“A Tragic Intertwining of Histories”

 

Enslavement can be defined as a process of displacement, or alienating a person from their social roots or natural environment. This definition described the transatlantic slave trade that occurred during the 15^th, 16^th, 17^th, 18^th centuries. Britain, Spain, France, and Portugal were the major players in the slave trade, they needed slavery and slavery needed them. All parties benefited greatly economically in multiple ways and for that reason the slave trade continued to grow expeditiously. Transatlantic migration surpassed all other migration during that time period. During the 16^th century, 25% of all people who crossed the ocean were slaves. It more than doubled the following century to 60% and in the 18^th century over 75% of people migrating across the ocean were slaves.

The slave trade funded the empires that were built in the Americas, Burbank and Parsons stated that the Americas experienced the most devastation of all the newly colonized places during this time period. The empires built in the new land, were built on the political, demographic, and cultural devastation that they caused many other nations and people all over the world. But in this regard, they were not alone. Many fault only the European countries for the intricate part they played in the slave but forget that Africans played a large role as well. The two continents each had their hand in the extensive trade and each benefited greatly. Europeans needed to put their newly acquired land to good use, nonetheless labor was necessary. Elite Africans benefited for providing the labor using their human assets from other tribes and regional opponents.

 African kings would order their military to overtake other polities and take all the eligible slaves they could round up. During that time the African states with the best militaries benefited the greatest from the slave trade. Slave catching and the slave market completely dominated the West African economy. Slavery was well established before the transatlantic slave trade began. Many states had developed complex forms of slavery: caste, military, and labor. Labor was far more extensive than the others simply because the need to cultivate the land was more important than any other aspect of community life. Although Africans have been accused of selling one another, this is not exactly the case. Africans do not identify on racial lines but on lineage and community levels. There was no black or African identity in Africa during the slave trade.

http://africa.unc.edu/outreach/ASA/slavery_and_trade.pdf