The Transatlantic Slave Trade, initiated by the Portuguese in the 15th century, led to the forced displacement of 12.5 million Africans. This trade, part of the Triangular Trade, was driven by European colonial powers and the demand for labor in the Americas. The Middle Passage's atrocities and the eventual abolition movement highlight the trade's profound human cost and its lasting legacy on African diaspora and culture.
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The Portuguese were the first to initiate the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the mid-15th century
European Powers
Various European powers, such as Spain, Portugal, Britain, France, and the Netherlands, expanded the Transatlantic Slave Trade
Demand for Labor
The decline of indigenous populations in the New World created a demand for labor, which was fulfilled by the forced displacement of an estimated 12.5 million Africans
The arrival of Europeans and their demand for labor led to the intensification of slave raids and a shift towards more violent and expansive forms of enslavement, disrupting traditional African societies and economies
The Transatlantic Slave Trade was driven by mercantilist economic policies, which emphasized the accumulation of wealth through a favorable balance of trade
European nations competed for supremacy in the slave trade, which had become integral to their colonial economies
The 17th and 18th centuries saw the height of the Transatlantic Slave Trade, with European nations vying for control of this profitable enterprise
The Middle Passage refers to the perilous ocean voyage that enslaved Africans endured from Africa to the Americas, characterized by horrific conditions and high mortality rates
Personal accounts, such as that of Olaudah Equiano, provide harrowing insights into the inhumanity of the Middle Passage and the broader slave trade
The abolition movement gained momentum in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, leading to the gradual dismantling of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
The Transatlantic Slave Trade represents the largest forced migration and a significant element of the African diaspora, with enslaved Africans brought to the Americas from various ethnic groups
The diverse cultural elements of enslaved Africans have significantly shaped the development of African American culture
The repercussions of the slave trade and its profound effects on the lives of Africans and their descendants remain a critical aspect of historical discourse and understanding
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Approximately ______ million Africans were relocated to the ______ and subjected to slavery.
12.5
Americas
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Pre-European African servitude fluidity
African servitude pre-Europeans was fluid, not always lifelong/hereditary, could result from debt, punishment, or war.
02
African slavery vs. chattel slavery
Traditional African slavery differed from chattel slavery; it was less rigid, not based on race, and more socially integrated.
