Atlantic Creoles - Book Report/Review Example

 Atlantic CreolesSlavery in America was a controversial phenomenon, and its consequences live up to the present. Most of the people subjected to slavery were mainly Africans who worked on the European plantations. The Atlantic Creoles traced their origin in the 15th century when Africans and European met around the trading factories along the African coast. Many acted as intermediaries to necessitate negotiations between the Africa merchants and European sea captains.

The group had a culture advantage in that it would blend well with both the African and European culture. The mixed heritage enables them to be integrated into the European trade and accompanied the Europeans in their sea travel. They also sought jobs from Europeans and later intermarried with these European to form a mixed heritage. During the 17th and 18th century, the Atlantic Creoles were transported to the expanding new world such as Brazil and Jamaica where they provide labor in sugar plantations.

They were the first Africans to be transported to mainland America and began arriving there in the 16th century. They were transported as slaves with many of them having lived and worked for Europeans before. The Atlantic Creoles had an advantage over the pure Africans or Europeans because of their rich culture, ability to speak in multi –languages and were neither identified with any race. They were well versed and could negotiate for better jobs and employment than the indigenous African slaves.

They were also familiar with the Atlantic commerce and had a big influence during the slave trade. Some were traveled sailors and sea captains and therefore they presence were felt. They resisted slavery due to their diversity in culture and knowledge of the European trade. They even negotiated for greater autonomous with the European company such as the Dutch New Amsterdam (Landers, 2010). The Europeans also relied on them to explore new lands and bring slaves to their plantations. Although they worked under Europeans who treated them as servants, the Europeans could not enslave them directly as they feared they might rebel.

The Creoles employed the slaves in North America to work for them as they worked on behalf of the Europeans. They mainly established their base by incorporation the powerful master’s strength such as the Europeans. They also settled in America and bought their plantation that they controlled directly. They traveled to many other states across Americans and established their intermediary position creating culture brokerage.Therefore the intermediate position that the Creoles took, helped them resist enslavement.

They had amassed knowledge; skills and wealth that helped them maintain economic power just like the Europeans. They were able to expand in other regions where they settled and controlled economic activities such as commerce.ReferencesBerlin, I. (1996). From creole to African: Atlantic creoles and the origins of African-American society in mainland North America. The William and Mary Quarterly, 251-288.Landers, J. (2010). Atlantic Creoles in the age of revolutions. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.