The Atlantic Slave TradeThe Atlantic Slave Trade

Nothing, which has happened to man in modern Nothing, which has happened to man in modern times has been more significant than the buying times has been more significant than the buying

and selling of human beings.and selling of human beings.W.E.B. DuBois W.E.B. DuBois

History of SlaveryHistory of Slavery• Slavery = involuntary Slavery = involuntary

servitudeservitude• Used since ancient timesUsed since ancient times

Slavery Within Africa Slavery Within Africa • How/why?How/why?– Prisoners of warPrisoners of war– Punishment for crimesPunishment for crimes– Pay debtPay debt

• Not hereditary or life-Not hereditary or life-longlong

• Slaves had rightsSlaves had rights• Often adopted into Often adopted into

owners’ familyowners’ family• Could achieve high Could achieve high

statusstatus

Arabs & Slave TradeArabs & Slave Trade• Muslim traders raided N. Africa & Muslim traders raided N. Africa &

adopted trans-Saharan trade adopted trans-Saharan trade • African empires Ghana, Mali, & African empires Ghana, Mali, &

Songhai coordinated trade w/ArabsSonghai coordinated trade w/Arabs– Contributed to powerful Contributed to powerful

African statesAfrican states– Led to increase in tribal &Led to increase in tribal &

ethnic warfare ethnic warfare

Effects of Arab Involvement in Effects of Arab Involvement in Slave Trade Slave Trade

• Spread of IslamSpread of Islam• Swahili cultureSwahili culture• Strengthened Strengthened

slave-trade slave-trade networksnetworks

Europeans & Slave Trade – Europeans & Slave Trade – Why?Why?• Exploration!Exploration!

• Desire for wealthDesire for wealth• Competition among Competition among

European countriesEuropean countries• Plantations in Plantations in

American coloniesAmerican colonies• Need for cheap laborNeed for cheap labor• Africans were Africans were

immune to Euro immune to Euro illness, could not illness, could not escapeescape

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade – part of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade – part of Triangular TradeTriangular Trade

1

2

3

The Middle PassageThe Middle Passage

Plan of the British Slave Ship Plan of the British Slave Ship BrookesBrookes, 1788. This plan, 1788. This plan shows how shows how tightly Africans were packed aboard tightly Africans were packed aboard slave ships.slave ships.

• Crowded, unsanitary, disease spread

• High mortality rate before reaching Americas

• Most slaves went to Brazil/South America and the Caribbean

Slavery in the AmericasSlavery in the Americas• Much Much harsher harsher than slavery than slavery

in Africain Africa• Worked on sugar, rice, Worked on sugar, rice,

tobacco, and cotton tobacco, and cotton plantationsplantations– 18 hour days, sunrise to 18 hour days, sunrise to

sunsetsunset– Encouraged to have many Encouraged to have many

children in order to increase labor forcechildren in order to increase labor force

• Racism and brutal treatment, life-long, Racism and brutal treatment, life-long, hereditaryhereditary

• Known as Known as “chattel” or property“chattel” or property– lost rights as – lost rights as human beingshuman beings

ResistanceResistance

Revolt on a Slave ShipRevolt on a Slave Ship,, before before 18511851

From William Fox, From William Fox, A Brief History of the A Brief History of the Wesleyan Missions on the West Coast of Africa Wesleyan Missions on the West Coast of Africa Courtesy of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, Courtesy of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library,

The Johns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins University

Impact on Africa Impact on Africa

• Slavery in Africa became Slavery in Africa became centralized institutioncentralized institution

• Depopulation due to wars & Depopulation due to wars & starvationstarvation

• Transformation of Transformation of relationshipsrelationships

• Decentralization of African nations

• Undermined traditional values• Left Africa vulnerable to imperialism