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Africa and the Africans in the Age of the Atlantic Slave Trade
25 Africa and the Africans in the Age of the Atlantic Slave Trade
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Africa and the Africans in the Age of the Atlantic Slave Trade
Africa and the Creation of an Atlantic System African Societies, Slavery, and the Slave Trade White Settlers and Africans in Southern Africa The African Diaspora
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Africa and the Africans in the Age of the Atlantic Slave Trade
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Africa from 1400-1850: Big Ideas
The Slave Trade has defined Africa’s history during this period though this is far from a complete picture Africa is much more than a victim of world history Europe’s role in Africa bears many important similarities and differences from Europe’s role in America European germs did not have devistating effect in Africa Europe’s role in Africa would significantly transform by the late 19th century
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A Comparative Prompt Compare the experience and impact of European interactions in Latin America from with that of Africa. Have a clear thesis that is provable and clearly arguable Support your argument with three main ideas supported by specific information
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Africa in 1450: A European View
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Cultural Regions of Africa
North Africa- Long integrated in Eurasian cultures and economies- not addressed in ch 20 Islam well-established West Africa- State societies engage Portugal and later England and Holland in slave trade- significant Influence of Islam most pronounced in Sahel region South Africa Also hit by slave trade Largest European settlement- limited influence of Islam East Africa Integrated into Indian Ocean trade by Arab merchants Ancient Christian impact- Orthodox Ethiopians Central Africa One of the most isolated regions in the world “And this also," said Marlow suddenly, "has been one of the dark places of the earth.” ― Joseph Conrad, Heart of Darkness and the Congo Diary
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Periodization of African History 1450-1850
Text periodization based on European slave trade 1450- Portuguese engage in slave trade- Integrates Africa into the Atlantic system Arab slave traders and indigenous slave trade predates this Almost twice as many Africans cross the Atlantic to the Americas as do Europeans before 1800 Africa as Sub-Saharan Africa North Africa has been grouped with European History in the Classical era and Middle East beginning in Post-classical era
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The Atlantic Slave Trade
Portuguese- Focus on routes to India and China around Africa Establish factories (fortress trading centers) along African Coast Control limited areas with few people Depended on mutually beneficial trade with local peoples El Mina (1482) most important Sometimes provided slaves to local peoples in exchange for ivory, pepper, animal skins and gold Portugal did not introduce the slave trade to Africa nor did they have great need for slaves until later
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El Mina Castle: Europe’s First Slave- trading fort
This fort was seized by the Dutch by 1640
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The Atlantic Slave Trade
Nzinga Mbemba (Alphonso I) to the King of Portugal What is the point of view of King Alphonso? What relationship does he seem to have with the King of Portugal? How does this reflect the limited power of the Portuguese in Africa at this time? What additional source would be helpful in evaluating this piece of evidence?
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Portuguese Contact and Penetration of Africa
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Obtaining Slaves Europeans found slave-raiding to be inefficient
Trading for slaves more profitable African groups owned and traded slaves Obviously- the racial marker of slavery in the Americas was not present Slave-owning was one of the few ways to accumulate wealth and status Whole villages of slaves who paid tribute to ruler Europeans tapped into existing slaving networks Growing demand for slaves and power imbalance between Africa and Europe would weaken the position of African states vis a vis Europe
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Trend Toward Expansion
The growing world economy (particularly sugar and plantation economy) would support the growth of slave trade More profits generated more wealth and competition for slave trade African societies faced the prospect of slave trade or be made slaves Europeans provided fire arms in exchange for slaves impacting the regional African balance of power Estimated about 12 million Africans bought and transported across the Atlantic between 80% of these during the 18th century Slaving would kill as many as 1/3 of the captured people
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Demographic Impact High mortality of plantation slaves required continuing new supply Sugar and mining particularly dangerous Small numbers of women brought limited natural growth Exception southern United States- less hazardous and higher fertility Demographic impact mitigated by import of Columbian exchange foods that supported population growth in China and Europe
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Dominating the Trade Trans-Atlantic
Portuguese dominate first to 1630 Dutch and later British and French Trade moves eastward and southward over time Supported by a private (capitalistic) and public (state military support) partnership Trans-Sahara and East African trade Dominated by Islamic societies Forbidden to enslave fellow Muslims (this would encourage the spread of Islam Eventually dwarfed by the trans-Atlantic (about ¼ as large by volume)- last area to be shut down by Royal navy
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Demographic Patterns
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The African Diaspora Diaspora- The forces dispersal of peoples
