The Atlantic Slave Trade: What Schools Never Told You
Summary
TLDRThis video script delves into the harrowing history of the Atlantic slave trade, detailing the forced migration of 10 to 12 million Africans to the Americas between 1500 and 1880 CE. It exposes the brutal conditions of the 'Middle Passage,' the economic incentives that drove European nations to participate, and the significant role Africans played, both as victims and, in some cases, as facilitators. The script also touches on the lasting impact of this trade on the involved societies and the ongoing quest for recognition and reparations.
Takeaways
- đ The Atlantic slave trade involved the forced movement of 10 to 12 million African slaves from Africa to the Americas between 1500 and 1880 CE, with approximately 15% dying during the journey.
- đ Enslaved Africans were taken from six primary regions in Africa, including Senegambia, Sierra Leone, the Windward Coast, the Gold Coast, the Bight of Benin, Biafra, and West Central Africa.
- đŠ An estimated 12.4 million people were loaded onto slave ships and transported through the 'Middle Passage', which had many different destinations in the Americas.
- đ Upon arrival, slaves were sold in markets similar to cattle, and slave owners often branded their new slaves on the cheeks, as they would with cattle.
- đ The transatlantic slave trade was a critical part of the Triangular Trade, which involved Europe, Africa, and the Americas, and significantly contributed to the economic development of the European colonies.
- đą The Middle Passage was the trade route that transported slaves and was known for its brutal conditions, with mortality rates for sailors on slave ships being around 20%.
- đ The transatlantic slave trade was not the only route; Islamic traders also exported slaves from Africa to various regions, totaling 10 million slaves from AD650 to 1900.
- đœ The Amistad rebellion in 1839, where slaves took control of the ship and demanded to be returned to Africa, had significant political and legal repercussions and was a notable event in the American abolition movement.
- đïž African elites were also involved in the slave trade, sometimes through intermarriage and political alliances, and in some cases, they had knowledge of the conditions faced by those sold into slavery.
- đïž Despite the atrocities of the slave trade, there have been global apologies and recognitions, including the designation of August 23 as International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition by UNESCO in 1998.
Q & A
How many African slaves were forcibly moved from Africa to the Americas during the Atlantic slave trade?
-Between 1500 to 1880 CE, somewhere between 10 and 12 million African slaves were forcibly moved from Africa to the Americas.
What percentage of enslaved Africans died during the Middle Passage?
-About 15 percent of the enslaved Africans died during the Middle Passage, which was the journey across the Atlantic.
Which six primary regions were the majority of enslaved Africans taken from?
-The majority of enslaved Africans were taken from six primary regions: Senegambia, Sierra Leone, the Windward Coast, the Gold Coast, the Bight of Benin, Biafra, and West Central Africa, also known as Congo and Angola.
What was the purpose of branding slaves on the cheeks?
-Slave owners would often brand their new slaves on the cheeks, similar to how they would brand cattle, as a means of identification and ownership.
Why did Europeans look towards Africa for a solution to labor shortages in the colonies?
-European diseases and the violence of conquest led to the death of many Indian slaves, creating a labor shortage that Europeans sought to fill by looking towards Africa for slaves.
When was the first slave voyage from Africa to the Americas believed to have sailed?
-The first slave voyage from Africa to the Americas is believed to have sailed in 1526.
What was the Triangular Trade route and how did it operate?
-The Triangular Trade route was a trade structure that operated across the Atlantic region. It involved moving goods from Europe to Africa, African slaves to the Americas and the West Indies, and raw materials from American plantations back to Europe.
What were the conditions like on the ships used for the Middle Passage?
-The conditions on the ships used for the Middle Passage were inhumane. African slaves were locked up below the deck in cramped quarters with limited access to sunlight and fresh air. They were often chained together and faced epidemic diseases, attacks by pirates, and physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
Why were some African elites initially unaware of the true conditions of the slave trade?
-Some African elites were initially unaware of the true conditions of the slave trade because they may have believed rumors that Europeans were cannibals who planned on eating their captives, and they did not fully understand the extent of the suffering involved in the Middle Passage.
What was the significance of the Amistad revolt in 1839?
