Paper Topic:

African Slave Trade

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University

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Date African slave trade

Slavery is an old activity dating back to the time immemorial . It involves using or obtaining labor forcefully from a human being without any compensation . In slavery we have two parties the master and the slave . The master can do whatever he wishes with the slave as it is regarded as his or her property . Slave is part and parcel of the master 's wealth . Slavery was practiced in all parts of the world . The most prominent slave trade involved

Africans and the Europeans nations Many Africans were captured from their homelands and sold to Americans who used them in their farms

Transatlantic trade or the triangular trade which involved Africa European nations and the America was mainly a slave trade affair . Slaves were the major commodities of this trade . This trade took place between the sixteenth and nineteenth century . Slaves were shipped from western and a central part of Africa destined to the so called New world .New world refers to the colonies that emerged at around this time in Latin America

Various methods were used to get slaves from Africa . These methods included : kidnapping , raiding and through buying in markets established at the coastal areas of Africa . Raids were executed either by the Europeans who had superior weapons than Africans or by gangs which were hired for this purpose . In some region those people who were convicted of various crimes were either given or sold out as slaves

Historians estimate that over ten million slaves were shipped from Africa to the new world .Segel ,R (1995 ) noted that apart from those who reached the destination ,million others died on the way , either being killed by their captors or succumbing to various diseases that were common during this period

Slave trade caused a lot of damage in Africa . The damage was not only in terms of those who died but also economically and political implications are being felt up to this time in different parts of this continent

Slave trade was carried out in most inhumane way . Slaves were treated as property or as beast of burden . The way slaves were captured left a lot to be desired as very crude methods were used . During the time when slaves were being captured of some were beaten , raped while some were killed (Segel ,R 1995 pg 105

Slave trade robbed Africa of men and women who were supporting their families . One of the characteristics that slave traders looked was strength of the slave

Strong men and women who were the pillar of African farming and pastrolism , some of the main economic activities ,were the key targets for this evil trade

This means that agriculture was affected as the weak , old and children could not produce enough to sustain themselves and their families

Famine and malnutrition weakened the already emotionally affected Africans who had lost their kinsmen courtesy of slave trade . Though natural disaster contributed to biting hunger , capturing of able men and...

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