Chapter 14 Part 2 and Documents
Chapter 14 Part 2
The Atlantic Slave Trade
Millions of Africans were displaced from their homeland on top of surviving the cruel conditions of the Middle Passage. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to be taken away from everything you know and forced to work in brutal conditions. Slavery has existed since the first human civilizations settled. However, back then, slavery wasn't associated with a specific race. African slavery came to exist when Europeans needed workers for their sugar plantations in West Africa. Originally, Slavic people were used as the labor force but eventually they were no longer available. Therefore, they turned to Africans who were skilled farmers and whom the Europeans saw as inferior and not even human. Europeans were not all that successful with capturing Africans as slaves so they ended up relying on African elites to capture Africans who were of low social status. African elites wanted European textile, gunpowder, tobacco and alcohol in exchange for slaves. This made me curious about whether or not this is one of the factors contributing to the nonstop conflicts in Africa. This also reminded me of a film I once watched called Hotel Rwanda. In the movie, a Hutu hotel manager named Paul houses over a thousand Tutsi refugees in his hotel when the Hutus decide to kill off all Tutsis. From what I remember, the conflict between the Hutu and the Tutsi originated when Europeans in the past favored the Tutsi who were light skinned while the Hutu ended up suffering. Africans fought back against slavery through several means like working slow and starting rebellions. Slavery not only slowed Africa’s population growth but Africa’s economy also took a hit as the elites weren't invested in the goods of their societies. African women had to work more as more men than women were taken and men could marry multiple wives. Certain African kingdoms like the Dahomey became incredibly reliant on the slave trade.
Documents: Voices from the Slave Trade
Equiano’s description of his journey to slavery is frightening to say the least. I can't imagine getting snatched one day, end up with unfamiliar families, and suffocating under the deck of a ship filled with other people in pain. The description of the English merchant exchanging goods for slaves with an African king was definitely dehumanizing. They made it seem like it was a normal business transaction where they were negotiating prices for goods but in reality, they were handling human beings. They didn't even take into consideration the suffering the slaves who have to endure. The letter to the king of Portugal highlights the consequences slavery can have on an African society. The demand for slaves was so high that Europeans ended up just snatching random people from the Kongo whether they were elite or poor. The conversation between the Ashantee King and the British diplomat made me want to vomit. I actually read it several times because I couldn't understand how the king could find justification for the slave trade. His reasoning like how the slaves were taught good things and that unless he kills or sells certain people, they will kill his people is completely twisted.
The Atlantic Slave Trade
Millions of Africans were displaced from their homeland on top of surviving the cruel conditions of the Middle Passage. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to be taken away from everything you know and forced to work in brutal conditions. Slavery has existed since the first human civilizations settled. However, back then, slavery wasn't associated with a specific race. African slavery came to exist when Europeans needed workers for their sugar plantations in West Africa. Originally, Slavic people were used as the labor force but eventually they were no longer available. Therefore, they turned to Africans who were skilled farmers and whom the Europeans saw as inferior and not even human. Europeans were not all that successful with capturing Africans as slaves so they ended up relying on African elites to capture Africans who were of low social status. African elites wanted European textile, gunpowder, tobacco and alcohol in exchange for slaves. This made me curious about whether or not this is one of the factors contributing to the nonstop conflicts in Africa. This also reminded me of a film I once watched called Hotel Rwanda. In the movie, a Hutu hotel manager named Paul houses over a thousand Tutsi refugees in his hotel when the Hutus decide to kill off all Tutsis. From what I remember, the conflict between the Hutu and the Tutsi originated when Europeans in the past favored the Tutsi who were light skinned while the Hutu ended up suffering. Africans fought back against slavery through several means like working slow and starting rebellions. Slavery not only slowed Africa’s population growth but Africa’s economy also took a hit as the elites weren't invested in the goods of their societies. African women had to work more as more men than women were taken and men could marry multiple wives. Certain African kingdoms like the Dahomey became incredibly reliant on the slave trade.
Documents: Voices from the Slave Trade
Equiano’s description of his journey to slavery is frightening to say the least. I can't imagine getting snatched one day, end up with unfamiliar families, and suffocating under the deck of a ship filled with other people in pain. The description of the English merchant exchanging goods for slaves with an African king was definitely dehumanizing. They made it seem like it was a normal business transaction where they were negotiating prices for goods but in reality, they were handling human beings. They didn't even take into consideration the suffering the slaves who have to endure. The letter to the king of Portugal highlights the consequences slavery can have on an African society. The demand for slaves was so high that Europeans ended up just snatching random people from the Kongo whether they were elite or poor. The conversation between the Ashantee King and the British diplomat made me want to vomit. I actually read it several times because I couldn't understand how the king could find justification for the slave trade. His reasoning like how the slaves were taught good things and that unless he kills or sells certain people, they will kill his people is completely twisted.
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