-The Amistad revolt in 1839 was significant because it led to a trial that had political and legal repercussions in the American abolition movement. The court ruled that the Africans were not merchandise but victims of kidnapping, which helped to set a precedent for the rights of enslaved people.
How did the transatlantic slave trade affect the legal codes in Africa?
-The presence of European slavers affected how the legal code in Africa worked, with some African societies changing the punishment for certain crimes to enslavement, selling offenders to slave traders.
Outlines
đ The Horrors of the Atlantic Slave Trade
This paragraph delves into the devastating impact of the Atlantic slave trade, which spanned from 1500 to 1880 CE. It is noted for its massive scale and enduring legacy, involving the forced relocation of an estimated 10 to 12 million African slaves to the Americas, with approximately 15% perishing during the treacherous journey. The enslaved Africans were primarily sourced from six regions, including Senegambia and Sierra Leone. Upon arrival, they were subjected to inhumane conditions akin to cattle, being branded and sold at markets. The narrative also touches on the historical context, explaining how European diseases and conquests led to a labor shortage, prompting the exploitation of African slaves. The paragraph emphasizes the dehumanization of slaves, who were stripped of their identities and reduced to mere commodities.
đ The Triangular Trade and its Economic Implications
Paragraph 2 discusses the mechanics of the Triangular Trade, a system that facilitated the exchange of goods across Europe, Africa, and the Americas. It highlights the trade's significance to the colonial economy, with a focus on the Middle Passageâthe leg of the journey where enslaved Africans were transported across the Atlantic under abhorrent conditions. The mortality rate among slaves and sailors was high, with an estimated 20% of sailors dying due to the harsh environment. The cramped and unsanitary conditions on slave ships are described, along with the limited rations and physical abuse that slaves endured. The paragraph also addresses the broader implications of the slave trade, including its role in shaping the demographics of the Americas, with the majority of slaves being sent to the Caribbean and South America, and only a small percentage arriving directly in North America.
đ The Involvement of Africans in the Slave Trade
Paragraph 3 explores the complex role of Africans in the slave trade, noting that while European slave traders were often involved in the buying process, it was often other Africans who captured and sold their compatriots. The paragraph discusses how the slave trade was integrated into the local economy and social structures, with some African elites benefiting from the trade and even forming alliances through intermarriage with European traders. It also touches on the geographical origins of the slaves, the increase in the number of slaves taken annually, and the different experiences of slaves depending on their destination, whether it was Brazil, the Caribbean, or North America. The paragraph concludes with a mention of the Amistad rebellion, a significant event in the abolitionist movement.
đș The Cultural and Social Impact of Slavery
This paragraph examines the cultural and social dimensions of slavery, including the ways in which African societies adapted to the slave trade. It discusses how certain crimes became punishable by enslavement and how some African elites sent their children to be educated by Europeans. The paragraph also explores the misconceptions about the fate of slaves, with some Africans believing Europeans were cannibals. It delves into the long-term impact of the slave trade on African societies, including the loss of life and culture, and the potential for genocide. The narrative is punctuated by the argument that the deaths of enslaved people were incidental to the profit-driven nature of the slave trade.
đŁïž Accountability and the Legacy of Slavery
Paragraph 5 grapples with the question of who bears responsibility for the slave trade and its aftermath. It names the seven nations actively involved in the slave trade and acknowledges the role of African societies in capturing and selling slaves. The paragraph discusses the changes in African legal codes to accommodate the trade and the impact on warfare and social structures. It also highlights the efforts of some African leaders to halt the trade and the ongoing debates about apologies and reparations. The paragraph concludes with a mention of international recognition of the slave trade's horrors and the establishment of commemorative events and memorials.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄSlavery
đĄAtlantic Slave Trade
đĄMiddle Passage
đĄTriangular Trade
đĄEnslaved Africans
đĄBranding
đĄAmistad
đĄDehumanization
đĄEuropean Slave Traders
đĄAbolition Movement
đĄInternational Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition
Highlights
Between 1500 to 1880 CE, 10 to 12 million African slaves were forcibly moved from Africa to the Americas.
About 15% of enslaved Africans died during the Middle Passage across the Atlantic.
Enslaved Africans were taken from six primary regions in Africa.
An estimated 12.4 million people were loaded on slave ships during the transatlantic slave trade.
