Enslaved Africans
Why did Europeans buy slaves? European traders have been interested in African slave trade such as Ghana and Mali because of their trading networks. Slavery was happening for many centuries before the Atlantic Slave trade. Apparently slaves were exported to states in Africa, Europe, and Asia before the European colonization of Americas. Europeans brought slaves for economic reasons. They purchased African slaves when cheaper options were unavailable. Spanish colonists began to purchase more African slaves because they were easier to manipulate." African slaves were available in greater numbers than European servants and at lower costs, their productivity was higher". Europeans weren't deeply involved in slave trading on the west African coast. there was some movement of African labor to Madeira and the canary Islands by Portuguese explorers. Due to Europeans enslaving people forever and taking them away from their homelands they began to be classified as chattel slaves. A chattel slave is a enslaved person who is owned forever and when they have kids, they re automatically enslaved as well. They were treated like property to be brought and sold which is very sad. The Portuguese in the 16th century were first to engage in the Atlantic slave trade in 1526 they completed the first 1st slave voyage. They were shipped to the Americas to be sold to work on coffee, tobacco, cocoa, sugar and cotton plantations, gold and silver mines, rice fields, the construction industry, cutting timber for ships, in skilled labor, and as domestic servants.
Why did Africans sell slaves? well apparently Africans played a role in the slave trade by selling their captives/ prisoners of war to European buyers. The captives were usually form other ethnic enemy groups. They would sometimes be sold to prevent crime in that area, other slaves were captured from kidnappings or raids. African slaves were enslaved for petty debts or minor criminal offenses. The adults were bound and gagged and infants were thrown into sacks. Which is very sickening. They often tried to escape by drowning or shoving their children under seaweed, and hiding under their huts.
Enslaved Africans on a ship https://face2faceafrica.com/article/here-are-gruesome-experiences-faced-by-enslaved-africans-on-ships-across-the-atlantic
Bibliography:
“Researchers recover Africans part in slavery” by CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9510/ghana_slavery/
“Africa and the transatlantic slave trade” by Dr. Hakim Adi
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/africa_article_01.shtml
Bibliography
“Researchers uncover Africans part in slavery” by Gary Strieker
http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9510/ghana_slavery/
“Africa and the transatlantic slave trade” by Hakim Adi
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/abolition/africa_article_01.shtml
Hi, Shatavia I think you did an excellent job with your blog. It gave me clarity on why the Europeans decided to do what they did and how it affected everyone during that period. Also you did give me information on why the Africans did that to the other Africans and I appreciate that information thanks! Excellent Job!
ReplyDeleteI am very interested in this topic and you had a lot of great points you made that caught my eye great post.
ReplyDeleteHey Shatavia, loved the post! It was very sad that the slaves were treated as property and an investment instead of as human beings. I cannot believe that they actually tossed infants into sacks like that is so cruel. The Europeans made so much money off of these slaves while the slaves got nothing in return except a bad life.
ReplyDeleteHello Shatavia,
ReplyDeleteWhen i started reading your post I answered your question in my head. And what i came up with is that the English were selfish, lazy, entitled and obviously suffered from a superiority complex. I was heartbroken by the fact that once the slaves had children, their children inherited their slavery as well. Only weak and despicable people who enslave anyone, let alone an innocent child.
Hey Shatavia,
ReplyDeleteI found your post very interesting when seeing why slaves sold other slaves. in your post I see that you said that they would sometimes be sold to prevent crime in that area, other slaves were captured from kidnappings or raids. African slaves were enslaved for petty debts or minor criminal offenses. I found the very eye-opening because I didn't catch this from my reading. Great insight!