History Research Paper On Indian Ocean Slave Trade

Slave Trade and its Impact/Effects in Africa Before 1800
Name
Institution
Slave Trade and its Impact/Effects in Africa Before 1800
Introduction
The systems of slavery and servitude have been in existence for a long time in the African continent. A majority of the African societies embraced the idea of slavery and actively participated in it way before slave trade began. While at times it is often made to seem like slavery started when the Arab or the Atlantic slave trade began, the fact is, the African continent was already used to the idea of subjugating their fellow men. Initially, before the slave systems changed, slavery in Africa was practiced in the form of military slavery, debt slavery, criminal slavery, as well as the enslavement of war captives. However, the slave systems changed and this happened mainly because of the influences of the Romans who represented the Christian views of the practice, the Islamic impact, and finally the Atlantic slave trade. In Africa, slavery was part of the society and was an important element of the economic structure. However, the many changes to the system led to some notable differences as years passed but the foundation of the system remained the same. The Christian and the Islamic views of slavery had significant effects on the slave trade in Africa, but it is the Atlantic slave trade that had a major impact. Initially, slaves were seen as the means of increasing one’s status in the community, but the onset of the Atlantic slave trade changed everything. Instead of keeping slaves for themselves, Africans of higher status, as well as kings and other leaders, decided to start bartering their servants in exchange for other products such as sugar, cowrie shells, firearms, and alcohol. Gradually, however, the demand for slaves outgrew the supply, and the pioneers of Atlantic slave trade had to find newer and sleeker ways of acquiring slaves. Slave trade was a scourge but back then it was seen as the easiest way of getting cheap labor, getting back what someone was owed as well as elevating one’s status in society. The Africans, Europeans, and the Arabs had not considered the long-term effects of their actions. However, it is evident that the world is still in the process of healing but the effects of slavery are indeed pronounced.[Manning, Patrick. 1990. Slavery and African Life: Occidental, Oriental, and African Slave Trades. London: Cambridge.]
How slaves were captured/acquired
As the demand for slaves increased, the Europeans (pioneers of Atlantic slave trade) had to devise ways of getting labor. Africa was unexplored, and it is only after the Portuguese made contact with the continent that the Atlantic slave trade began. After launching a series of exploratory expeditions, the Portuguese eventually discovered Africa and are indeed the first Europeans to make a successful slave voyage from Africa. America had huge sugar, tobacco, coffee, cotton, and cocoa plantations and these needed people to work on. Slaves made for an easy target because they were viewed as property and not as workers, therefore, they worked without pay. However, capturing or acquiring slaves was not easy, and some Europeans met their death while trying to acquire or capture Africans. The Europeans, eventually realized that the Africans were the best suppliers of slaves and therefore, resorted to either buying or barter trading with the leaders.[Manning, Patrick. (1990). Slavery and African Life: Occidental, Oriental, and African Slave Trades. London: Cambridge.]
Some of the ways slaves were acquired include:
- Market Supply
Once the Europeans made contact and showed a desire for the slaves, slave markets increased along the African coastline. People who frequented the slave markets included royalty as well as individuals who were considered free. The Trans-Saharan routes formed the major routes that were used as slave markets. Other markets included Yendi, Salaga, Bole, and Bonduku. Slaves were sold or exchanged like any other property in these markets, and this made it easier for the Europeans to also join in the practice.[Klein, Martin A. (1978). The Study of Slavery in Africa. The Journal of African History. 19 (4): 599–609.]
- Raiding and Kidnapping
Raiding and kidnapping people were common practices among the Africans, and these too were sources of slaves. Communities such as the Tuaregs, the Kurtey, and Berbers used to kidnap and enslave their neighbors. Slave raiding was a practice that was adopted by a majority of the communities, and many slaves were procured through this method.
- Tribute Paying
In kingdoms or chiefdoms, the subjects used to pay tribute to their masters, kings, and chiefs. The practice was common in Africa and also presented one of the ways slaves were acquired. Communities that acquired slaves through tribute paying include the Yoruba of Nigeria, the Akwamuhene of Ghana, and the Sokoto Caliphate. In some of these territories, the subjects were provided specifics and were, therefore, required to deliver as per the orders.
- Pawning
In the pre-colonial Africa, pawning was also a way of acquiring slaves. Pawning mainly included the act of offering someone as security or collateral for money borrowed. After the exchange, the pawn became whatever the creditor wanted him/her to be. It is important to note that pawning was not considered slavery, but eventually, someone would end up a slave if they failed to pay off their debt. Some of the communities that practiced pawning include the Igbo from Nigeria as well as the Sena of Mozambique.[Manning, Patrick. (1990). Slavery and African Life: Occidental, Oriental, and African Slave Trades. London: Cambridge.]
- Warfare
War was something common among the African communities and presented one of the best ways of acquiring slaves. Whenever communities fought, there were prisoners of war, and these were eventually enslaved and either sold to the foreigners or made to work within the compound of their captors.
Transportation of Slaves
As already stated, slaves were considered property and therefore, transporting them was not as distressing as acquiring them. African leaders were oblivious of the long-term effects of their actions and therefore, immediately they discovered that Europeans were interested in acquiring slaves, they began trading with them. Like the African leaders, the Europeans did not foresee the prolonged impact of their actions and therefore arrived in droves to trade their already made goods with human beings. Once the acquisition was complete, slaves were chained together and then made to walk long trips to the shores of the sea to board the awaiting ships.
The Atlantic slave trade indeed represents one of the biggest international movements of people. The focus, however, has not been on the movement but the shipboard mortality. The Europeans often used two ways to transport the slaves, loose packing and tight packing. While using the latter, slaves were carried in excess of per-unit ship size and therefore, lacked enough room in the ship. Conversely, while using the former, slaves had enough room and were few in one ship. Regardless of the above, Klein et al. states that “whatever the rate of packing, the number of slaves carried per ton on slave ships was usually in excess of the number on voyages of free individuals or contract laborers.” A lot of people lost their lives including the Europeans because of diseases and the lack of proper ships. However, the resolve to have workers who can work for free often superseded reason.[Klein, Herbert., Engerman, Stanley., Haines, Robin., & Shlomowitz, Ralph. 2001. Transoceanic Mortality: The Slave Trade in Comparat...