Surviving slaves in the Americas were sold at markets similar to cattle.
Slave owners often branded their slaves, similar to cattle.
Slaves' lives were dominated by work and terror, stripped of their humanity.
The transatlantic slave trade was a major part of the Triangular Trade, benefiting Europe and America economically.
The first slave voyage from Africa to the Americas is believed to have sailed in 1526.
Initially, the Spanish monarchy did not permit the transportation of African slaves.
On August 18, 1518, King Charles V granted a charter to transport slaves directly from Africa.
European slave traders did not participate in the raids due to the high risk of death from diseases in Africa.
The transatlantic slave trade was essential to the economics of the Triangular Trade route.
The Middle Passage was brutal, with a mortality rate for sailors on slave ships of approximately 20 percent.
The conditions on slave ships were inhumane, with limited space and terrible sanitation.
Between 15 and 25 percent of enslaved Africans bound for the Americas died during the Middle Passage.
Only a tiny percentage of Africans transported in the slave trade came directly to North America.
The Amistad revolt in 1839 was a significant event in the American abolition movement.
African elites had an informed understanding of the fates of those sold into slavery.
African societies changed their legal codes in response to the slave trade, making enslavement a punishment for crimes.
The transatlantic slave trade led to an uncountable loss of lives and cultures.
Many nations have apologized for their involvement in the slave trade, with some establishing memorial days.
Transcripts
slavery the treatment of human beings as
property deprived of personal rights has
occurred in many forms throughout the
world but one institution stands out for
both its global scale and its lasting
Legacy numbers involved in the Atlantic
slave trade are truly staggering from
1500 to 1880 CE somewhere between 10 and
12 million African slaves were forcibly
moved from Africa to the Americas and
about 15 percent of those people died
during the journey the majority of
enslaved Africans were taken from six
primary regions senegambia Sierra Leone
and the windward Coast the Gold Coast
the vitamin the bada Biafra and West
Central Africa also known as Congo and
Ingo an estimated 12.4 million people
were loaded on slave ships and carried
through what became known as the middle
passage which moved across the Atlantic
and included many different destinations
once in the Americas the surviving
slaves were sold at a market very
similar to the way cattle would be sold
after purchase slave owners would often
brand their new possession on the cheeks
again just as they would do with cattle
the lives of slaves were dominated by
work and Terror the idea that I am not
human
but I have no soul that I am a beast
brand me burn me whatever and no
recourse nothing
[Music]
the history of humanity is filled with
oppression dominance war and slavery
since the beginning of time people in
different parts of the world have forced
their fellow humans into slavery
the tale of the Atlantic slave trade is
the history of millions of Africans who
are forced out of their communities by
European slave Traders and shipped
across the Atlantic and conditions of
great cruelty when Portugal and Spain
started conquering and establishing
colonies in the new world in the early
1500s they forcefully made the Indians
work their plantations however European
diseases and the violence of Conquest
led to the death of many of the Indian
slaves this led to a labor shortage in
Europe and made the Europeans look
towards Africa for a solution as voyages
to Africa progressed and with many
Expeditions by Portuguese and Spanish
explorers Africa became a major source
of supply of slaves to Europe and the
Spanish West Indies as well as the
Portuguese colonies in Brazil the Indian
slaves were gradually replaced by
Africans these Africans were stripped of
their identity and occupation to refer
to them as just slaves is incorrect
because before being captured by the
European Ian many of them were Farmers
Merchants soldiers musicians goldsmiths
blacksmiths and many more they were
husbands fathers wives children and
mothers they had Origins and Heritage
but when the Europeans came and took
over their communities they became
captives and had to be boarded on large
ships and taken to Europe the European
slavers dispersed them across the
Americas and different parts of Europe
they were forced to lead lives under
terrible conditions and face severe
labor conditions they were stripped and
flogged and forced to work very long
hours often under terrible weather and
health conditions the transatlantic
slave trade transported between 10
million and 12 million enslaved black
Africans across the Atlantic Ocean to
the Americas you might have heard of the
Triangular Trade right and how Africa
was a major part of this trade although
suffering economically while the other
two parts that made up the triangle
enjoyed huge economic benefits we'll get
to that shortly the first slave Voyage
from Africa to the Americas is believed
to have sailed in 1526 but even before
