Atlantic Slave Trade free essay sample

The origins of the Atlantic Slave Trade were products of Western Rupees expansion of power that began at the beginning of the 1 asss through the sasss. The main contributing European countries to the Atlantic Slave Trade were Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, France, and England. Portugal lead the movement during the sasss and arrived in Western Africa in hopes to find Christian allies to spread Christianity against the Muslims of Northern Africa. But they soon became more interested in trade (Wine, Wine Harold, 2011). Slavery, however, has existed in all cultures for thousands of years. For example, Arab merchants and West African Kings imported white European slaves. At first, the slave trade focused on women and children who would serve as domestic servants. But later the trade switched to focusing on young men for agricultural labor in the Americas. The Portuguese traded primarily for gold, ivory, pepper, as well as slaves. In a war against the English, known as the Anglo- Dutch wars, the Dutch were defeated by the English.The English then enthroned the slave trade through the Royal African Company. Europeans would purchase slaves from Africa for resale in colonies, and in return received sugar and tobacco from America. By the end of the seventeenth century the Atlantic Slave Trade constituted for the basis of the European economic system. The majority of slaves brought to North America originated in West Africa, bringing about consequences for the nations there. Since the trade system had a tendency to centralize, it helped create powerful kingdoms.This destroyed smaller polities and economic patterns were disrupted. Agricultural production also intensified due to the need to supply hundreds of slave ships with food for their voyages. Many nations initiated conflicts to acquire captives since prisoners of war accounted for many of the exported slaves. While many societies sold their own people into slavery, some did resist involvement in the slave trade. Vessels departing from these areas were more likely to have onboard rebellions occur. Planters preferred male slaves, causing a shortage of men in the remaining population.This increased work demands on women and encouraged polygamy, opening up new opportunities to them and their children. The voyage that tied the trading system together was often very traumatic. It was often fatal for the people composing of the ships cargo. An average of twenty percent enslaved peoples died en route. In addition, twenty percent either died before the ships even left Africa, or shortly after arriving in the Americas. The slave trade also affected the Europeans involved. Exposure to diseases such as yellow fever and malaria, from Africa, caused many of them to die at high rates.People and products moved across the Atlantic in a complicated web of exchanges tying the Atlantic together. Many countries and companies profited from it, at the expense of enslaved Africans. Societies economies changed directions and had new priorities. Certain social changes also occurred, such like polygamy being encouraged in West Africa. Sadly, the trade system had a high number of causalities both in slaves and crew members. Overall the Atlantic Slave Trade had a social, political, economic, and cultural impact on slavery in West Africa, European societies, and the enslaved people themselves.