Jewish Diaspora first directed by the ancient Romans on Palestinian Jews The economic and social conditions that promoted the slave trade had a profound and unique cultural and demographic impact on the world; particularly Americas and Africa
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The African Diaspora Slave trade lumped various African cultures together Lacked institutional support- often cultural repression Incorporated African traditions to create Creole culture Cultural aspects deemed to be productive were maintained and supported by dominant culture Family formation disrupted- commodities rather than people Maroon colonies of run-aways Suriname and Jamaica Fused various African cultural practices with Amerindian and European ideas Worked to maintain independence though resistance and isolation- impact still visible today
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The African Diaspora Understood in Amoral Utilitarian Terms
Merchants move goods from where they are cheap and of lower value to where they are prized and of higher value Labor was made valuable and relatively scarce in growing plantation agriculture of new world People relatively cheap in Africa Merchants seized opportunity in trading goods (guns, cowry shells, alcohol) to Africa to trade for slaves that were valued in the Americas where they worked the mines and plantations Some have argued that the accumulation of wealth in this trade financed the Industrial Revolution
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Cowry Shells: The Price of a Man
Like many societies, shells were used as currency in west Africa Often strung in 5 and 10 “denominations” or fashioned as jewelry British traders would trade Indian Ocean cowries for slaves to import to American colonies
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Impact of Slavery on African culture
Slave trade promoted warrior cultures to develop in west Africa War as a source of slaves Fire arms and the fight for political dominance Gun-slave cycle hard to break The growing value of the slave trade in the 18th century would intensify the political impact of the slave trade European powers would meddle in internal affairs to prevent one state from monopolizing slave trade African kingdoms of Dahomey and Asante Kingdom in West Africa dominate through the 18th century Slave trade dominated their connection to the world economy
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World Trade and Asante Tradition
Kente cloth- Asante weaving tradition Combines local weaving traditions with materials and dyes from India and Europe to create textiles representing local values Way to convey wealth, lineage and status Carried on by slaves from these regions to the New World
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The Experiences of Slavery: A Dutch Point of View
The Dutch replaced the Portuguese for a time in dominating the Atlantic route African slave trade by the mid 17th Century- soon by the English What is the writer’s point of view? How does it impact what he observes? How does Bosman reflect his shared humanity with these slaves? How does he distance himself from them morally as a slave-trader? Why do you believe he exhibits any interest in how these slaves are treated?
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The Experience of Slavery: An African Point of View
Because of the limits of language, Europeans had little understanding of the people they bought and transported for sale in the Americas- dumb brutes Olauada Equiano- Captured slave who traveled with a British naval officer- learned to read and bought his freedom Wrote a biography about his experience Some controversy as to authenticity- written many years later through support of abolitionists Work encouraged Britain to abolish the slave trade
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African Culture in America
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African Cultures in America
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East Africa and the Sudan
East coast Swahili trading towns Ivory, gold slaves to Middle East Zanzibar Cloves Interior Luo dynasties in great lakes area
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East Africa and the Sudan
Bunyoro, Buganda Monarchies Northern Savanna New Islamization Songhay breaks up in 1500s Successor states Pagan Bambara of Segu Muslim Hausa states in northern Nigeria
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East Africa and the Sudan
Muslim reform movements, from 1770s Usuman Dan Fodio, 1804 Hausa states New kingdom of Sokoto
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White Settlers and Africans in Southern Africa
Bantu into southern Africa by 1500 Left arid areas to Khoikhoi, San Agriculture, pastoralism Iron, copper Chiefdoms common
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White Settlers and Africans in Southern Africa
Capetown Dutch colony, 1652 Estates worked by slaves Wars with San, Khoikhoi By 1760s, encounter Bantu 1795, Britain occupies colony 1815, possession After 1834, Afrikaners push beyond boundaries
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The Mfecane and the Zulu Rise to Power
Nguni people 1818, Shaka creates Zulu chiefdom 1828, assassinated Beginning of mfecane Mfecane Period of disruption, wandering Defeated into new areas Swazi, Lesotho
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The People and Gods in Exile
Dynamic, creative Religion adaptive Haitian vodun Muslim Africans 1835, Brazil Muslim Yoruba and Hausa slaves Palmares, Brazil 1600s, runaway slave state
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The End of the Slave Trade and the Abolition of Slavery
Slave trade ended outside of Africa Causes? Probably not economic self-interest Influence of Enlightenment Writings by slaves like Equiano and support of abolitionist societies Religious re-awakening- External Slave trade ended in America in 1808 and as a practice in 1865 British navy worked hard to disrupt international slave trade in 19th century Slavery continued in Brazil until 1888
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