this period Africans were bought as
slaves directly from Europe and even
native inhabitants of America were also
enslaved by European explorers before
1518 the Spanish monarchy didn't permit
the transportation of African slaves
from Africa not due to a sense of moral
value or Humanity but because they
believed Africans were barbaric and that
they would corrupt the European society
and introduce Pagan and non-Christian
practices to the country however over
the years due to economic reasons there
was a U-turn in that decision and on
August 18 1518 King Charles V granted a
charter to Lorenzo de gorovad to
transport 4 000 slaves directly from
Africa to the Spanish-American colonies
over time King Charles changed the law
established by his grandparents and then
permitted slaves to be brought into
Spanish colonies in America from Africa
on the condition that they would be
converted to Christianity during their
voyage across the Atlantic Ocean with
this new decree in place there was an
explosion in the number of slaves moved
from Africa to America there was an
immediate expansion of the slave trade
in the Western Hemisphere European slave
Traders gathered and imprisoned the
enslaved at forts on the African coast
and then brought them to the Americas
generally the European slave Traders did
not participate in the raids because
their life expectancy in sub-Saharan
Africa was less than a year due to the
widespread malaria infection so the
majority of people that were transported
in the transatlantic slave trade were
people from Central and West Africa that
were captured by other West Africans and
sold to the Western European slave
Traders the transatlantic slave trade
was essential to the whole economics of
the Triangular Trade route and European
colonies in America needed the supply of
slaves for their plantations speaking of
essential it's essential for you to like
this video And subscribe to the channel
for more content like this they don't
want us sharing stories like this but
we're going to continue anyway with your
support the Triangular Trade now let's
dive a little deeper into what the
Triangular Trade route was all about the
Triangular Trade route is simply the
trade structure that operated across the
Atlantic region this Triangular Trade
route across the Atlantic took goods
from Europe to Africa some of the goods
taken to Africa include arms textiles
and wine on the other side of the
triangle was the movement of African
slaves to the Americas and the West
Indies the last side of the triangle was
the movement of raw materials such as
sugar coffee tobacco rice and cotton
produced on American plantations back to
Europe the triangle involved three
continents with Europe providing the
capital Africa providing the labor and
America providing the land and resources
there was always a supply to the
European market the story of the
transatlantic slave trade involves the
story of all people in the three
continents but most importantly those
involved in the Middle Passage Voyage
the trade route that transported slaves
is known as the Middle Passage The
Voyage is often marked with a lot of
difficulties and even death depending on
the weather the voyage could take about
three to six months the passage was so
brutal that the ships not only lost the
people being transported as slaves but
in some cases the crew also lost their
lives the mortality rate for Sailors on
slave ships was approximately 20 percent
the ships had a particular design and
varied in size and passenger capacity
the conditions of these ships were
inhumane the African slaves were locked
up below the deck in cramped quarters
and only had a little opportunity to be
out in the sunlight and they were forced
to carry out certain enforced exercises
in the form of dancing to ensure that
they were healthy and in good posture
when they get to Europe inside of these
decks was sticky and filled with the
stench of dirt be species and urine
research published in 1794 estimated
that a man inside the deck had just a
space of six feet by one foot four
inches and a woman had five feet by one
foot four inches the girls had four feet
six inches by one foot the air inside
the deck was hot stale and filled with
the incessant smell of dirt and human
excretia the slaves suffered from
starvation and thirst and only had 24
ounces of water every day I.E the
equivalent of two 12 ounce soda cans a
fluid per day their major food was horse
beans and rice the captives were packed
tightly in tears below decks and were
chained together hands and feet The
Voyage was characterized by many
difficulties and the captives were faced
with issues that included epidemic
diseases and attacks by Pirates they
also experienced physical sexual and
psychological abuse by slave Traders and
crewmen an estimate by historians put it
that between 15 and 25 percent of the
enslaved Africans Bound for the Americas
died during this Voyage the conditions
were so severe that only a tiny
percentage of the Africans transported
an enslaved trade came directly to North
America just about four percent of the
total Africans transported not more than
400 000 arrived in North America
directly a vast majority of the slaves
