African slave trade

African slave trade

What is the validity of the different schools of thought on the African slave trade?

Slavery began in the ancient times way long before ancient times. Slavery started before the dawn of human society. (1).. But why did the English men prefer black slaves to Indians and European slaves? In an attempt to answer this question, many authors published their arguments on why Africa was the best target.

What are the reasons for African enslavement from different schools of thought?

Winthrop D Jordan expounds on the English perceptions concerning the color, manner, sexuality, Christianity, and social hierarchy of the black people. He majors his explanations on why African slavery increased as European bondage reduced. The white people were biased against the blacks right from the start of slavery, although they intermingled sexually, giving rise to the African-American race. Both slavery and bias lead to the degradation of black slaves. (2). The white people degraded the African slaves and denied them the right to protest for their rights, unlike their white counterparts. The Englishmen enslaved negroes due to the negroes’ lack of technological know-how and due to their skin complexion. Winthrop carefully notes that Englishmen did not confine negroes on religious ground.

. In an attempt to understand the origin of African slavery, David Eltis endorses a cultural explanation for slavery. David argues that a white slave was cheaper than a negro. Englishmen hired Indian peasants and African slaves as a show-off of their social status. Eltis’ argument explains why Muslims did not enslave their fellow Muslims. Slavery became an alternative punishment to a death sentence. (3)

David Brion attempts to examine slavery over centuries with an intellectual approach on what people thought about slavery, and emancipation.brion explains the slave trade was a result of factors other than racism. Devout Muslims had legalized slavery of black pagans. Christianity, too justified slavery. Christianity argues that the sons of Ham were cursed to become black and to remain enslaved forever. Slaves were a conveyable possession with a conscience equivalent to that of a domestic animal. It was, however, impossible to define a person as property. (4)

Eric Williams argued that enslavement did not rise from racism, but instead, racism resulted in slavery. He boldly tackled the negro slavery, which he said was economical but did not relate to the complexion of the laborer but in the affordability of their labor.

Why is Eric William’s idea the best explanation for the Africans enslavement?

Despite all explanations to justify the slave trade, Eric Williams brings out his argument cleary on why it was advantageous to have a negro for a slave

Plantation slavery increased with increased capitalized plantations. Capitalists shipped in massive numbers of Africans as they were a cheap form of labor. Importing a young adult slave, was less expensive as compared to raising one who was born in slavery. The continuous shipping of new slaves was therefore always considered.

African slaves were preferred, for they did not give in to surplus labor was ordered to handle. They had the ability to modify themselves to new ways of life. Besides, they were disease resistant, and they could bear situations like those of having an inadequate diet, unlike the Indians who were conventional to the life of freedom. Heavy duties being assigned to them and denying them the time to conduct their religious rituals as compared to enslaving their entire soul. The Africans were said to have had more knowledge in the agriculture sector as in comparison to the slaves from other regions.

The Englishmen confined poor whites in two categories, indentured and redemptions slaves. The recoveries had a strategy with the sailors to pay their shipment fee on arrival to their destination or within a specified time with which they were sold out to the highest challengers if they failed the agreement. Indentured slaves signed contracts to favor for a set forth time.

The slave traders enticed their victims with items such as liquor and sweetmeats and kidnapped them. Abuses also showed in. The ship captains would invite the imprisoned ladies for ply. Husbands and wives were pushed into separation to appease their masters.

Convicts provided a steady basis for labor. Harsh feudal rules were set even for very trivial mistakes. Some of the targeted crimes were stealing sheep, killing cattle, stealing cloth, shoplifting, and others until 1667 when they set a merciful petition.

There was a link between the code and the labor necessities of the plantations. Political and civil distractions in England increased the plentiful supply of white servants in 1640-1740. Those in the prisons were given batches with consignment goods to best courtiers, who derived again from the traffic. The queen, too, is said to have had her share as well. The white laborers in colonies developed enmity with their home countries.

White slaves had a smooth chance to evade slavery, unlike the negro slaves. Upon freeing, the white laborers camped in places where they were well known and less likely to be recognized as a runaway slave. At the end of a contract, servants expected to have land. The colonialists denied the negro property due to his complexion, and ignorance to the white peoples’ ways.

Negroes’ endurance to labor and obedience capacity, color, and hair type made them look beastly. The governor of Barbados said that the negroes were worth thrice white slaves, and they offered lifetime labor. Colonies needed hard work and made use of the negro’s, cheap, and prime job. It was convenient and not a supposition.

An alteration in the economic frame produced a correlate with change in labor supply. The large plantations yearned plenty of labor, and blacks were readily available. This need for laborers led to a great urge to acquire slaves.

Africans did not have a centralized form of government. They organized themselves in small kinship groups led by the council of elders. In cases of conflicts, individuals from one group enslaved captives from other African groups, for they viewed each other as strangers. The slaveholding society leaders exerted power over the prisoners. They used the captives for labor needs.

Africa was a backward country. Africa was less industrialized, and this made it difficult for Africans to resist enslavement as they did not have arms to defend themselves during slave raids. The Africans were always left meek and helpless. Africans had to wear iron shackles around their arms and legs to prevent them from disappearing during the shipping process.

Selfish African heads sold out their people in exchange for favors, which mostly was an exchange with a rare commodity such as blankets and tools like daggers and beads. They enticed children with sweets and shipped them in large numbers for slavery. This slave selling was profitable to the sellers.

Africa was a central place to ship slaves. The transport cost to sail the slaves was cheap and fast. It roughly took two months to cross the Atlantic Ocean, while it took about five months to Europe to the African trading posts. The slave merchants made Substantial savings for shipping slaves from a nearer location.

Many Africans could not clear their debts, and this resulted in them being sold out for slavery to compensate for the deficits. Following the debt clearance, the enslaved would make a pledge of services as security for debt clearance. The person who is holding the debt has total control over the oppressed.

The Europeans made Africans believe that there was a better life in their countries. By giving the Africans false hopes of a better living, they then captured them on the treacherous journey. The Africans got trapped in this as they tried to quench their thirst for a better life beyond Africa.

Conclusion

Even though all arguments explain the viability of Africa as a source of slaves, it is evident that Eric Williams tries to capture the main reasons why Africans were sold as slaves: for economic benefits such as lifetime labor at low cost. The racist Englishmen needed to confine Africans as an assurance of all-round cheap work in their farms. It was way essential to liberate the white peasants and retain negroes in their farms.

Bibliography

Northrup, David. 2001. The Atlantic slave trade. Boston, Mass: Houghton Mifflin.

Manning, Patrick. 1990. Slavery and African life: occidental, oriental, and African slave trades. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.