Chapter 20 Discussion and Review

SLAVERY

What are the various theories as to why African slave labor was so widely used in the Americas? Several/ schools of thought. A once popular theory held that Africans were more resistant to disease, as well as better suited to heavy work in tropical climates. Another held that use of Africans was motivated primarily by prejudice. Eric Williams has refuted that particular theory with his famous quote that “Slavery was not born of racism: rather, racism was the consequence of slavery.” Another assertion was that slaves were cheap. They were not, but since white Europeans’ indentures were relatively brief, the high cost of slaves could be minimized over a longer period of time. Rising sugar prices also meant that sugar growers could afford more expensive African slaves.

The Atlantic Slave Trade started in the 1500s to fill the need for labor in Spain’s American empire. Europeans relied on European traders and African tribes to seize captives in the interior and bring them to coastal trade posts and fortresses.

Discuss the interactions between Europeans and Africans in the Atlantic slave trade. Europeans were initially interested in trade, not in colonizing and controlling Africa. It was a partnership between European and African elites It was African kings and merchants who controlled the trade, not Europeans. Most slaves taken from Africa were prisoners of war Africans did not barter people for cheap goods, as is often described. They demanded high-quality goods that they could not produce, or at least produce in large quantities. Guns and textiles African gold, ivory, and timber remained important features of European trade. African governments controlled both the price and the quantity of slaves and could unilaterally suspend the trade when they wished. trade differed widely from region to region within Africa, depending on both the African and European nations that were involved.

Give a detailed description of the Great Circuit. The flow of goods and people between Europe, Africa, and the Americas had many variations. Some trading patterns were three-sided, or triangular. First leg was a trade route from Europe to Africa Middle passage was a voyage from Africa to the Americas Others were two-sided. For example, New England shipped foodstuffs and livestock to the West Indies in return for rum and molasses. Overall, goods flowed from Europe to Africa, where they were exchanged for many different items, as well as slaves. Slaves were carried to the Americas, where they were sold or exchanged. 1 out of every 6 slaves died during the voyage The primary products carried from the Americas to Europe were sugar, coffee, cacao, rum, molasses, and tobacco. Besides this larger pattern, the Atlantic Circuit had many smaller variations. While large numbers of Africans were victims of these patterns, many African merchants and rulers were able to profit from participating in the Atlantic trade.

Triangular Trade Grows The Atlantic slave trade formed one part of a three-legged trade network know as the triangular trade.

Original Triangle Trade Route: Slaves, Sugar & Rum

Destinations of Enslaved Africans, 1500–1870 Greatest sugar producer in 1600 – Brazil Greatest sugar producer in 18th century – Saint Domingue (Haiti)

How did the Saharan slave trade differ from the Atlantic slave trade? While the number of enslaved Africans in the Saharan trade was smaller than in Atlantic trade, it was still substantial. Indigenous Muslim states controlled both sides of the Saharan trade, although most of the slaves were non-Muslim African captives. Islamic law prohibited the enslavement of Muslims, but some where still enslaved Slaves served different purposes in Muslim societies than in the Americas: most were servants; others performed state and military functions. The Atlantic slave trade was heavily male; the Saharan slave trade heavily female.

Slaves were organized into “gangs” for field work What was the life of a slave working on a plantation in the eighteenth century? Slaves were organized into “gangs” for field work “drivers” typically a male slave kept tight control over the slaves Rewarded for good work and punished harshly for failing to meet daily quotas and/or showing any form of resistance Worked hard to avoid punishment Most slaves died of diseases Death Rate Life expectancy of a Brazilian male was 23 years Low reproductive rates and high numbers of new slave imports were an integral part of slaves’ family and social lives.

Impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade By the 1800s, an estimated 11 million enslaved Africans had reached the Americas. Another 2 million probably died during the Middle Passage In West Africa, the loss of countless numbers of young women and men resulted in some small states disappearing forever. Slave Collar So a runaway could be heard!

A Different Kind of Slavery…BUT "Anyone can say that slavery has existed forever," says Frans Fontaine, "even the Greeks and Romans had slaves.” But this kind of slavery was different - it was fixed to race. You became a slave because you were black.

A Different Kind of Slavery…BUT But slavery didn't fit in with Christian ideals so there was a very good solution for this problem; black people, Europeans and Americans determined, they were not really humans. And that is the most cruel part of this form of slavery. Blacks were not people, they said,…could therefore be enslaved.

The Economic Systems of Mercantilism & Capitalism Appear Two new economic policies prevailed in Europe during the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries both effected the wealth of the nation but mercantilism advanced the nation’s wealth and capitalism the individual/share holders. Reading: “Mercantilism Explained”

The Economic Systems of Mercantilism & Capitalism Appear Mercantilism comprised the policies of European states to promote overseas trade and defend national interests. Protect trade and accumulate precious metals English Navigation Acts –confine ships to English ships and cargoes Capitalism (means of production are privately owned) involving the management of large financial resources through banks, stock exchanges, and trading companies. Mercantilist policies that supported capitalism included chartered companies, tariffs, and trade laws. The largest capitalist overseas investments were in the sugar plantations of the Caribbean.

Mercantilism New Economic System Governmental control was exercised over domestic industry and all trade Believed that national strength is secured by more exports than imports All resources were for the benefit of the mother country Real wealth was measured in the amount of gold and silver in the national treasury

How Did Economic Changes Affect Europeans? The impact of economic change depended on a person’s social class. 1. Merchants who invested in overseas ventures acquired wealth. 2. Nobles, whose wealth was in land, were hurt by the inflation. 3. Hired workers in towns and cities faced poverty and discontent when their wages did not keep up with inflation. 4. Peasants, the majority of Europeans, were not affected until centuries later. Within Europe’s growing cities, there were great differences in wealth and power.