Introduction

“I freed a thousand slaves, I could have freed a thousands more

if only they knew they were slaves”- Harriet Tubman

Slavery is intimately connected with Africa’s history. About African slaves and slave trade Jerome
Dowd says “Slavery in Africa has existed from time immemorial, having arisen, not from any
outside influence, but from the very nature of the local conditions.” Africa continent has suffered
greatly from the hands of foreign invasion. Slave trade in Africa was first stared by Arab merchants
and polished by White men. The continent has experienced four large slave trades during to the
mid- fifteenth century which have a widespread effect on the socio-economic and political
condition of the continent. The largest and most studied of the slave trades is the trans-Atlantic
slave trade and many people died during transportation. In this paper I am going to evaluate the
slave trade, causes and consequences of African slave trade.

Slave Trade in Africa

Slave trade in Africa is the external dimension of slavery, involved trade across the Sahara, the
Mediterranean, read Sea, the Arabic and Indian Ocean world.

Patrick Meanning in his book “Slavery and African Life” argues that: “Slavery was corruption: it
involved theft, bribery, and exercise of brute froce as well as ruses. Slavery thus may be seen as
one source of precolonial origins of modern corruption”.

At first shipment of slaves was to the Northern Africa and Middle East. Latter European countries
were starting to develop as a result there was a demand for many labours for the sugar, tobacco
and plantations. But paid laboubers were too expensive in European countries. So the colonisers
turned to Africa to provide cheap labour in the form of slaves. The first shipment of slaves from
West Africa to the Americas was in the 1500’s. Enslavement in Africa became part of international
trade system called the “triangular trade”.

Nearly 18 million slaves were shipped in the four slave trade period in total. The continent has
experienced four large slave trades-

 The trans-Saharan slave trade

 Red Sea slave trade
  Indian Ocean slave trade
 Trans- Atlantic slave trade

Causes of Slave Trade in Africa

Jerome Dowd identifies three circumstances to develop slavery and in applying these principles
he divides the African continent into three distinct economic zones. Each of these zones gives rise
to different types of men, and different characteristics of economic organization, of family life,
government, religion and art.

1. The banana zone:

The banana zone is that economic zone which is favored by the bounty of nature. It is impossible
to produce surplus enough to maintain their masters unless nature yields generously. It is a wide
area of heavy rainfall and dense forest immediately under the equator. Agriculture is very little
practiced and the plentiful streams abound in fish and the forests in animals and fruits.

Since land is free no one voluntarily works for another, such additional workers are needed must
be obtained and bound to the master by coercion. Wife- slavery suffices for the support of the
population in this zone. The banana zone has been the great reservoir for supplying slaves to other
parts of the world. Hundreds and thousands of slaves came from this zone to the West Indies and
to the slave states of North and South Africa.

2. The agricultural zones:

This zones are the north and south areas of less rainfall and forest with a dry season suitable to
agriculture. The nature of this area is more niggardly, though she yields to permit of a large class
of parasites. The labor of maintenance is mopre massive than in the banana zone. The heat and
humidity are not so great the work is more caustic in this area because of its greater quantity and
monotony. The motive to shift the work is very strong and the demand for slaves is very great. The
ratio of slaves to freemen is about three or four to one.

As land is free and the resources open, the only means of obtaining workers is by coercion.
Kidnapping, warfare upon weak tribes, purchase of children and for feature of freedom through
crime are the main initiatives of the supply of slaves from this area.
3. The pastoral or cattle zones:

In the cattle zone nature is still less bountiful on account of the mountainous character of East
Africa. A combination of the pastoral art, agriculture and trade is required in order to maintain the
labor in this area. As the slave class can’t maintain itself, a large master class supports it. In this
area the nature of the work is not especially irksome, but rather fascinating. Instead of owning
many personal slaves the ruling classes make a practice of subjugating the agricultural groups in
such a way as to constitute a kind of feudalism. As land is free the enslaved groups can be made
to serve the free class only by coercion.

Except these another main cause of African slave trade is the European countries were starting to
develop as a result there was a huge demand for many labors. So the colonisers turned to Africa to
provide cheap labor in the form of slaves.

Consequences of Slave Trade in Africa

Because of slave trade, Africa was affected socially, politically and economically.

 Social consequences

As the Africans were capturing and selling their own people into slavery to please the Europeans,
it increased insecurity, distrust and high level of conflicts among African groups.

Cultural Erasure was also occurred because of the loss of their cultural beliefs or practices over a
period of time. The language of many African tribes were mixed with European language thereby
forming new languages. Cultural diversity, cultural retention, cultural renewal and hybridization
were the remarkable social consequences of slave trade in Africa.

 Political consequences

The consequence of internal conflict was increased political instability and in many cases the
collapse of preexisting forms of government. Such as Senegambia, Gweno kindom, Shambaa
kindom, Kongo kingdom and many more. Preexisting governance structures were generally
replaced by small bands of slave raiders, controlled by an established ruler or warlord.

Instead of owning many personal slaves the ruling classes make a practice of subjugating the
agricultural groups in such a way to constitute a kind of feudalism.
  Economic consequences

Slave trade in Africa had a negative impact on the economic development as Africa was being
robbed of its most important resources. Human resource was being exploited which destroyed the
labor force and created insecurity and instability in the economy of Africa.

Structural transformation of economy was occurred because of slave trade and the economy was
shifted from agricultural to industrial economy. It increased the dependency of European goods
such as sugar, tobacco, cotton, cloths etc.

Trade between Europe, Afric and the America’s

Area Products Needs

America Sugar, Raw, Tobacco, Cotton Manpower
Africa Manpower Cloths, Guns, Beads
Europe Cloths, Guns, Beads Sugar, Raw, Tobacco, Cotton

Conclusion

“I’m naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong”- Abraham LincoIn

Slavery destroyed Africa’s civilizations and is a major factor in the underdevelopment of the
continent today. No society can afford losing its youth for four hundred years without paying an
enormous price. I have vividly captured the African slave trade which was influenced by the
distinct economic zones. Like me many scholars argues that today’s underdevelopment of African
states is the long term effects of slave trade. Even today black people feel a bit suppressed when
they come into contact with the whites and that is an effect of slave trade. It has put them in a
second class position which shouldn’t be so.
 References

Jerome, Dowd. (1917). Slavery and the Slave Trade in Africa. The journal of Negro History.

Nathan, Nunn. (2008). The Long- Term Effects of Africa’s Slave Trades. The Quarterly Journal
of Economics.

Manning, Patrick (1983). “"Contours of Slavery and Social Change in Africa". American
Historical Review.

Manning, Patrick (1990). "The Slave Trade: The Formal Demography of a Global System".
Social Science History.

Klein, Martin A. (1978). "The Study of Slavery in Africa". The Journal of African History.