The transatlantic slave trade began in the 15th century, after the Portuguese started exploring the coast of West Africa. This had a long term effect on Africa because even though it started out benefiting the upper class in Africa, the long term effect was devastating. While the Europeans started to enter Africa, they enjoyed “the triple advantage of guns and other technology, widespread literacy, and the political organization necessary to sustain expensive programs of exploration and conquest”(Doc 4). Africa’s relations with Europe depended on common interests, which they did not have. Europe’s contact in Africa, involving economic exchanges and political relationships, was not mutually beneficial. Europe mostly benefited from Africa because …show more content…
While the upper class of Africa benefited from this for a short term, the rest of Africa had a domino effect falling after the slave trade began. In a Letter to the Kings of Portugal, Nzinga Mbemba wrote: “the excessive freedom given by your agents and officials to the men and merchants who are allowed to come to this Kingdom to set up shops with goods and many things which have been prohibited by us, and which they spread throughout our Kingdoms and Domains”(Doc 1). This letter was written in 1526, only a little over 20 years after the slave trade began. At first thought the slave trade seemed like it was mutually beneficial to both Europe and Africa, but was only realized later that it would cause a ripple on the rest of Africa. The Europeans first thought that Africans will “always be tending the fire, for it is the one thing you especially looked after”(Doc 7). Africans were seen as workers because before the Europeans reached Africa, Africans were still working hard but to help …show more content…
European contact with sub-Saharan Africa around the 1500’s was not mutually beneficial because they had different needs. The economic exchanges and political relationships were based off of European’s relations with the Upper class of Africa, however not the majority of Africa. Due to the massive expansion of Europe, they wanted to continue to grow, and the only way to do that was to open trading ports all around the world. In the end, Europe benefited from trading with Africa and they are the ones who ended up