Slave Trade In The 16th And 19th Century

Slave Trade of the Atlantic World Throughout the 16th and 19th centuries, slave trade had become one of the most crucial parts for changing the world. Everything during this period was reliant on the slave trade. Consequently, it ended being beneficial for Europeans and disastrous for Africans. Slavery had existed in Africa for centuries, and was generally not thought of as anything major. As time went on, the boost of slavery increased as the Islamic religion began to spread. Muslims practiced things such as enslaving captured prisoners of war, giving them few rights including no social mobility and little influential power. Once the 16th century came to light, and more Europeans began trading on the west coast of Africa, people like the

African’s bodies were able to withstand the climates in the New World due to it being similar to their homeland. Additionally, they were agricultural experts and immune to most European diseases. Furthermore, the African population was very large, resulting in a high number of slaves able to be transported and traded. Unfortunately, though, the ideals differed greatly between Muslim and European beliefs of slavery. African slaves were given no rights, and were often worked to death by their owners. They were not thought of as human beings, but as property.

The impact of the Atlantic slave trade on Africa was immense and long lasting. It is estimated that more than 10 million Africans were ripped from their land and sold as property. With this came a staggering decrease in population, forcing the economy to worsen. Because of the downslide in economic development, Africa itself lost power, wealth, and people. When Europeans traded with African powers they exchanged slaves for goods such as guns. This was the cause of an outbreak of violence in Africa. Even though the slave trade had such an awful effect on Africa, it benefited European power greatly through