Made by Golbez.
Slavery did not start in Africa, it was practiced in
civilisations from Ancient Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire
and later across Europe including Nordic countries. Many,
including Aristotle, believed that some were slaves
by nature and they were often pillars of such cultures adding to
their wealth through their unpaid labours. Even many Britons were turned into slaves after the Norman
conquest with much of the existing English gentry being deported
to Spain and Welsh slaves being traded in London and today
human trafficking (modern day slavery) is still widespread and in some countries such as Niger, the practice,
although illegal there since 2003 is still widespread. It is against
this background that African slavery should be considered.
Slavery was already widespread in many parts of Africa, such
as Egypt, Sudan, Zanzibar, Ghana and Mali amongst others, long
before the Portuguese arrived in 1471 and establishing trading
posts in north-east Africa as part of their developing trade
routes to the far east. Just as with other cultures and
civilisations before them, the slave trade developed due to a
need for a strong, free workforce. Having
stated that, the scale of African slavery was unprecedented with
an estimated 12-15,000,000 Africans taken into slavery ready to
transported mainly to America but also to North Africa and the
Middle east although historians calculate that around a half of
this number may actually have died before they even reached the
coast of Africa in readiness to sail. The impact on the remaining population was severe and it is now
estimated that the population of Africa in 1850 of 25,000,000
would actually have been twice that number had the captured
slaves had not been taken and had procreated as per the societal
norm.
Men became slaves for reasons varying from punishment for
crimes, debt, as prisoners from local tribal wars and a
demonstration of power of local warlords. As the trade developed
slaves weren't just taken as a result of war but an actual
reason for going to war in the first place. Few Europeans were
actually involved in the kidnaps themselves for that would irate
local balances of power, but rather they acted as recipients of
slaves once delivered. Although 1510CE saw the first African slaves
shipped to South America via Spain, it was 1518CE that the
direct transportation of slaves to America itself started in
earnest peaking in the 1790s. After the American Revolution
1775-1783, the northern states abolished slavery however it
continued to flourish in the southern states. By 1861 those southern states, determined to
protect slavery, broke away to form the Confederate States of
America and started a civil war with the north who, the
following year, adopted the abolition of slavery as a war aim.
When the war ended slavery was abolished with all slaves set
free without compensation to their 'owners'.
However the question was then exactly what did freedom mean?
Certainly white slave owners acknowledged that formal slavery
was over for good, but the emancipated slaves were poor,
landless and in need of work. And their former masters were the
only ones who could provide that work. As the American
sociologist, historian, civil rights activist W E B Du Bois
commented "The slave went free stood a brief moment in the sun;
then moved back again toward slavery." However attitudes had changed as it was the
former slaves determination to achieve a life without all the
indignities of slavery that laid the foundations of racial
relationships that permeate through to the present day
particularly in the southern states of the USA. The short video documentary (below) explores the
development of black African slavery and how until 1640 the
Portuguese had a near monopoly of the African slave trade. Until
the abolition of the practice, it is estimated that Portugal was
responsible for the transportation of 4.5 million slaves,
approximately 40% of the total.
Whilst Britain is acknowledged for its role
in bringing a cessation to the slave trade, it should be
remembered that Britain was one of the worst offenders in the
18th century, dealing with some two and a half million slaves
out a total of six million in one century alone. And it should
also not be forgotten that this trade was given the full
co-operation of African kings and merchants. The image
above shows the extent of African slavery in the USA during the slave
trade period.
|
African Slavery: Colonialism in Africa
|
![]() |
Details of current volunteer work
opportunities in each of the
countries of Africa.
Find how to sponsor a child in Africa
with our list of organisations,
charities, programs and projects.
Discover all about Africa, its tourist
attractions, history, people, culture
and daily life there.
A treasure trove of African
resources from webcams to
free downloads and news.