Final Exam December 10, :30-2:30 GRANT AUD. Lecture Schedule 11/8 The Market Revolution 11/13 Andrew Jackson 11/15 The Slave Trade 11/20 The Ol

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1 The Rape of Africa and the African Slave Trade Paul Robeson November 15, 2007 History 101 Home Page Second Paper Assignment Due Tuesday, November 27

2 Final Exam December 10, :30-2:30 GRANT AUD. Lecture Schedule 11/8 The Market Revolution 11/13 Andrew Jackson 11/15 The Slave Trade 11/20 The Old South 11/22 Thanksgiving 11/27 The Institutionalization of Slavery 11/29 The Closed Society of the Antebellum South 12/4 Origins of the Sectional Controversy 12/6 The Failure of Republican Institutions 12/10 Final Exam Final Movie, Nightjohn TBA after Thanksgiving Break Modern Perspectives of North American Slavery Aetna and Hartford Courant apologized for profits their companies made from insuring and advertising slaves in 19th century Aetna insured slave owners against the loss of slaves---declined to pay for slaves who were lynched, worked to death or committed suicide Tony Blair expressed deep sorrow German Parliament voted to establish fund for reparations to people who worked in slave labor camps during WWII DaimlerChrysler, Deutsche Bank, Siemens and Volkswagen among corporations that profited from slave labor

3 Modern Perspectives New York built by slavery-- --NYC merchants control cotton trade---consistently pro-slavery in 1840s and 1850s John Brown of Providence and founder of early bank that became FleetBoston Brown Brown owned slave ships and was prosecuted for participating in international slave trade which was illegal under Federal law Eve of Civil War--economic value of slaves $3 billion-- --more than combined value of all factories, railroads and banks in U.S. Most of North s economic prosperity derived from what Lincoln called the bondman s two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil. Dimensions of the African Slave Trade Between 16th and 19th Centuries: 10 to 11 Million Enslaved Africans Shipped to Western Hemisphere 6 out of 7 People that came to New World 300 years Before American Revolution-- Africans Population Comparisons Carriers 1500 World population, 430 million 1850 World population, 1.13 billion 2000 World population, 6.2 billion Portugal Spain France Holland Britain Other Total 4.65 million

4 Slaves Delivered To Brazil Spanish Empire British West Indies French West Indies British North Amer. Dutch Danish Europe Total 4.0 million Dimensions of the African Slave Trade One Historian: The African Slave Trade, which began in the late fifteenth century and continued for the next four hundred years, is one of the most important phenomena in the history of the modern world. It involved the largest forced migration in the history of the world. Significance of African Slave Trade One historian: What was uniquely wicked about the white colonists of America was not that they enslaved their fellow men, which was commonplace--but construction of a slave system based so strictly upon race was a new development. European Serfdom Not Carry Same Stigma Massive Wealth of Western Hemisphere Produced by Labor of Slaves

5 Great Irony of American History Americans like to think of country as conceived in liberty-- --Yet by early 18th century slavery dominant labor system in Southern Colonies Virginia by far was the largest and wealthiest of the original thirteen states Most Founding Fathers slaveholders--8 of first 12 Presidents slave owners Four were from Virginia One of the Great Accidents or Coincidences in Modern History: Late 15th Century 1453 Fall of Constantinople Exploitation of Wealth in New World Decline of Great African Empires Fall of Constantinople, 1453 The Black Sea Victory of Turks Closed Black Sea Route for Slave Trade Bosporus Strait Ended Northern and Eastern Europe as Areas Providing Slaves Forced Reorientation of Slave Trade Looked Toward Africa

6 Exploitation of Wealth in the New World Discovery and Colonization of New World Major Catalyst for African Slave Trade Competition Among European Nations to Strip Continent of Wealth Labor Needed to Work Gold and Silver Mines and Sugar, Coffee and Tobacco Fields Unsuccessful Efforts to Enslave Indians Demographic Disaster--Mexico s Indian Population Decline from 25 to 2 Million in 100 years Indians Not Agriculturalists Colonists Feared Indian Reprisals Indian Population Not Concentrated in English Colonies as in South America Africans Dealt with as Individuals, Indians as Members of Nations---Sense of Nationality

7 Vulnerability of Africans Since Beginning of Recorded History-- --Slavery- -Born of Slave Mother, Sold into Slavery, Failed to Meet Obligations, Captured in Warfare Spread of Christianity Justified Enslavement of Non-Christians as Prisoners of War Christians and Moslems Continued to Enslave One Another 1450s Portuguese Open Up Slave Trade to West Africa Decline of Great African Empires By 15th Century Kingdom of Ghana---Wealthy, Powerful Empire, Extensive Urban Settlement, Advanced Architecture, Highly Complex Political Organizations Invasion of Moors Weakened Ghana--Rise of Empire of Mali---City of Timbuktu-- --Legendary City of Great Wealth and Islamic University Africa After 15th Century Politically Fragmented Slavery Before African Slave Trade Earlier Enslavement of Moslems and Christians--Members of Society-- --Certain Rights Including Education, Marriage and Parenthood Status of Slave Not Irrevocable SLAVERY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH RACIAL CHARACTERISTICS

8 How the African Slave Trade Worked European Slavers Contact Stronger African Tribes on Coast Native Expeditions Into Interior Captives Shackled Together, Driven Overland to Sea Herded Into Stockades on Coast Purchasing Slaves Long Drawn Out Affair--- Presents, Bribes Physical Examination of Slaves How the African Slave Trade Worked Branding Payment for Slaves---Iron Bars, Brass Items, Clothing, Liquors

9 How the Slave Trade Worked: Middle Passage Slaver 9 Months Round-trip Slaves Kept in Ship s Holds, 15 or 16 Hours a Day Chained Together in Darkness, No Sanitation Space: 5 6 Long, 16 Wide, 2 to 3 Feet High John Newton, Amazing Grace Enormity of Brutality 10 to 11 Million--Some Estimates 1/3 Died Before Embarkation and another 1/3 Died During Middle Passage