Atlantic+Slave+Trade

1. Notes on Atlantic Slave Trade pg. 435-440

The Atlantic Slave Trade: · Portuguese established factories (forts & trading posts w/ resident merchants), along African coasts è Most important = El Mina (1482) heart of gold producing region

· Forts were built by permission of local leaders, b/c Port. were not strong enough to fight against them · Portuguese & Africans used each other for their own advantages; A. got goods from P. while P. gave slaves to A. too (established trade contacts) · Africans & Portuguese’s relationship was purely based on trade; (Muslims were traditional enemies of Portuguese) · Missionaries soon started to poor in and tried to convert people, and had success w/ Kongo’s royal family · Nzinga Mvemba brought the entire kingdom to Christianity, w/ help of Port. & missionaries · Mvemba tried to work it out w/ Port. but when they started to take his people in as slaves, Mvemba tried to stop the slave trade · Africans did not know what to think of the outsiders, while the Port. considered them savages · Portuguese settled in Luanda in the 1570s, base for Angola (Port. colony) · Soon after, the Dutch, English, & French followed behind Port. to Africa, and tried to put them out of power · Although the Portuguese were interested in spices & other products, they came increasingly interested in the slave trade · When the Spanish and Portuguese started to develop sugar plantations, slaves became very important for labor · Extended to the Americas

Trend Toward Expansion: · Slave trade was increasing drastically, and the estimated amount of slaves shipped, and died due to diseases is still unknown · In British & French Caribbean, slaves made up to 80% to 90% of population, while in America, only 1/4th · By 1550 and 1850 Brazil had received 3.5 to 5 million slaves · Demand was high for slaves, but only 2/3 of them made it, due to bad conditions on ships

Demographic Patterns: · Trans-Saharan slave trade was mainly women for concubines, while Atlantic slave trade was mainly men for manpower · New crops were introduced to Africa, which helped Africa recover from its losses from the trades

Organization of the Trade: · Competition over who controlled the slave trade remained; Portuguese controlled coastal until about 1630s à Dutch became competitors after taking over El Mina in 1637 à by 1660s, the English wanted control too · Royal African Company – created by the English to transport slaves over to Barbados, Jamaica, & Virginia · Slave trade was a dangerous trade because of tropical diseases, killing thousands; English had an option to go out to the coast or not, Africans did not and usually the victims of diseases · Indies piece – a bribery to local African rulers to buy slaves · Both Europeans & Africans were involved in the slave trade, but it was hard to say who was superior · Slave trading was a profitable business, more so in the long run than others, but by the time of the Industrial Revolution, it was not as mighty as before · Triangular trade – slaves carried to America; sugar, tobacco & other goods taken to Europe; European goods sent back to Africa and then the triangle goes on   · By the 18th century, the slave trade was an essential part of the economy

2. Notes on pg. 440- 446

African Societies, Slavery, and the Slave Trade: · Slaves were used as concubines, servants, soldiers, administrators, & field workers · Slaves did not have a choice over their lives, were treated like outsides/aliens; · Women slaves were important b/c they were used as a woman to extend their family, or men just had multiple wives (slave being one or 4 of them) · Muslims were against slaves, and Ahmad Baba of Timbuktu was against enslaving Muslims, but it did not matter, they still enslaved everybody (sudanic states)

The African Diaspora:
==== · The Americas & Africa are linked together b/c of the slave trade; if the slave trade did not exist, Africa essentially would still be pretty isolated and behind everybody else in technologies, innovations, sciences, govt. & etc. ==== Slave Trades: · Slavery was the ultimate death for the Africans, being taken away from their homes & families; about 1/3 of slaves shipped died because of harsh conditions on ships · Middle Passage – slave voyage to the Americas · The journey to the Americas was the worst the Africans, but the Africans still retained their culture & language once they did arrive to America Africans in the Americas: · Africans mainly brought to work on plantations or mines; · Indentured servants from England were replaced by African slaves when servants were not available, or a new crop was introduced · Africans were not only slaves on plantations alone, but also did mining, artisans, street vendors, & household servants American Slave Societies: · Saltwater slaves – African born slaves, who were almost invariably black (Euro standards) · Creole slaves – American born descendants, some of them were mulattos · Whites at top à free people of color à slaves at bottom · Origin and color played a big role in American plantations, in which Creole & mulatto slaves had greater opportunities to be skilled workers, or become a house servant and to also gain their freedom over saltwater slaves · Between the slaves, there was a division between tribes from Africa and saltwater vs. mulatto & Creole · 17th century, blacks outnumbered Europeans in Lima, Peru · In N.A. slavery was not influenced by Africa, and many were slaves were reproducing, creating more slaves within N.A.   The People and Gods in Exile: · African slaves led a miserable life in America, being separated from their families, and also being mixed up, so they wouldn’t find their families and lose their identities · The Slaves had to mix American culture in with their own · African slaves were converted depending on who owned them; Spanish & Port. = Catholic; N.A. = Protestant · Obeah, the name given to African religious practices & men and women who had knowledge were held in high regard within their community · Candomble (Brazilian) & Vodun (Haitian) are African religions that flourished and still continue today · Africans tried to keep their religion & Christianity, but tried to mix it together · Rebellions, resistance, and other confrontations was the reality of having African slaves · Palmares, during 17th century Brazil, a slave kingdom of 8,000 to 10,000 tried to runaway and resist Port. & Dutch · Suriname, a former Dutch plantation colony; slaves ran away into the forests and started a war; although many died, a truce was put in place The End of the Slave Trade and the Abolition of Slavery: · From 1790 to 1830, plantations in Cuba, Brazil, and s. U.S. had flourished · Mid-18th century; people were trying to stop slavery, put an end to it, abolish it   · Jean-Jacques Rousseau in France & Adam Smith from England were opposed to slavery, while Christianity promoted it    · William Wilberforce – started an abolishment movement to stop slavery · Slave trade was abolished in 1807 in Britain · Full end of slavery in Americas did not end until 1888, when it ended in Brazil