunpowder weapons allowed expansion against weaker neighbors • Result was unending warfare and disruption of society

23. African kingdoms based on slavery • Asante • Linked Akan clans under central rule • Expanded through gunpowder – constant supply of prisoners for slave trade • Benin • Already a power upon arrival of Europeans • Initial trade excluded slaves – increasing European pressures resulted in limited slave trade • Dahomey • Used gunpowder to expand territory and slave trade • Major slaving state

24. East Africa and the Sudan • Swahili trade cities still involved in Indian Ocean trade – adjusted to military presence of Portuguese and Ottomans • Slaves brought from interior – mostly traded to Middle East but smaller number to European plantations • Zanzibar and off-shore islands – plantations established by Swahili, Arabs, and Indian merchants

25. Islam in Africa • Break-up of Songhay created smaller states – such as Hausa states - run by Muslim royal or aristocratic families • Emergence of Muslim reform movements • Fulani expansion based on Sufi variant – took control of Hausa states • Based new kingdom at Sokoto under a caliph • Social and political changes due to expanded Islam under jihad – greater numbers of slaves

26. The Zulus • Unification of Nguni peoples • Shaka - military reorganization based on lineage and age; new tactics; short thrusting spear; permanent institution • Shaka gained control by crushing royal families and opposition • Shaka assassinated but reforms left in place • Zulus most powerful African army

27. Rise of Zulus and other Nguni chiefdoms brought about mfecane – wars of crushing and wandering • Emergence of states based on Zulu model such as the Swazi • Lesotho resisted Zulu model – defended against Nguni armies • All of southern Africa in turmoil due to mfecane • Boers able to hold lands due to gunpowder • Zulus crushed by British in 1870’s

29. Slave Lives • Forced march upon capture to trade towns or slave pens on coast – as many as 1/3 died en route • Voyage to Americas (middle passage) saw losses as high as 18 percent • Losses also high on Muslim Saharan Passage • Conditions on ship led many to suicide or revolt • Slaves arrived in Americas with African cultures intact

30. COT

31. Thesis From 1450-1750 Africa was impacted by the new Trans-Atlantic slave trade ( great circuit, Middle Passage, African Diaspora) losing mostly male enslaved (appox 10-14 million) to engage in the intensive labor in the “new world” leading to the civil wars and destruction of many families, introducing new firearms for the development of dominant empires like the Kingdom of the Kongo, however, slavery would persist across the Sahara still dominated by Arab merchants.

32. Africans in the Americas • Used mostly as labor in mines and on plantations • Slaves usually had experience in crop production – skills used by plantation owners • Slavery gradually replaced indentured servitude in American colonies due to costs • Urban slaves worked as domestic servants, artisans, and street vendors

33. American Slave Societies • Societies differed as slaves mixed with various European cultures • Salt-Water slaves- African born; black • Creole slaves- American born; could be mulatto • General hierarchy with whites on top and slave son bottom with free mixed races in-between • Creole slaves usually had more opportunity for skilled work, work in homes, and opportunity for manumission

34. Class lines based on color and differences of African groups (tribalism) • Many rebellions and mass-escapes organized along tribal lines • Total populations in Caribbean dominated by slaves; Brazil only about a 1/3 due to greater manumission • Despite difficulties, most slaves lived in family units

35. Slaves blended African religions with Christianity • Runaways constant problem • Runaway kingdom of Palmares • Jamaican maroons • Suriname maroons

36. The End of Slavery • Enlightenment ideals + Christian revival + Industrial Revolution = abolition of slavery • British slave trade abolished 1807 – British navy used to suppress trade • Slavery truly ended in the Americas with abolition in Brazil 1888