Slavery in Africa and the Slave Trade U.S. History.
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Transcript of Slavery in Africa and the Slave Trade U.S. History.
Slavery in Africa and the Slave Trade
U.S. History
Slavery In Western Africa
• As we discussed earlier, Europeans began to search beyond their borders for new trade routes and partners.
• Portuguese explorers were mainly looking for gold.
• When Portuguese sailors first sailed along the West African coast, they discovered that slavery already existed there.
• Europeans exploited the system of slavery that already existed.
Slavery In Western Africa
• Slavery was considered an accepted part of life in Africa.
• Kings and other rulers in Western Africa would enslave enemy soldiers, criminals, or other undesirable people.
• Many slaves would be traded to merchants (mainly Arab…AIR-RUB not A- RAAB) in exchange for goods.
• Slavery in Africa was still violent and unfair, but was nowhere as brutal as the system of slavery that would develop in the Americas. • About 1000 slaves per year• Children of slaves did not remain slaves• There was some upward mobility• Wealth was possible• NOT BASED ON RACE!
The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
• Beginning in the 1400’s, Europeans began removing large numbers of slaves from Africa.
• Originally, these slaves were sent to small islands in the Atlantic that the Portuguese controlled (Azores, Canary islands.)
• However, once the Americas were discovered, many were shipped there.
• By 1550, about 1,800 slaves were being taken from Africa per year and shipped throughout the world
• This is known as the Slave Trade.