were sent to the Caribbean and South
America and almost half of the slaves
that were captured and transported out
from Africa totaling about 5 million
were sent to Brazil I know you will be
wondering how thousands of slaves
couldn't overpower hundreds of crewmen
well there was one popular situation
where African slave trades revolted and
took over their ships the detail of this
story is as chilling as it is
fascinating we will get to that shortly
but keep in mind that the slave Traders
were armed and typically had the slaves
in chains before transporting them
anyways let's finish up on the journey
and the economics of the transatlantic
slave trade and while we may think that
all slaves transported Out of Africa
were through the transatlantic route
that is not entirely true the
transatlantic slave only made up for
half of the total slaves traded and
transported Out of Africa is reported
that from ad650 to 1900 Islamic Traders
were also exporting slaves Out of Africa
and sent out a total of 10 million
slaves to Arabia Yemen Iran India and
Iraq the slaves were transported across
the Sahara Desert the Red Sea and the
Indian Ocean while some slaves were also
enslaved but remained in Africa many of
the slaves captured and transported in
the transatlantic slave trade were taken
from the region bordering the Gulf of
Guinea the slave activities in this
region were excessive that the section
of the African coast and countries like
Togo Benin and Nigeria was even referred
to as the slave Coast a majority of the
slaves were taken from West Central
Africa in the early stages of the
transatlantic slave trade the Portuguese
is generally but Africans who were
captured as slaves during Tribal wars
but as the demand for slaves increased
the Portuguese began to enter the
interior of Africa to forcibly take
captives in the 1690s the number of
people taken out of Africa yearly
reached about 30 000 and a century later
the number grew to about 85 000 per year
during the 1700 and 1850 it was
estimated that more than 8 out of 10
Africans were forced into the slave
trade successfully crossed the Atlantic
in the period between 1821 and 1830
about 80 000 people were leaving Africa
yearly and within the next 20 years
before the abolition of slave trade over
a million more Africans were sent across
the Atlantic to America by 1820 almost
four Africans for every one European had
been transported across the Atlantic and
4 out of five women who crossed the
Atlantic were from Africa the majority
of enslaved Africans brought to British
North America arrived between 1720 in
1780 the Africans who were sent to
Brazil were mostly from Angola and those
who were transported to North America
including the Caribbean were taken
mainly from West Africa although just
about six percent of African captives
were sent to British North America in
1825. the U.S population included about
one quarter of the people of African
descent in the Western Hemisphere
interestingly the condition of slavery
in America was totally different from
that in the U.S but before we delve into
these mind-boggling details let's talk
about the Revolt of 1839. remember I
mentioned this earlier in 1839 slave
Traders were once again hoping to get
another shipment of slaves across the
Atlantic but unlike previous voyages
they were not ready for the surprise
this particular Voyage would be bringing
their way the slave ship named Amistad
had about a hundred slaves on board as
the ship moved near the coast of Cuba
the unwilling passengers of the ship who
were recently abducted from Africa
numbering about 53 revolt bolted
aggressively the revolters were led by
Joseph sink they killed the captain and
cook and only spared the life of the
Spanish Navigator so that he can sail
them home back to Sierra Leone however
the Navigator managed to sail the
Amistad northward two months later the
U.S Navy intercepted and seized the ship
off Long Island New York the ship was
towed to New London Connecticut and the
mutineers were held in jail in New Haven
Connecticut this event had significant
political and legal repercussions in the
American abolition movement at that time
the Spanish Embassy demanded that the
African slaves are returned to Cuba and
this led to the 1840 trial in Hartford
Connecticut Federal Court New England
abolitionist Louis Tappan was successful
in drawing public sympathy to the
Africans and was able to battle it with
the pro-slavery US Government however
the U.S president at the time Martin Van
Buren ordered a Navy ship sent to
Connecticut to return the Africans to
Cuba immediately after the trial the
interesting part of this was the legal
proceeding that ensued the prosecutors
argued that as slaves the mutineers were
subject to the laws governing conduct
between slaves and their masters and
this is where it gets interesting the
trial testimony showed that while
slavery was legal in Cuba the
importation of slaves from Africa was
not the judge therefore ruled that the
Africans were not merchandise but were
victims of kidnapping and so had the
right to escape their captors in any way
they could when the US government
appealed the case before the U.S Supreme
Court the following year former
