COL155 Atlantic Slave Trade African-American Cultural Traditions and the end of slavery Jonathan Fulton Spring 2014

The making of cultural traditions African slaves often sent to Americas on ships with people from different societies Very different cultural traditions In Americas, European traditions shaped societies Slaves therefore created distinct cultural traditions

The making of cultural traditions: Language Creole: when two languages come together, create a new grammar and vocabulary European languages dominant in Americas Africans from different societies with distinct languages used a combination – European language mixed with their own Gullah and Geechee most common in southern US

The Making of Cultural Traditions: Religion Combined different elements from different societies Took elements from Christianity & combined with African rituals Also maintained belief in magic, witchcraft, spirit possession, supernatural powers

The end of the slave trade and abolition of slavery Revolutions in USA and France – liberty & human rights African societies pressure to abolish slave trade Economic costs – frequent revolts made slavery very expensive & dangerous Brutality of slavery became more widely known – Olaudah Equiano’s autobiography

Economic Forces Slaves don’t make good workforce Unwilling and unproductive Also: higher production (of products) = lower prices, decline in profits And: more demand (for slaves) = higher prices, decline in profits

Economic Forces Wage labour – do the work in factories, cheaper than slaves + have money to buy stuff Africans in Africa – can extract resources there, trade for manufactured products

Abolition From , European states began abolishing slave trade British navy patrolled Atlantic, prevented slave ships from reaching Americas Slaves given freedom in different colonies and states over 50 year period