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Slavery and Empire, Slavery and Empire, 1441-17701441-1770

Chapter 4

The Beginnings of African SlaveryThe Beginnings of African Slavery

It was common in the 15th c. to capture and sell slaves (in the Mediterranean)◦People began to object to Christians being

taken as slaves and the Pope banned it◦It was still acceptable to enslave Muslims and

Africans thoughWhile some Europeans would capture the

slaves themselves most found it more efficient to purchase slaves from Africans


Sugar became a driving force behind slave trade◦Slaves were first used in the Mediterranean to

farm sugar◦The Portuguese were given a license to bring

slaves to the Americas when the indigenous people were no longer available for slave labor

◦Brazil was a model of the efficient and brutal use of slave labor


The Dutch gained control of Brazil and then expanded the sugar industry from a luxury to an everyday necessity◦Britain saw how successful the Dutch were in

making Barbados into a profitable island so they did the same with Jamaica

France took control of present day Haiti and created a sugar colony

Caribbean sugar and slaves were the centerpiece of European colonization


The slaves most often came from the western coast of Africa◦There were 100+ different cultures living there◦Communities were established by kinship◦Men frequently took on multiple wives

(polygyny) who bore fewer children therefore they could work as tradeswomen

◦The developed farming cultures similar to the native of N.A. (burn fields and then plant)


Over time some kingdoms developed such as Timbuktu and Songhai (Mali)◦The Portuguese bargained with Songhai for Africans

who could be sold as slavesSlavery in Africa differed from slavery in N.A.

◦In Africa slaves were captured as part of war or for criminal behavior

◦They were allowed to marry and have children, and the children were born free

◦It was a culture shock when these slaves were sold to be shipped to N.A.

The enslaved men, women, and children transported to the The enslaved men, women, and children transported to the Americas came from West Africa, the majority from the lower Americas came from West Africa, the majority from the lower Niger River (called the Slave Coast) and the region of the Niger River (called the Slave Coast) and the region of the Congo and Angola.Congo and Angola.

African Slave TradeAfrican Slave Trade

The African slave trade is the largest forced migration in history◦Africans outnumbered Europeans 6:1 before the 19th

c.◦The slave trade would not in in the U.S. until 1807

(1870s in other parts of the Americas)About 11 million slaves were transported to

N.A. over 4 centuries◦~600K were delivered to English colonies in N.A.◦Men outnumbered women 2:1 and most were

between 15 and 30 years old


All colonizing European nations participated in the slave trade◦ Holland was the most prominent during the sugar boom

of the 17th c.◦ England quickly became the dominate nation with its

commercialization of the tradeEuropeans didn’t venture into the interior parts of

Africa, they established outposts and portsBy the 1700s colonists were making slave runs

trading rum or salt fish for humans◦ MA was the dominate colony until 1750 when RI took

over◦ Many New England fortunes were built off of slave trade

By the By the eighteenth eighteenth century, the century, the system of system of slavery had slavery had created created societies with societies with large African large African populations populations throughout throughout the Caribbean the Caribbean and along the and along the southern southern coast of North coast of North America.America.


To reinforce their community ties to Africa, many Europeans would live in coastal forts and marry African women

The Europeans left slave raiding to the Africans◦Ottobah Cugoano said “I must own to the

shame of my own countrymen that I was first kidnapped and betrayed by [those of] my own complexion.”

◦Sometimes they came from war, other times they were simply kidnapped

A slave coffle in an eighteenth-century print. As the demand A slave coffle in an eighteenth-century print. As the demand for slaves increased, raids extended deeper and deeper into for slaves increased, raids extended deeper and deeper into the African interior. Tied together with forked logs or bark the African interior. Tied together with forked logs or bark rope, men, women, and children were marched hundreds of rope, men, women, and children were marched hundreds of miles toward the coast, where their African captors traded miles toward the coast, where their African captors traded them to Europeans.them to Europeans.


