Impact of the Slave Trade on Africa Flashcards
(14 cards)
What was the impact of the slave trade on African societies?
Negative impact and long-term impoverishment
Large areas of Africa were devastated and societies disintegrated.
How many Africans were estimated to have been taken to the Americas?
An estimated 12 million
Research suggests about half died on the way.
What drove the European demand for African captives by the end of the 17th century?
Demand for sugar plantations in the Americas
They could only be acquired by raiding and warfare.
Which empire dominated the Gold Coast (Ghana)?
The Asante (Ashanti people) Empire
They grew wealthy by selling captives to European traders.
What trades did coastal villages transition to during the slave trade?
Ports for slavery and trading
Their main trades had been fishing and salt production.
Where were 75% of African enslaved people held?
Near the rivers Luanda, Congo, and Niger
Diseases like malaria were common in these holding ports.
What effect did the mass movement of enslaved people have on disease spread?
Increased the spread of disease
Many died in holding ports due to diseases.
What deadly diseases did Europeans bring to Africa?
European strains of syphilis, smallpox, typhus, and tuberculosis
These diseases contributed to depopulation.
What was the predicted population of Africa in 1850 without the slave trade?
50 million
Instead, the population was only 25 million.
What was a consequence of having fewer young healthy people in Africa?
Large areas of land remained uncultivated, resulting in famine
This increased the death toll.
How did the slave trade affect conflict among African tribes?
It led to more hatred and violence
The demand for enslaved people increased conflict.
What long-term effect did slavery have on Africa’s economic development?
Constrained economic development, leading to widespread poverty
Particularly on the west coast.
What cultural attitudes did slavery provoke in history?
A culture of political violence and disregard for human life
This created attitudes of racism and contempt for Africans.
What contemporary issue reflects ongoing ideas about the inferiority of Black Africans?
The Black Lives Matter campaign
These ideas persist more than 200 years after the abolition of slavery.
