History Journal 3

The Transatlantic Slave Trade History 111 – World History since 1500 Spring 2022 Jorge Minella ([email protected])

Transatlantic Slave Trade

 Before the Americas: 500/year peak, 1480s.  To Europe.  To Portuguese and Spanish Atlantic Islands.

 After the Americas: 35,000/year peak, 1760-1820.

Transatlantic Slave Trade

 Portuguese foundations of the transatlantic slave trade.

 The mature slave trade.  Northern Europeans.

 The Middle Passage.

 Volume of trade.

Foundations of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

Early Portuguese Slave Trade

 Early stages of the maritime expansion.

 Portuguese in-land raids too risky.

 Trade outposts.

 Existing African slave markets.

Feitoria

 Fortified trading posts.

 Used to store goods and slaves.

 Little risk to European merchants.

 Influenced the development of New World colonies.

São Jorge da Mina (Elmina), current-day Ghana.

Portuguese Strategies

 Relations through trade.

 Offer of freight service.

 Conversion of the elites to Roman Catholicism.

 Examples: Kongo, Ndongo, Benin.

 5 million captives from West Central Africa to Americas (1519- 1867)

In Short – Origins of the Transatlantic Slave Trade

 Portuguese Feitorias.

 Existing African slave markets.

 African elites benefit.

 Slave-based plantations in the Atlantic Islands (15th century).

 Slave-based plantations in the Americas (16th century).

 No African collective identity.

The Mature Transatlantic Slave Trade

Mature Slave Trade  Northern European Traders replace

Portuguese.  Dutch, British, French, Danish, and

others.

 Increased demand in the colonies.

 Colonies also became suppliers of trade goods sent to Africa.

 Formation of the Atlantic World: set of relations allowed for by the Atlantic.

 Rivalry between European powers. Depiction of Recife’s slave Market, Brazil, 17th century. Zacaharias Wagner.

Profitability

 Decrease in transportation cost.

 Profits reinvested in Europe.

 European development.  Benefitted from slave trade.

 And from the products of slavery.

The Middle Passage  Hundreds of captives per ship.

 10 to 20% death rate.

 Suicide or attack on crew members.

 Mutinies rare.

 Difficult communication.

 Exemplary and brutal violence and humiliation against dissenters.

Detail of a British broadside depicting the ship Brooks and the manner (c. 1790) in which more than 420 enslaved adults and children could be carried on board.

Traffic to the Americas

 1492-1808

 2 million free European migrants.

 10 to 12 million enslaved Africans.

Opposition to the Trade

 Not relevant among Europeans.

 Racism strong.

 Visibility achieved in the late 18th century.

 Olaudah Equiano.