How did slave trade begin and expand in Africa? What effect did the Europeans have on the slave trade? What was the Triangular Trade?

•How did slave trade begin and expand in Africa?

•What effect did the Europeans have on the slave trade?

•What was the Triangular Trade?

LEQ’s …

Before Europeans ever arrived in Africa there was already an established

slavery institution:

• Ancient Egypt had slaves – for over 400 years

• Tribes, kingdoms, empires – traded slaves for centuries

• Muslims – huge market in slaves• Trans-Saharan trade routes –

major commodity – slaves

The practice of slavery had been in operation in Africa and in central Europe for centuries. For example, Muslim slave traders from Arabia and Turkey had

transported enslaved Africans and Europeans into South East Asia and the Iberian Peninsula for centuries. However, nothing in the past equaled the Atlantic slave trade in size or in the extent and depth of its impact on the

world.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to get involved in the slave trade. When the Portuguese first sailed down the Atlantic Coast of Africa in the 1430s, they were interested in one thing – gold. Ever since Mansu Musa, the king of Mali, made his pilgrimage to Mecca in 1325, the region had

become known for its gold. However, there was one major problem - the trade routes from sub-Saharan Africa were controlled by the Islamic

Empire.

Flashback … who was Mansa Musa

Mansa Musa 1312 – 1337One of the Muslim rulers of the Mali Empire

Therefore, being Muslim he had to travel to Mecca. WHY?

• Devout Muslim–Haj to Mecca – 1324 •60,000 people•80 camels•2 tons of gold to be distributed to the poor Why would he want to

distribute gold to the poor?

One of the 5 Pillars of Islam … give to the poor!

Why would he take a Haj to Mecca?

One of the 5 Pillars of Islam … once in your life take a haj

to Mecca!

Therefore … Europeans saw all this gold that Mansa Musa had and thought that Africa had an abundance of gold! So off to Africa the Europeans went in search of

this priceless gold!

However – major problem! The

trade routes were controlled by

Arabs! Berbers controlled the north/south

routes and the Bedouins

controlled the east/west routes.

They charged major taxes to any who used their services

across the Sahara!

Therefore, in search for this wealth of gold and a route around the Islamic trading

routes, the Portuguese began sailing to the west coast of

Africa.

Finding this successful, they began establishing

trading posts in regions today

known as Mauritania,

Senegal, Gambia, and

Guinea.Note the Bight of Benin and Bight of Biafra

In the beginning, the Portuguese traded copper ware, cloth, tools, wine, and horses for gold, pepper, and ivory. There was little market for slaves in Europe, so originally, the Portuguese

did very little trading in slaves.

However, as the Portuguese continued sailing further down the coast of Africa they found they could make a considerable fortune

in gold by transporting slaves from one trading post to another along the coast of Africa.

European traders dealt with African suppliers, seldom capturing the slaves

themselves.

African tribes continued trading in slaves; however, now for different reasons …to obtain

firearms for protection from other tribes!

Muslim merchants wanted slaves to use as porters on the trans-Saharan trade routes as well as to sale in the

Islamic Empire.

Muslim merchants were set up all along

the African coast, as far as

the Bight of Benin.

This area was reached by the Portuguese at the start of the 1470’s. It was not until they reached the

Congo coast in the 1480’s that

they outdistanced

Muslim trading territory.

As Portuguese trading continued along the coast, trading posts continued to be built. Built more as a fort to protect arms and ammunition (which eventually was added to the list of items

traded to the Africans), they remained trading posts rather than military forts.

Other European countries soon followed – 1st Dutch, then English, Danish, and Swedish

They began establishing forts and trading posts as well.

Soon the slave trade became more profitable than gold

With the successful voyage of Vasco da Gama to India and the

establishment of sugar plantations on Madeira, Canary, and Cape Verde

Islands (islands off the coast of West Africa), there was an emerging

market for slave workers on the sugar plantations.

Eventually, the opening of plantations in the New World added to this market for slaves, thus expanding yet again the slave market.

The expanding empires in the New World lacked one major resource – a work force.

The indigenous people proved

unreliable – most were dying from diseases

brought over from Europe – and Europeans were unsuited to the climate and suffered from tropical

diseases. Africans were

excellent workers – they had experience with agriculture

and herding cattle, they

were used to tropical climate, and they were

resistant to tropical

diseases.

It is estimated that as many as 15 million people were transported as slaves, with unknown numbers dying

enroute. Most of the enslaved people ended up in South America or the Caribbean, while nearly 500,000 were

transported to North America.

Became known as

The Triangular Trade• 1st passage

–Europe to Africa with goods• Middle passage

–slaves from Africa to Americas• 3rd passage

–from Americas back to the European country with raw materials

Trading items• 1st passage

–textiles, rum, brandy, shells, guns

• Middle passage –slaves

• 3rd passage–Cotton, tobacco, sugar

The Middle Passage

First held in slave camps until loaded on slave ships

This map shows various slave holding points in

Western African used by European traders around

1750. The greatest numbers of enslaved

persons taken from Africa came from the Congo

region. Out of these ports came 10 to 15 million

African captives. Before the 1830s, almost four times as many Africans

came to the Americas as European migrants, and almost all of them left

from the points indicated on this map.

Horrific conditions of the slave ships

Extremely crowded

“Stored” like cargo

Two

thoughts – loose

packing v.

tight packing

Diseases and malnutrition Slaves were forced to “dance” for

exercise

Many Africans

diedSome by suicide

Others were killed because food and

water supplies were low –

often by being thrown overboard

Finally,Slavery Abolished

• 1807 – Britain banned slave trade• 1807 – US outlaws importation of slaves• 1808 - British abolish slavery • 1840 –Bight of Benin slave trade collapsed • 1865 – abolished in US with the 13th

Amendment and end of Civil War• 1888 – banned in Brazil• Portugal last European country to abolish

slavery

Horrific Numbers• 4 centuries of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

• 12 million Africans taken to New World and Europe

• 17 million Africans taken to coast of Indian Ocean

• 5 million Africans transported via Red Sea, Sahara, and from East Africa to other parts of the world

• 4 million died before ever being shipped to other countries

• Of course, these are just the numbers we know about!

http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/geography/slave_trade.htm

This map depicts the forced movement of millions of enslaved Africans to the Americas over a span of 4

centuries.

So, what have you learned? • Which European country was the first to get involved

in the West African Slave trade?• Why did they come to Africa originally?• Which African ruler made gold famous and how did he

accomplish this?• Where was the market for slaves originally? • Whose successful voyage to India opened new

markets for slaves?• Where were these first new markets and for what

purpose were slaves needed?• Why were Africans valued so on plantations?• What is the Triangular Trade?• Can you describe the various passages?• Describe the Middle passage. • Describe the reasons for the end of the West African

slave trade. • Which European country was the last to stop slave

trading?

What, to you, was the worst aspect of slavery?

Words to know …•Triangular Trade•Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade•The Middle Passage•Indigenous Know the importance of the following people in regards to the slave trade…•Mansa Musa•Vasco da Gama

http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slavery/search.html

Sketches of slave trade from …

Indigenous – native to or originating in a particular country, land, or region.