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.