As demand increased raids went deeper into Africa

To avoid collective resistance traders would split up families and ethnic groups

Captains would then brand the slaves on the back or buttocks with the mark of their buyer

Many slaves were convinced they were being shipped to N.A. to be eaten

Olaudah EquianoOlaudah Equiano

“those white men with horrible looks, red faces, and long hair, looked and acted…in so savage a manner,…I had never seen among any people such instances of brutal cruelty.”

Equiano was one of few who wrote an narrative of his encounter

He eventually secured his freedom and published his narrative


Slaves were tossed on ships that followed the Middle Passage path◦England to Africa, Africa to America, America to

England◦The slaves were packed so tight their elbows would

be rubbed to the bone from scraping on the planks◦A trip would take from 3 weeks to 3 months

Daily routine included being brought up on deck for food, exercise, food, and then storage◦The nights were filled with the shrieks and stench of

death


The worst part of the ride over was lack of bathroom facilities◦While captains order the crew to clean the holding

areas, it usually didn’t happen◦Slaves were forced to sleep in their own waste◦This led to spread of disease such as dysentery,

smallpox, measles, and yellow fever◦Historians estimate that 1:6 died in route to the

Americas◦Many revolts occurred when the coast of Africa was

still visible, but once it disappeared, the revolts turned to suicide attempts

Slaves below deck on a Spanish slaver, a sketch made when Slaves below deck on a Spanish slaver, a sketch made when the vessel was captured by a British warship in the early the vessel was captured by a British warship in the early nineteenth century. Slaves were "stowed so close, that they nineteenth century. Slaves were "stowed so close, that they were not allowed above a foot and a half for each in breadth," were not allowed above a foot and a half for each in breadth," wrote one observer. The close quarters and unsanitary wrote one observer. The close quarters and unsanitary conditions created a stench so bad that Atlantic sailors said conditions created a stench so bad that Atlantic sailors said you could "smell a slaver five miles down wind."you could "smell a slaver five miles down wind."


Once arriving, the crew would attempt to make the slave presentable for sale

Sales were done either by one wealthy plantation owner, a merchant who planned to sell for commission, auctioning, or the scramble◦The scramble is where prices are set and you

go a pick out your favorite◦This separated the slaves so that most never

saw their families again

Africans herded from a Africans herded from a slave ship to a corral slave ship to a corral where they were to be where they were to be sold by the cruel sold by the cruel method known as "the method known as "the scramble," buyers scramble," buyers rushing in and grabbing rushing in and grabbing their pick. This image their pick. This image was featured in an was featured in an antislavery narrative antislavery narrative published in 1796.published in 1796.


The slave trade:◦resulted in the loss of millions of people over

hundreds of years King Dom Affonso said: “so great, Sir, is their

corruption and licentiousness that our country is being depopulated.”

◦weakened African states who became dependent on European trade

◦caused long-term stagnation of the West African economy

◦prepared the way for European conquest of Africa in the nineteenth century One poet talks about how they were too busy

making a profit to protect their sovereignty

The Development of North The Development of North American Slave SocietiesAmerican Slave Societies

Slaves came into NA at a steady rate by the mid-1700s◦It became more efficient to purchase a slave

rather than indentured servantsLife as a slave got worse and resulted in

the VA Slave Codes◦Status of mother passed to child◦Baptism did not change status◦Death during punishment would not result in

murder charges


Tobacco plantations developed along the Tidewater Region (DE to NC)◦It was the most important export (accounted

for ¼ of all exports in NA)◦It didn’t need large farms to grow, but was

labor intensiveFarms varied in size from small farms

where the farmer worked beside 1-2 slaves to larger farms with several dozen slaves


In the Caribbean and Brazil, slaves were worked to death◦In NA it was too expensive to work them to

death, so they were better fed and worked less◦They also reproduced meaning that by 1770s a

majority of slaves were “country-born”In S.C. the most profitable export was

Indian slaves◦They would cause wars between tribes and

then sale the losing tribe to other colonies


Elizabeth Pinckney introduced indigo to S.C.◦Like rice and cattle, indigo required use of West

