•How did slave trade begin and expand in Africa?
•What effect did the Europeans have on the slave trade?
•What was the Triangular Trade?
LEQ’s …
Before Europeans ever arrived in Africa there was already an established
slavery institution:
• Ancient Egypt had slaves – for over 400 years
• Tribes, kingdoms, empires – traded slaves for centuries
• Muslims – huge market in slaves• Trans-Saharan trade routes –
major commodity – slaves
The practice of slavery had been in operation in Africa and in central Europe for centuries. For example, Muslim slave traders from Arabia and Turkey had
transported enslaved Africans and Europeans into South East Asia and the Iberian Peninsula for centuries. However, nothing in the past equaled the Atlantic slave trade in size or in the extent and depth of its impact on the
world.
The Portuguese were the first Europeans to get involved in the slave trade. When the Portuguese first sailed down the Atlantic Coast of Africa in the 1430s, they were interested in one thing – gold. Ever since Mansu Musa, the king of Mali, made his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1325, the region had
become known for its gold. However, there was one major problem - the trade routes from sub-Saharan Africa were controlled by the Islamic
Empire.
Flashback … who was Mansa Musa
Mansa Musa 1312 – 1337One of the Muslim rulers of the Mali Empire
Therefore, being Muslim he had to travel to Mecca. WHY?
• Devout Muslim–Haj to Mecca – 1324 •60,000 people•80 camels•2 tons of gold to be distributed to the poor Why would he want to
distribute gold to the poor?
One of the 5 Pillars of Islam … give to the poor!
Why would he take a Haj to Mecca?
One of the 5 Pillars of Islam … once in your life take a haj
to Mecca!
Therefore … Europeans saw all this gold that Mansa Musa had and thought that Africa had an abundance of gold! So off to Africa the Europeans went in search of
this priceless gold!
However – major problem! The
trade routes were controlled by
Arabs! Berbers controlled the north/south
routes and the Bedouins
controlled the east/west routes.
They charged major taxes to any who used their services
across the Sahara!
Therefore, in search for this wealth of gold and a route around the Islamic trading
routes, the Portuguese began sailing to the west coast of
Africa.
Finding this successful, they began establishing
trading posts in regions today
known as Mauritania,
Senegal, Gambia, and
Guinea.Note the Bight of Benin and Bight of Biafra
In the beginning, the Portuguese traded copper ware, cloth, tools, wine, and horses for gold, pepper, and ivory. There was little market for slaves in Europe, so originally, the Portuguese
did very little trading in slaves.
However, as the Portuguese continued sailing further down the coast of Africa they found they could make a considerable fortune
in gold by transporting slaves from one trading post to another along the coast of Africa.
European traders dealt with African suppliers, seldom capturing the slaves
themselves.
African tribes continued trading in slaves; however, now for different reasons …to obtain
firearms for protection from other tribes!
Muslim merchants wanted slaves to use as porters on the trans-Saharan trade routes as well as to sale in the
Islamic Empire.
Muslim merchants were set up all along
the African coast, as far as
the Bight of Benin.
This area was reached by the Portuguese at the start of the 1470’s. It was not until they reached the
Congo coast in the 1480’s that
they outdistanced
Muslim trading territory.
As Portuguese trading continued along the coast, trading posts continued to be built. Built more as a fort to protect arms and ammunition (which eventually was added to the list of items
traded to the Africans), they remained trading posts rather than military forts.
Other European countries soon followed – 1st Dutch, then English, Danish, and Swedish
They began establishing forts and trading posts as well.
Soon the slave trade became more profitable than gold
With the successful voyage of Vasco da Gama to India and the
establishment of sugar plantations on Madeira, Canary, and Cape Verde
Islands (islands off the coast of West Africa), there was an emerging
market for slave workers on the sugar plantations.
Eventually, the opening of plantations in the New World added to this market for slaves, thus expanding yet again the slave market.
The expanding empires in the New World lacked one major resource – a work force.
The indigenous people proved
unreliable – most were dying from diseases
brought over from Europe – and Europeans were unsuited to the climate and suffered from tropical
diseases. Africans were
excellent workers – they had experience with agriculture
and herding cattle, they
were used to tropical climate, and they were
resistant to tropical
diseases.
It is estimated that as many as 15 million people were transported as slaves, with unknown numbers dying
enroute. Most of the enslaved people ended up in South America or the Caribbean, while nearly 500,000 were
transported to North America.
Became known as
The Triangular Trade• 1st passage
–Europe to Africa with goods• Middle passage
–slaves from Africa to Americas• 3rd passage
–from Americas back to the European country with raw materials
Trading items• 1st passage
–textiles, rum, brandy, shells, guns
• Middle passage –slaves
• 3rd passage–Cotton, tobacco, sugar
The Middle Passage
First held in slave camps until loaded on slave ships
This map shows various slave holding points in
Western African used by European traders around
1750. The greatest numbers of enslaved
persons taken from Africa came from the Congo
region. Out of these ports came 10 to 15 million
African captives. Before the 1830s, almost four times as many Africans
came to the Americas as European migrants, and almost all of them left
from the points indicated on this map.
Horrific conditions of the slave ships
Extremely crowded
“Stored” like cargo
Two
thoughts – loose
packing v.
tight packing
Diseases and malnutrition Slaves were forced to “dance” for
exercise
Many Africans
diedSome by suicide
Others were killed because food and
water supplies were low –
often by being thrown overboard
Finally,Slavery Abolished
• 1807 – Britain banned slave trade• 1807 – US outlaws importation of slaves• 1808 - British abolish slavery • 1840 –Bight of Benin slave trade collapsed • 1865 – abolished in US with the 13th
Amendment and end of Civil War• 1888 – banned in Brazil• Portugal last European country to abolish
slavery
Horrific Numbers• 4 centuries of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
• 12 million Africans taken to New World and Europe
• 17 million Africans taken to coast of Indian Ocean
• 5 million Africans transported via Red Sea, Sahara, and from East Africa to other parts of the world
• 4 million died before ever being shipped to other countries
• Of course, these are just the numbers we know about!
http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/geography/slave_trade.htm
This map depicts the forced movement of millions of enslaved Africans to the Americas over a span of 4
centuries.
So, what have you learned? • Which European country was the first to get involved
in the West African Slave trade?• Why did they come to Africa originally?• Which African ruler made gold famous and how did he
accomplish this?• Where was the market for slaves originally? • Whose successful voyage to India opened new
markets for slaves?• Where were these first new markets and for what
purpose were slaves needed?• Why were Africans valued so on plantations?• What is the Triangular Trade?• Can you describe the various passages?• Describe the Middle passage. • Describe the reasons for the end of the West African
slave trade. • Which European country was the last to stop slave
trading?
What, to you, was the worst aspect of slavery?
Words to know …•Triangular Trade•Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade•The Middle Passage•Indigenous Know the importance of the following people in regards to the slave trade…•Mansa Musa•Vasco da Gama
http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slavery/search.html
Sketches of slave trade from …
Indigenous – native to or originating in a particular country, land, or region.