Africa Before the Transatlantic Slave Trade Essay

Africa before the Transatlantic Slave Trade Racist views of Africa In the last 50 years much has been done to combat the entirely false and negative views about the history of Africa and Africans, which were developed in Europe in order to justify the Transatlantic Slave Trade and European colonial rule in Africa that followed it. In the eighteenth century such racist views were summed up by the words of the Scottish philosopher David Hume, who said, ‘I am apt to suspect the Negroes to be naturally inferior to the Whites. There scarcely ever was a civilised nation of that complexion, nor even any individual, eminent either in action or in speculation. No ingenious manufacture among them, no arts, no sciences†. In the nineteenth†¦show more content†¦Egypt of the pharaohs is best known for its great monuments and feats of engineering (such as the Pyramids), but it also made great advances in many other fields too. The Egyptians produced early forms of paper and a written script. They developed the calendar too and made important c ontributions in various branches of mathematics, such as geometry and algebra, and it seems likely that they understood and perhaps invented the use of zero. They made important contributions in mechanics, philosophy, irrigation and architecture. In medicine, the Egyptians understood the body’s dependence on the brain over 1000 years before the Greek scholar Democritus. Some historians now believe that ancient Egypt had an important influence on ancient Greece, and they point to the fact that Greek scholars such as Pythagoras and Archimedes studied in Egypt, and that the work of Aristotle and Plato was largely based on earlier scholarship in Egypt. For example, what is commonly known as Pythagoras’ theorem, was known to the ancient Egyptians hundreds of years before Pythagoras’ birth. How Europe learned from Africa Some of the world’s other great civilisations, such as Kush, Axum, Ghana, Mali, and Great Zimbabwe, also flourished in Africa and some major scientific advances were known in Africa long before they were known in Europe. Towards the middle of the 12th century, the north African scientist, Al Idrisi, wrote,Show MoreRelatedThe Demise Of African Prosperity1168 Words   |  5 PagesProsperity: Effects of the Transatlantic Slave Trade The Transatlantic slave trade, a catastrophic event in the 15th to 19th century, affected millions of Africans and Europeans alike. Slaves were ripped from their homes and sent to the foreign lands, becoming the fundamental source of labour for mining and agricultural industries in the New World. Historians Hugh Thomas, Walter Rodney and John Thornton have contradictory beliefs about the effects of the Transatlantic slave trade on Africa. Thomas argues thatRead MoreEquiano s First Hand Experience Of Being Kidnapped1518 Words   |  7 Pagesas a child in Africa, is a poignant accounting of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. This era and actions of the slavers, which we now view as â€Å"Crimes against Humanity,† lasted approximately 400 years from the 16th to 19th century (Smallwood). Many have called this forced exodus of 12-15 million African men, women, and children as a dark time where profits came at the cost of human suffering. As Equiano and many historians detailed, the a bduction of Africans occurred mostly in West Africa, the regionRead MoreTransatlantic Slave Trade and the Effects on the American Economy1627 Words   |  7 PagesTransatlantic Slave Trade and the effects on the american economy Transatlantic Slave Trade The Transatlantic slave trade is a â€Å"wrenching aspect of the history of Africa and America† (Colin Palmer). The transatlantic slave trade transported African people to the â€Å"New World†. It lasted from the 16th to the 19th century. Slavery has had a big impact on African culture. The Africans were forced to migrate away from everything they knew, culture, heritage and lifestyles (Captive Passage). CoupledRead MoreThe Transatlantic Slave Trade During The 19th Century1521 Words   |  7 PagesThe Transatlantic Slave Trade took place through the fifth teen century to the nineteen century in the Atlantic Ocean between American, Europe and Africa. The Trade blossomed dur due to the expansion of sugar production increasing the labor supplied need , which caused a the higher demand for slaves. The expansion of sugar created organized business of seizing and selling slaves. But the transatlantic slave trade did not begin the capturing of Africans, European were captur ing slave long before theRead MoreThe Western World914 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout history, Africa has been a vulnerable player in the eyes of the rest of the world. From the slave trade to various civil right injustices that have taken place over in every century, we have studied in this class, we have been able to see the lasting impact on the continent as a ramification of certain events occurring. Using sources from the text, I will attempt to prove how the western world, exercised their power to capitalize on the African continent, in addition to the exploitationRead MoreImpact Of The Transatlantic Slave Trade885 Words   |  4 PagesThe transatlantic slave trade played a pivotal role in European nations and greatly impacted the economy financially. The transatlantic slave trade also known as the triangular trade was the network of three continents where men, women and children of African background were enslaved and deported from their homes. The trade itself had three steps. Ships with goods left Western Europe to leave to Africa where they exc hanged them for slaves. Goods would include of weapons, gunpowder, textile pearlsRead MoreThe Rise Of The Transatlantic Slave Trade1712 Words   |  7 PagesSecond Exam / Essay 1 The rise of the Transatlantic Slave Trade started with the helpless souls of Africans. Many people of this time would classify slavery as a natural order, state, or fate. They believed that people were either born as a slave or would later become one because it was their predetermined destiny or fate. Later, world cultures regarded POW’s as a natural state. POW stands for Prisoners of War, and is defined as a person who is captured and held by an enemy during war, especiallyRead MoreThe Importance Of Slave Trade In Africa751 Words   |  4 Pagestheir market. The African slaves were cheaper as compared to other continents and thus could be acquired in large numbers. In addition, African slaves were energetic and very resistance to infections and diseases. Besides this slave trade was being practiced in Africa and thus it was easy for the European nations to introduce the chattel slave. African slaves when shipped to the European Nations, they were taken to have a slave statu s, thus it was easy to maintain their slave status of blacks. ThereRead MoreA Study Of African History1384 Words   |  6 Pagesof West Africa, but little do they know African Americans were trading themselves way before then. Portuguese explorer Prince Henry, known as the navigator, was the first European to methodically explore Africa and the oceanic to the Indies.[1] Many Europeans thought that Africa s history was not important. They argued that Africans were inferior to Europeans and they used this to help justify slavery. However, the reality was very different. A study of African history shows that Africa was by noRead MoreRowlandson And Equiano s Narratives Of Captivity And Share Their Stories Through Detailed Personal Experiences1512 Words   |  7 Pagesstory growing up in Guinea west of modern day Nigeria, a major slave trade port in Africa where Nigerians were kidnapped and sold into slavery. Comparing the historical context that led to the captures of both Rowlandson and Equiano, to their depictions in their narratives are important because they are the events that took place in society that sparked the narratives of captivity written by both authors. The transatlantic slave trade as well as King Philips war were the events that affected the lives