More handpicked essays just for you.
Slavery: A World History
The effects of the atlantic slave trade on europe
Negative effect on europe on atlantic slave trade
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Slavery during the periods of 1607 to 1776 had a drastic change in Britain's North American Colonies. During the time of the African Diaspora, Africans were spread all over the New World. This led to an adapting and different type of workability in the colonies. The developments started with the use of indentured servitude, Bacon’s Rebellion, and slavery.
The New York Historical Society (n.d.) states, “historically New York has been considered the capital of American liberty, hosting monuments devoted to freedom and promoting economic ambition as well as diversity; however, it is also, paradoxically, the capital of American slavery.” Slavery in New York started in the 1600s when the Dutch West India Company brought African slaves to what is today New York (GSA, n.d.). During the 17th and 18th-century, slavery was considered an investment and according to the New York Historical Society (n.d.), “almost every businessman in the 18th-century had a stake in the traffic of human beings.” Slaves improved the economy, they produced sugar, tobacco, indigo, coffee, chocolate, and cotton, which permitted
The transatlantic slave trade was a brutal and inhumane enterprise, where millions of Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas under brutal conditions (Bailyn 140). The conditions for enslaved Africans on English sugar plantations were often horrific, with harsh punishments and long working hours in hot and humid conditions (Fisher 47). Nonetheless, it is undeniable that the use of enslaved labor was a crucial factor in the success of the English colonies in the Caribbean. The use of slave labor allowed the English to cultivate crops such as sugar cane at a much lower cost, and thus gain a competitive advantage in the global market (Fisher 34). Without the labor of enslaved Africans, it is unlikely that the English would have been able to establish such profitable and successful sugar
Following the period of Exploration, explorers discovered new lands rich with resources such as gold, silver, and other precious materials that needed to be mined, and crops that needed to be farmed. However, workers who could perform these tasks were scarce. The Native American population had been killed by disease and war, and the colonists weren’t often willing to do this labor. Fortunately for the European colonists, they had access for a convenient and inexpensive labor market via the means of African Slave Trade.
The slave trade was a controversial issue for many people and still is even today. However, many of the leaders of European countries at the time of the slave trade were considered Enlightened Despots due to their reforms set in place to actually help the people and the betterment of the country. Also most of the writing at this time was observing treatment of slaves and most of the people in the world had accepted Enlightenment ideals or traditional christian values wherein both, everyone deserved rights. This is why it can be inferred that during the 17th to 19th c. there was not an absence of humanitarian concern for slaves when it came to the slave trade, but instead it was individuals who lacked humanitarianism while the rest of the world
Marielle Apronti Prof. Oscar Williams AAFS 311 4 March 2018 The Trans-Atlantic slave trade was the most important factor when considering the early development of European capitalism. The arrival of the Portuguese to the West African Coast and their establishment of trading and slave ports throughout the continent set in stone a trend of exploitation of Africa 's labor and human resources. Europeans greatly benefited from the Trans-Atlantic trade, as it allowed them to aggregate raw materials such as sugar and cotton to manufacture products that funded the Industrial Revolution. In the book “Capitalism and Slavery” by Eric Williams he addresses the origin of “Negro” history, the economic and political impact of slavery in Great Britain, the role of the American Revolution and the decline of slavery in Great Britain.
The Atlantic Slave Trade caused many political, social, and economical effects on the US. There are debates over reparations, and whether the confederate flag should be hung up. It also affected the Civil Rights Movement greatly and contributed to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and contributed to racism. First of all, what was the Atlantic Slave Trade?
During the 1700s, slaves played a very important role on the plantation, from sowing the land to caring for the livestock. But when the war started, many enslaved African Americans saw the opportunity for freedom. Britain had long before abolished slavery, so British armies often encouraged slaves to escape and join as soldiers. It was a good offer for the slaves; freedom in return for the life of a soldier and treated equally and many took the chance. Many slaves received their freedom without a formal emancipation.
Throughout the 1600s and into the late 1700s the British North American colonies were involved in interactions with Europe, Africa, and South America; all continents which border the Atlantic ocean. This connection would pave the way for continuities and changes within labor systems in the New World. When studying transatlantic history one can see the continuous demand for labor in the early colonies. However, drastic changes occurred when it came to the labor force, a change that would leave a lasting impact on future generations. Early settlers found themselves immigrating to the Americas primarily in search of wealth through resources such as gold and silver.
The scope of slavery varied based on how practical and profitable slaves would be in that time period and location. Slavery had many impacts on society as a whole and influenced political, economic, and cultural aspects which all demonstrate the development of slavery in the 17th and 18th century. By the 17th century many Indians had been killed off by diseases and many white indentured servants no longer were willing to work (Foner, pg. 94). At first, the majority of slaves were sent to Brazil and the West Indies with less than 5% sent to the colonies (Foner, pg. 98).
With time, each colony managed to sustain itself and now each colony was in high demand of African slaves. The England’s Royal African Company was responsible for transporting thousands of slaves to English American colonies. The transporting of slaves was one of the greatest economic resources that the English relied on. However, competition was a big issue so in 1651 English Parliament passed its Navigation Act, which was to govern and control trade between England and its colonies. We see a similar technique as well as with the Spanish, “The Crown had barred the colony from producing finished goods, requiring that colonists purchase them from Spain” .
The Trans-Atlantic slave trade impacted and changed the world by misplacing and separating thousands of individuals from their families and homes. Thousands of people lost their lives when they were abducted and forced into slavery. Many did not survive the ship rides to the Americas. Many were murdered and tortured. Some were thrown of boats and died from diseases caught on the ship.
Over twelve million Africans were captured and taken against their will by Europeans in the Atlantic slave trade from about 1525-1866. The experience that the slaves endured was horrendous, unsanitary and overall the worst time of their lives. The middle passage was where the slaves were taken from Africa to the Americas via ships. After they arrived in the Americas, they were sold and forced to work for their new owners. Due to strong European force, slaves experienced dehumanization through being captured from their villages and tortured, living with awful conditions on ships, and being sold against their will to Americans.
It is stated, “The first half of the eighteenth century…a period of increased purchasing power for laboring people…,” (Mintz, 118). It is this dependency of the English populace to a large influx of sugar which, in line with the supply-demand theory, lowers the price of sugar and makes it more affordable. Where there was not demand, the sugar trade effectively created one. Though not nutritionally beneficial, sugar became a proletarian commodity which helped sustain England’s labor force. However, the increasing dependency reinforced and propelled the enslavement of Africans for the cultivation of the sugar cane in the West Indies.
The greatest slave trade stage was enslaved people transportation from West and central Africa to the New World- America. The trans-Atlantic slave trade was the largest forced movement and prior from the 16th through the 19th centuries. The salve trade between Western and Central Africa and the America reached its peak in the middle of 18th century when over 80.000 Africans annually crossed the Atlantic to spend all their rest of lives in chains. “For three centuries the white man seized and enslaved millions of Africans and transported them, with every circumstance of ferocious cruelty, across the seas.” (Morel.1903) Approximately from the 10 to 12 million Africans from the central and western parts of continent were sold by others Africans
