THE ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE ORIGINS, CHARACTERISTICS, LEGACY

THE BEGINNINGS OF A GLOBAL ECONOMY THE PORTUGUESE WENT INTO AFRICA BOTH AS A STOP ON TRADE ROUTES TO INDIA AND FOR RESOURCES AND SLAVES NEW WORLD PLANTATIONS GROWING CASH CROPS EXPERIENCED A LABOR SHORTAGE-NATIVE AMERICANS WERE DYING OFF; NOT ENOUGH INDENTURED SERVANTS

THE TRIANGULAR TRADE AFRICAN SLAVES CAPTURED WITH MANUFACTURED WEAPONS FROM EUROPE SENT TO NEW WORLD CASH CROPS, GROWN BY SLAVES IN THE NEW WORLD, SENT TO EUROPE MANUFACTURED GOODS, BUILT IN EUROPEAN FACTORIES FUNDED BY PLANTATION PROFITS, SENT TO AFRICA

THE IMMEDIATE HUMAN COST APPROXIMATELY 20 MILLION PEOPLE CAPTURED 2.5 MILLION DIED IN CAPTURE OR ON THE FORCED MARCH TO THE SLAVE CASTLES 2.5 MILLION DIED IN THE SLAVE CASTLES 2 MILLION DIED ON THE MIDDLE PASSAGE 5 MILLION DIED IN THE “SEASONING CAMPS” OF THE WEST INDIES 10 MILLION FULLY SURVIVED JOURNEY

ENDING THE SLAVE TRADE THE BRITISH PROFITED THE MOST FROM THE SLAVE TRADE AND HAD THE MOST PROFITABLE COLONIES, BUT WORKED TO END THE TRADE FOR ECONOMIC REASONS: OPPORTUNITY COST: THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION REQUIRED MORE INVESTMENT IN FACTORIES, NOT OVERSEAS PLANTATIONS LOSS OF MONOPOLY: AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE MEANT AMERICANS NO LONGER HAD TO PURCHASE SUGAR FROM BRITISH COLONIES AND PLANTATIONS HIGHER “OVERHEAD” COSTS: 1791 HAITI SLAVE REBELLION TERRIFIED THE BRITISH-MORE MILITARY RESOURCES TO PROTECT PLANTATIONS IN NEW WORLD ALL THESE DECREASED THE PROFITABILITY OF THE SLAVE TRADE

LONG TERM EFFECTS THE POPULATION AND ECONOMIES OF WEST AFRICA STAGNATED, WEAKENING AFRICAN KINGDOMS AND SOCIETIES EUROPEAN COUNTRIES FINANCED TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES WITH PROFITS FROM SLAVERY, GROWING THE TECHNOLOGY GAP BETWEEN EUROPE AND THE REST OF THE WORLD THESE PREVIOUS TWO REASONS MADE AFRICA MUCH EASIER FOR EUROPE TO COLONIZE BEGINNINGS OF RACISM (MORE ON THIS LATER) AFRICAN DIASPORA AND NEW CULTURES AFRICAN AMERICAN AFRO-CARIBBEAN AFRO-BRAZILIAN

RACIAL ATTITUDES YESTERDAY AND TODAY RACISM STARTED BECAUSE OF THE SLAVE TRADE, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND DURING SLAVERY, PORTRAYALS OF AFRICAN SLAVES FIT TWO STEREOTYPES: SIMPLE, LAZY, STUPID, WORTHY OF PITY- JUSTIFICATION FOR SLAVERY VIOLENT, DANGEROUS, BLOODTHIRSTY, WORTHY OF FEAR-SLAVE REBELLIONS THESE TWO PORTRAYALS ARE STILL COMMON IN DEPICTIONS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS TODAY- ESPECIALLY MALES

ATTITUDES TODAY OVER 50% OF WHITE AMERICANS BELIEVE AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE LAZIER THAN WHITES NEARLY 50% OF WHITE AMERICANS BELIEVE AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE LESS INTELLIGENT THAN WHITES WHITE AMERICANS BELIEVE AFRICAN AMERICANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF CRIMES THAN THEY REALLY ARE IN 2012, 56% OF ALL AMERICANS EXPRESSED ANTI BLACK ATTITUDES AFRICAN AMERICANS WITH LIGHTER SKIN ARE PERCEIVED AS SMARTER AND MORE ATTRACTIVE BY BOTH WHITE AND AFRICAN AMERICANS

QUOTE TO CONSIDER “THE NEW WORLD SLAVE-PLANTATION SOCIETY WAS THE LABORATORY OF MODERN RACISM. THE SIMPLE FACT IS NO PEOPLE CAN ENSLAVE ANOTHER FOR FOUR CENTURIES WITHOUT COMING OUT WITH A NOTION OF SUPERIORITY.” -WALTER RODNEY

TRIVIA ANSWERS CUDJOE LEWIS WAS THE LAST SLAVE BROUGHT TO THE UNITED STATES FROM AFRICA. HE WAS BORN IN TOGO AND BROUGHT TO THE PORT OF NEW ORLEANS. HE DIED IN SYLVESTER MAGEE WAS THE LAST LIVING FORMER AMERICAN AMERICAN SLAVE. HE DIED IN 1971