President John Quincy Adams was able to
win the Court ruling in favor of the
amstad Rebels the Supreme Court upheld
the Judgment of the lower court through
contributions from private and
missionary societies the 35 surviving
Africans secured a passage home they
arrived in Sierra Leone in January 1842
alongside five missionaries and teachers
who later founded a Christian Mission in
the country while we could definitely
blame the Europeans for the activities
of the Atlantic slave trade Africans
were also involved in slave trade
activities Africans were involved in
kidnapping adults and stealing children
for the purpose of selling them they
used European intermediaries or agents
to sell off these captives in exchange
for merchandise or arms in most cases
those sold into slavery were usually
from a different ethnic group than those
who captured them and it didn't matter
if they were enemies or indigenous of a
neighboring Village the captive slaves
were stripped of any identity they had
and simply referred to as other they
were not seen as part of the people of
the ethnic group or tribe also while
African kings were very much interested
in protecting their villages in some
instances thieves and criminals were
sold out into slavery as a way to get
rid of them many other slaves were
gotten through raids at gunpoint which
were organized by different ethnic
groups and in some instances as a joint
venture with the Europeans also recorded
in the book Daughters of the trade
Atlantic slavers and interracial
marriage on the Gold Coast the author
Bernal Ibsen shared that Africans on the
the Gold Coast which is present-day
Ghana also participated in the slave
trade through intermarriage the term
used was kasari which gets its Origins
from Portuguese and means to marry
kasari was used to form political bonds
and economic connections between the
slave Traders and the Europeans in the
initial stages of slave trade it was
common practice for the powerful West
African families to marry off their
women to the European traders in
Alliance and to further enforce The
Syndicate while the marriages had to be
performed based on African Customs the
Europeans offered no objection as they
were fully aware of how vital these
connections were to the success of their
businesses
the initial stages we may argue that
Africans had no idea of the exact
condition of the slave trade and the
experience of those sold into the slave
trade however according to Robin law
there is a possibility that the Royal
Elites of the Dahomey Kingdom must have
had an informed understanding of the
fates of the Africans sold into slavery
this is because the king of Dahomey sent
diplomats to Brazil and Portugal who
returned with information about their
trips also some of the elites of Dahomey
had experienced slavery in America
before returning home so the only
opposition the kingdom of the homie had
against slavery was the law that
prohibited the enslavement of a fellow
de homian anyone caught doing this faced
the death penalty and while the kingdom
was against this they had no issue with
the institution of slavery the case was
different on the Gold Coast which is
present-day Ghana here Elites sent their
kids to learn about the slave trade from
the Europeans by sailing with them and
living inside their forts some even sent
their children to Europe and America to
be educated elites on the Gold Coast
also had agreements with the Dutch and
British governments to rescue some of
their friends who were tricked into
slavery in America however a common
assumption by many Africans who were not
aware of the true purpose of the
Atlantic slave trade was that the
Europeans were cannibals who planned on
cooking and eating their captives this
rumor even made it more distressing for
the captives who were locked in ships
sailing to Europe the transatlantic
slave trade led to an uncountable loss
of lives for both captives in and
outside America a BBC report indicated
that more than a million people are
thought to have died during their
transport to the new world Moore died
soon after their arrival due to terrible
health conditions although the number of
slaves that died when bought as slaves
is unclear one thing we are sure of is
that this number May exceed the number
of those that survive to be Enslaved the
Atlantic slave trade led to the
destruction of lives and cultures it is
estimated that about 12 million slaves
enter the Atlantic trade between the
16th and 19th centuries and about 1.5
million died on board slave ships and
apart from those who died in the Middle
Passage it is also estimated that many
Africans were killed during the slave
raids and wars in Africa Canadian
scholar Adam Jones has characterized the
deaths of millions of Africans in this
period as a genocide he referred to it
as one of the worst holocausts in human
history many believe that these deaths
were not intentional and it was in the
slave owner's interest to keep slaves
alive and not exterminate them Jones
argues that the killing and destruction
were intentional whatever the incentives
to preserve survivors of the Atlantic
passage for labor exploitation to
revisit the issue of intent already
touched on if an institution is
