Global Exploration and Global Empires 1500-1700 - Essay Example

Slavery Slavery, which was replaced by serfdom, was restored in a new light in the XVII century after the beginning of the era of great geographical discoveries. During the opening up of Africa by white Europeans, they easily found an opportunity to have almost unlimited number of workers turning indigenous Africans into slavery. The given paper will describe three main events from the period of 1450-1850.On December 27, 1512 the Spanish government forbade to use the American Indians as slaves in colonies, however, at the same time it allowed to import the slaves from Africa into the New World (African History: Global Encroachment).

The use of African slaves was very favorable for planters. First, Blacks were better adapted to wearisome physical work in the hot climate than white Europeans or Indians; secondly, taken out far from the habitats of their own tribes, not having any idea how to come back home, they were less inclined to escapes. In the middle of the XX century almost all the black population of the American continent was the descendants of the slaves taken out from Africa. In total about 13 million African slaves were imported to the British North America and later to the USA.

On average, only one from 3-5 captured slaves was brought to a plantation, the others perished during the capture and transportation. According to the estimates of researchers, as a result of a slave trade Africa lost about 80 million lives (Slavery Timeline).In Europe the use of a slave labor was resumed and mass slave trade, which prospered up to the XIX century began. Africans were captured in their native lands, loaded on ships and sent to destination. The Irish captured by British during the conquest of Ireland in 1649 — 1651 prevailed among "white slaves".

Intermediate position between exiled and free colonists was occupied by the "sold in a service": people sold their freedom for the right to move to colonies and to work it off there again. Considerable part of the Irish population, including women and children, was turned into white slaves and took out to English colonies in West Indies. During this period People in Ireland cost less than wolves: English soldiers were paid 5 pounds for the head of "the rebel or the priest" and 6 pounds — for the wolf ‘s head (Slave Trade Statistics).

In the XVII—XVIII centuries Dahomey played a significant role in a slave trade and conducted fierce fight against the rivals: Allada, which was attacked by Dahomey in 1724 for the first time and captured in 1730, and Whydah captured in 1727. After the official prohibition of a slave trade at the beginning of the XIX century Dahomey continued it secretly, using as a transit point the small village of Cotonou on the bank of a lagoon. “hough trade dominance shifted for many decades, as of 1727 the kingdom of Dahomey succeeded in usurping trade from Allada and Xwéda by violent appropriation and complete destruction” (History of the Slave Trade).

In XVIII-XIX centuries palm-oil became the main item of Dahomey’s trade. The prisoners of war worked on palm plantations; their use was spread after the prohibition of a slave trade by France. In a social order of Dahomey, as well as in the coastal states, the patriarchal relations intertwined with slavery elements, and the early feudal relations started developing (History of the Slave Trade). In 1450-1850 the government of many countries tried to forbid slave trade, but it still existed, because it was not possible for slave-owners to refuse from free labor force.

ReferencesUniversity of Dayton. Slave Trade Statistics. Retrieved January 23, 2015 from http://academic.udayton.edu/race/02rights/slave04.htmOuidah Museum of History. History of the Slave Trade. Retrieved January 23, 2015 from http://www.museeouidah.org/Theme-SlaveTrade.htmMichigan State University. African History: Global Encroachment. Retrieved January 23, 2015 from http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/students/curriculum/m7b/activity1.phpMount Holyoke College (2013). Slavery Timeline. Retrieved January 23, 2015 from http://www.mtholyoke.edu/kmporter/slaverytimeline.htm