African Diaspora : The Forced Migration of Nations THE LARGEST IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD

Who Can We Blame? Slavery has existed since the beginnings of human civilization Portugal: Begins to establish “factories” along eastern African coast by 1440s

Video Clip of-us/videos/african-slave-trade of-us/videos/african-slave-trade John Green:

The Largest Reason for Massive Slave Imports SUGAR (Labor intensive=Required huge amounts of labor) Europe gained a sweet-tooth From = million Africans shipped to the Americas 1700s = time period when 80% of the slaves were shipped Which region received few slaves in comparison?

Slave Trade in the Americas By comparison, few slaves shipped to North America Why? The slave population grew in the North America due to birth rates In South America & the Caribbean, they needed a constant flow to make up for dead slaves (indentured servants?) Brazil received 41% of all slaves By the end, Africa’s total population had been cut in half (from around 50 million to 25 million)

Why So Many? Once other European nations realized the massive wealth opportunities, they wanted a piece of the human slave-trade pie Could make as much as 300% profit from 1 journey English = Royal African Company Dutch = Dutch East India Company Competition between European Nations helped them dominate the world

Effects: Environmental More profitable to clear new lands when old fields decline in productivity Led to Deforestation; by 1800 only interior lands still had dense forests New animals introduced started to crowd-out native species Little land left for Native populations Africans brought agricultural techniques such as rice cultivation that became highly profitable New foodstuffs from the Americas were eventually brought to Africa & improved diet/quality of life

Effects: Human Africa’s West Coast lost entire villages & future leaders  African Diaspora Slave journey was degrading & horrifying Up to 18 hours of work per day Family formation difficult Few female slaves Loss of traditional structures – family members bought & sold Many workers died within a few months of arrival - Life expectancy: Males 23; Females 25.5 Harshest working conditions experienced in Brazil & the Caribbean

The Middle Passage The “second leg” of the Triangular Trade (Africa-the Americas) Horrifying ordeal Chained together Men kept separate from boys, girls and women 4 square feet of space per person onboard ship Journey lasted 3-6 weeks Death=common (from contagious disease, bad food, dysentery, refusal to eat) Ships were equipped with special nets to catch people who jumped

Slavery in the Colonies Primarily worked on plantations Some continued skilled jobs such as carpentry Women were often domestic servants % of slaves far outnumbered masters so they lived in constant fear of rebellion, therefore used harsh discipline techniques Constant whippings, floggings & mutilations

How was Slavery Justified? Religious Bible (Curse of Ham/Canaan) [Genesis 9:20-27] Slavery produced massive amounts of wealth People are not born equal White, Europeans: Slaves were “content” (because they sang) “Slaves live better lives than in Africa.”