deliberately maintained and expanded by
discernible agents though all are aware
of the headachomes of casualties it is
inflicting on a definable human group
then why should this not qualify as
genocide
Sadia Hartman an American writer in
academic focusing on African-American
studies argues that the deaths of
enslaved people were incidental to the
acquisition of profit and the rise of
capitalism she argues that death wasn't
a goal of its own but just a byproduct
of Commerce which has the lasting effect
of making negligible all the millions of
lives lost incidental death occurs when
life has no normative value when no
humans are involved when the population
is in effect seen as already dead Sadia
Hartman goes on to say that although
unlike the concentration camp or the
gulag the Atlantic slave trade also led
to the millions of corpses in this case
extermination was not the major goal it
was a major corollary to the making of
commodities
who do we blame
while we could blame the Germans for the
genocide attempt on the Jews who do we
blame for this slave trade Seven Nations
were actively involved in the activities
of the slave trade and took most of the
slaves to their colonies in the new
world we have the Portuguese the British
the French the Spanish the Dutch the
Americans and the Danish the major
sources of slaves include Angola Coast
bite of Benin bite of Biafra Gold Coast
cinemagambia Southeast Africa and Indian
Ocean Islands Sierra Leone and
woodenward Coast the presence of
European slavers also affected how the
legal code in Africa worked according to
kamani nahusi many African societies
changed the punishment for certain
crimes and the way they responded to
certain offenders some crimes which were
traditionally punishable by some other
form of punishment became punishable by
enslavement and offenders were now sold
to slave Traders David stanard the
author of American Holocaust showed in
his book that 50 of African deaths
occurred in Africa as a result of Wars
between native kingdoms which produced
the majority of slaves the practice of
enslaving enemy combatants and their
Villages was widely practiced in West
Africa indeed the slave trade was
largely a byproduct of tribal and state
Warfare by selling off captives they
were also able to finance future warfare
and also remove potential dissidents
after Victory however some of the
African nations such as igala kabu Bono
State Oyo Ashanti Dahomey and the Oro
Confederacy were more brutal in this
practice truly Africans were fully
involved in the slave trade and even
aided it in many ways but we can't take
away the fact that the Europeans
provided the incentives that made this
activity thrive in one of the letters
written by many Congo and Zinga memba
afonzo to the King jual III of Portugal
he writes to the king requesting that
the king stopped sending merchandise
that is fueling the war between the
different tribes he begs the king to
stop sending merchandise and rather send
more missionaries in one of his letters
he writes each day the Traders are
kidnapping our people children of this
country sons of our Nobles and vassals
even people of our own family this
corruption and depravity are so
widespread that our land is entirely
depopulated we need in this Kingdom only
priests and school teachers and no
merchandise unless it is wine and flower
for Mass it is our wish that this
kingdom is not a place for the trade or
transport of slaves many of our subjects
eagerly lust over Portuguese merchandise
that your subjects have brought into our
domains to satisfy this inordinate
appetite they seize many of our
black-free subjects they sell them after
having taken these prisoners to the
coast secretly or at night as soon as
the captives are in the hands of white
men they are branded with a red hot iron
despite the vast consequences of the
transatlantic slave trade there have
been worldwide apologies from different
nations that benefited and grew their
Economy based on labor from the slave
trade in 1998 UNESCO designated 23
August as International Day for the
remembrance of the slave trade and its
abolition this led to several other
events that recognized the adverse
effects of slavery on the African
continent in 2001 during the World
Conference Against Racism in Durban
South Africa African nations demanded a
clear apology for slavery from the
former slave trading countries some
nations were ready to express an apology
however the opposing countries majorly
the United Kingdom Portugal Spain the
Netherlands and the United States
blocked any attempt to do so the reason
for this opposition by these countries
could be due to concerns that accepting
their involvement in slavery would also
require that they make monetary
compensations to the affected African
nations since 2009 there has been a
continuous effort by the U.N to create
the U.N slavery Memorial as a permanent
remembrance of the victims of the
Atlantic slave trade it this video was
crazy but if you want to learn some more
black history that they never taught us
in school click the link in the screen
it's a story I'm sure you don't want to
miss we'll see you over there
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