The+Trans-Atlantic+Slave+Trade

The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, occurring between the 16th and 19th centuries, was the trade between African rulers and the Europeans that transported slaves from their home in Africa to North and South America. Slave traders consisted of the European powers including the Portuguese, British, French, Spanish, Dutch, and the Americans. An estimated 12 million slaves total were forcefully shipped across the Atlantic during this time. The slave trade is often times called //maafa// by African scholars, meaning “holocaust” or “great disaster” in Swahili. ** The Role of Each Area Involved ** __ Brazil __ Brazil was the center of Portuguese slave trade, before and after their independence. They sent out more slaving voyages than any port in Europe. The port of Brazil was the largest destination for migrant slaves in the Americas. __ The Caribbean __ The Caribbean was a major location for sugar production and where there is sugar, there is a need for manual labor. This need made the area large location for slaves as well. Because all the labor was imported, the Caribbean islands did not develop a self-sustaining population. But, like their southern counterparts in Brazil, they sent many more slave expeditions than most places in mainland North America. __ North America __ North America held a very minor role in the slave trade. They sent less than 5% of voyages and received less than 4% of slaves carried from Africa. However, a positive rate of natural population growth in slaves helped North America depend less on migrants from Africa itself. __ Europe __ Europe was the starting point for the majority of slave voyages. Britain was the frontrunner in the early 18th century, transporting at least 2-3 million slaves in just that period. However, after 1807 France and the Iberian Peninsula sent most of the voyages from Europe. The consumer demand for sugar, a crop not indigenous to Europe, was the driving force for their participation in the slave trade. __ Africa __ Africa lost at least 12 ½ million people to the slave trade from 1525-1867. 1 in 8 Africans died aboard the ships taking them across the ocean, not to mention the deaths during raids and in their new homes. At least 40% of slaves were taken from West-Central Africa alone. ** The Middle Passage ** There were three legs to the journey known as “triangular trade”. The first leg was from Europe to Africa, where Europeans brought manufactured goods to trade. From there, they took enslaved Africans to the Americas. The third leg was from the Americas back to Europe where they brought back agricultural goods such as tobacco and sugar. The second leg, Africa to America, was called the “Middle Passage”. The Middle Passage could last from 1-3 months. Ships carried well over their maximum capacity of 350, sometimes holding 800 Africans. Captives were forced to endure the voyage lying in their own filth. They were only let on deck to stretch their limbs through forced dance, a form of entertainment for the slave traders. Many died because of malnutrition, dysentery, small pox, and even suicide.
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// Sources: // [|//www.inmotionaame.org//] [|//www.understandingslavery.com//] [|//www.slavevoyages.org//] [|//www.wikipedia.org//]