Chapter 14 pages 687-699/ 700-717

1. The displacement of the African slaves from their home culture introduced elements of African culture, such as religious ideas, musical and artistic traditions, and cuisine, into the making of American cultures.

Slaves from Africa into the world:

• Trans-Saharan Slave trade funneled African captives into the Mediterranean slavery
• East African slave trade brought Africans into the Middle East and the Indian Ocean basin

Slavery in America was distinctive

1. Immense size of the traffic in slaves 
2. New world slavery was based on plantation agriculture 
3. Treated inhumanely, property that lacked all rights
4. Slave status was inherited 

• Slavic-speaking people from Black Sea region furnished the bulk of the slaves for Mediterranean plantations. So much that "SLAV" became the basis for the word slave in many European languages. 1453 Ottoman Turks seized Constantinople and slavery stopped

• 1452- Pope gave permission to King of Spain and Portugal to invade, search, capture, and subjugate Muslims and pagans and non-believers 

• Exchange for slaves in Africa was paid with silver and textiles

16th century, slave trade lessened. Portuguese turned to transporting African goods and slaves like truck drivers of coastal West African commerce.

17th Century, Slavery increased. Competition between British, Dutch,French and Portuguese. Plantation economies of America boomed, 1700-1850 highest points of slavery

Impact In Africa:

• Slowed Africa's growth at a time when Europe and China were expanding demographically
• Labor demands on the women left behind increased dramatically
• Unbalanced sex ratios meant men could marry more women

Slavery lost its legitimacy during the 19th century.



DOCUMENTS 700-717

Olaudah Equiano describes how he went from a normal life at home to being a slave and sold at the age of 11. He was sold during the high point of the Atlantic slave trade. Eventually, he was able to purchase his freedom in 1766. The document is a first person view into the life of a slave from the time they were taken up until arrival in America. Document 14.2 is from the journal of an English merchant who described the business aspects of the slave exchanges he witnessed first hand. The document details how much they paid for specific slaves, goods to be exchanged and what was the value of a human life as compared to money (trade goods). King Affonso (Kingdom of Kongo) welcomed Portuguese traders and in hopes of establishing an alliance with Portugal. The documents presented shows letters he wrote to the King of Portugal asking for things and services such as physicians and drugs to help the people of Kongo. Their medical experience could cure the Kongo people of the diseases brought onto them possibly by the Europeans they are hosting.