Indian slaves◦1:5 of today’s African American ancestors

passed through Charleston on their way to rice/indigo fields

Slavery was initially outlawed in GA◦As more S.C. planters moved into the area

slavery became acceptable

Residence and Slave Quarters of Mulberry Plantation, by Residence and Slave Quarters of Mulberry Plantation, by Thomas Coram, ca. 1770. The slave quarters are on the left in Thomas Coram, ca. 1770. The slave quarters are on the left in this painting of a rice plantation near Charleston, South this painting of a rice plantation near Charleston, South Carolina. The steep roofs of the slave cabins, an African Carolina. The steep roofs of the slave cabins, an African architectural feature introduced in America by slave builders, architectural feature introduced in America by slave builders, kept living quarters cool by allowing the heat to rise and kept living quarters cool by allowing the heat to rise and dissipate in the rafters.dissipate in the rafters.


Despite the Pope condemning the practice of slavery the Catholic Church in Spanish America owned and profited off of slaves

Escaped slaves and natives were welcomed in Spanish FL as long as they were willing to defend the colony from the English◦Ft. Mose (near St. Augustine) was manned by black

troops, commanded by their own officers◦Slaves in the colony were treated much better than

in other Spanish colonies


In the French colony of LA slaves were used for exporting crops of rice, indigo, and tobacco

North of the Chesapeake slavery was less important◦Slaves and free blacks made up 9% of the pop.◦Quakers were the first to voice antislavery

In NY, NJ, and RI slaves were used at ports and on dairy farms

Becoming African AmericanBecoming African American

“Country-born” slaves were called “creoles”

Africans built the South through the labor◦Using their native experience, slaves worked as

field hands◦Labor became specialized in the 18th c.◦They were provided clothing (not great for

winter), often very colorful—shoes were not◦Food was sufficient enough for rapid

reproduction◦Some worked beside their owners, others

worked in large groups


Despite slave codes, slaves often lived on plantation in nuclear families◦If on small farm, they would marry someone

down the road and visit in evenings and on Sundays with permission

◦Marriage usually occurred after the woman got pregnant

◦Naming often combined Anglo and African cultures and tied usually to kin

◦Children were taught to call all adults “auntie” or “uncle” and all age mates “brother” or “sister”


Most African Americans were not introduced to Christianity until the Great Awakening (1760)

Death and burial was one of their most important traditions◦They would place shells of pottery on the

gravesite◦While burying the person, they would perform

the ring shout


Slaves easily mastered music as a form of bonding◦They recreated African instruments such as the

banjo and European instruments such as the violin and guitar

◦Drums were outlawed so they “pat juba” (slap thighs)

The most important cultural development was language◦They spoke Gullah or Geeche (some spoke this

until the 20th c.)


Africans became Americanized, but Southerners became Africanized◦They often used the same conjures as slaves to

cure illness◦Food such as BBQ, black-eyed peas (ewww), fried

chicken, greens, hot spices, and LA Cajun was adopted by the Southerners

◦Architecture, decoration, and weaving practices were commonly shared

◦Slaves were used as wetnurses and therefore the children often picked up on African words like goober, yam, banjo, okay, and tote


Violence was omnipresent amongst the slave colonies◦Usually punishment came in form of extra work

solitary confinement, or humiliation◦Lashes, stabbing, burning, maiming, mutilating,

raping, or castrating came as other forms of punishment

◦Slaves would often “resist” work by taking too long, hurting equipment or animals, or “accidently” breaking stuff


Running away was also a common option◦More common for males in their 20s◦They would runaway to FL which would become

known as a maroon colony (runaways were called maroons)

◦The runaways and the Creek Indians of FL came together to form the Seminoles

◦Runaways in the Northern colonies were much less common

Revolt was the most direct form of resistance

Education

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