Africa and Africans in the Age of the Atlantic Slave Trade

Part I: The Atlantic Slave Trade

The Portuguese in Africa ► Established Factories  El Mina- gold trade- most important  Not powerful enough to impose will on Africans  Most forts were established only after receiving consent of local leaders

► Portuguese traded for: ivory, pepper, animal skins and gold ► Trade= basis for contact between Africans and Portuguese ► Catholic missionaries went to Benin, Kongo, and other places  Kongo= king Nzinga Muemba converts his entire kingdom  Enslavement of his subjects  limits on Portuguese

How they saw each other ► Africans viewed Portuguese as strange but incorporated them into their world ► Portuguese saw Africans as savages who could be civilized and converted

European Colonies in Africa ► Colonies very small, but with lots of missionary work ► By 17 th century, Dutch, French, English and others begin to get involved ► By 1600, slave trade dominates all commerce

Statistics ► Between 1450 and 1750, 12 million Africans transported across Atlantic  10-20% mortality rates  million survived  Rate of transport increases over time  80% transported between 1700s and 1800s ► High volume necessary due to high mortality and low fertility

► Rates of trade reflect changing economic and political situation in the New World ► Slave trade with Muslim world continues  3 million transported between 1450 and 1750 ► Wars increase in Africa as both cause and effect of slave trade

Demographics ► Trade with Muslim world tended to focus on women ► Atlantic slave trade tended to focus on men ► African population reduced by half of what it would have been without slave trade by 1750

Organization ► Portuguese controlled up until 1630 ► Dutch seized control of El Mina in 1637, became major competitors ► 1660 English charter Royal African Company to engage in slave trade ► 18 th century, France becomes a major trader

► Both Africans and Europeans involved in slave trade ► Not any more profitable than any other trade of its time ► Part of Triangular trade ► Drew African economy into world economy ► Resulted in African economies becoming dependent on trade with Europe

Part II: African Societies, Slavery, and the Slave Trade ► Slavery had existed in Africa prior to the Atlantic Slave Trade ► Usually focused on enslavement of women ► Islamic forms of slavery also introduced ► Existence of slavery helped Europeans mobilize commerce of slaves by tapping into existing routes

Slaving and African Politics ► Most states in western and central Africa were small and unstable ► Increasing frequency of wars led to increasing need for improved weaponry ► Power shifted due to European coastal presence ► Inland kingdoms gained power by gaining guns and working as intermediaries to the Europeans in the slave trade

Asante ► Gained access to firearms in 1650 and began expanding ► Became the dominant power on the gold coast up until 1820

Dahomey ► Emerged as a power in the 1720 ► Used access to firearms to form an autocratic state ► Primary economic activity relied on the slave trade ► Growth of absolute rulers paralleled the rise of absolutism in Europe ► Like in Europe, attempts were made to limit royal authority

East Africa and Sudan ► Swahili towns continue commerce in gold, ivory, and slaves with Middle Eastern markets ► Bantu speaking people dominated the region ► 18 th century saw Islamization

► By the 1840, new political units were created ► Attempts were made to stamp out paganism and illiteracy ► Large numbers of captives from the religious wars were shipped down the coast to Europeans ► By the 19 th century slaves made up to 50% op the population of this region

Part III: White Settlers and Africans in South Africa

South Africa ► By 16 th Century, Bantu-speakers occupy southern East Africa  Chiefdoms varied in size and power  Expansion  Competition and conflict

► Dutch East India Company establishes the Cape Colony  Dutch enslave local Africans  1760s Dutch cross Orange River  Dutch gov’t attempts to limit settlement and slavery, but fails  Boers move north, “Great Trek” to avoid gov’t regulations

Mfecane and Zulu Rise to Power ► 1818 rule of Nguni people passes to Shaka ► Shaka builds new military and political organization (Zulu) ► Zulu begin Mfecane in 1840s ► Fighting between Boers and Zulu ► 1870 Britain crushes Zulu and end Zulu Wars, the assert control over South Africa

Part IV: African Diaspora

► Slave trade links Africa to World Economy ► Slavery is grueling and deadly ► Middle Passage: passage to Americas ► Slaves worked in Plantations and Mines ► Hierarchy created by Slave owners to prevent uprisings ► People lose local African identity  Create new family units  Growth of communities of runaway slaves slaves