European Black Slavery Trade - Essay Example

The captives were insignificant to those communities and, this was the reason behind the slave trade; they opted to exchange them for valuable items from the traders.
Some African countries like Ghana, Angola, and Tanzania largely practiced slavery as an exchange value in trade. The incarceration of the slaves was in systematic ways such as waging war on some weaker communities. The superior African kingdoms would later sell the slaves to the Arab and, European slave trade agents (Watson, p30).

The Africans themselves carried out the slave trade. To them, this was a beneficial business. According to the ancient history of slavery, a slave was equivalent to 14 pounds and, this was a lucrative engagement. Study shows that the Arabs were the first people to practice black slavery in Africa, even before the coming of the Europeans. They traded with dominant African empires and, communities who exchanged the slaves for precious goods for 600 years before the white man set foot in Africa(Watson, p 30). According to the historian, the slave trade began in the Neolithic revolution following the realization of agriculture. This was a tremendous transformation in many communities from hunting to agriculture and, settlement. In addition, this transformation in lifestyle resulted in labor demand thus, the slave trade and the dawn of civilization. The Portuguese, Arabs, and Europeans were predominantly keen on exploring African wealth. However, at the same time, they had created colonies in America and, were in search of a labor force to help cultivate, and develop the land.

The end of the 15th century marked the peak of the European black slavery trade; England was the largest protectorate to trade in the slave trade. They began to take people forcibly initially as servants to wealthy people. According to the Europeans, the taking of slaves was in the name of converting them to become Christians and, probably giving them a better future in Europe. Statistics show that millions of Africans journeyed to America and Latin America, and other nations to work as slaves. In 1500, a shipment of about 6.3 million left West Africa to America, and the Caribbean islands, while between 1701, and 1810 about 4.5 million Africans left Africa to work as slaves in America. Additionally, there is proof that in the Arab communities, there are African genes traced in their lineages. For instance, in Yemen, there is proof that Arab masters used black slave men as companions. Consequently, the journey of the slave trade materialized following the availability of ships. These vessels made the possibility of mass transfer and, trade for black slaves (Watson, p30).

In conclusion, over 15 million black people suffered through the course of the trade, which ended in the 1720s in most European countries. The treatment of slaves differed by country. In some countries like North Africa and Greece, slaves had almost equal rights. However, in America, the rate of discrimination was paramount, and the after-effect of the slave trade resulted in low development in African communities. Read More