JUSTIN KRAUSE 64317390
HSY2602 ASSIGNMENT 1
The transatlantic slave trade (from the 16th to the 17th centuries) was a global
phenomenon where approximately 12 million Africans were transported to North and
South America across the Atlantic Ocean1. Africans could become slaves if they were
being punished for a crime they have committed, if they were captured as prisoners of
war and lastly, to pay off debt their family owned to the chiefs or kings 2The slave trade
had a detrimental affect on the African continent as it affected the social, economic, and
political pillars.
The political impact that the slave trade had on the African continent was large.
Countries in the African continent would either become great or, in cases of smaller
countries, become weak. The primary economy of the continent had boomed, but it will
be unable to meet the demand as there were very little available laborers to work in the
economy 3. The African states were originally controlled by kings and chiefs, but during
the slave trade, these kings became militaristic and would sell their people to the
highest bidder. They no longer would rule their state and their people fairly, as they only
worried about political gain and money 4. This was not the case for all chiefs and kings,
as some nobly fought for their people and had paid the price for their bravery against
the Europeans. To conclude, the state of the domestic economies in African states were
very brittle as there was no specific ruling party or structure for the various countries.
The economic impacts of Africa were linked to the loss of its people. The African
continent could not grow and develop the way it should have as they lost young, fit, and
1
Lewis, T., 2005. Transatlantic Slave Trade. [Online]
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/transatlantic-slave-trade
[Accessed 11 May 2021].
2 BBC, n.d. Implications of the slave trade for African Societies. [Online].
Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxt3gk7/revision/4
[Accessed 11 May 2021].
3
J Peires, Early state formation, slavery and colonial conquest in Africa, pp. 178.
4 J Peires, Early state formation, slavery and colonial conquest in Africa, pp. 207.
HSY2602 ASSIGNMENT 1
The transatlantic slave trade (from the 16th to the 17th centuries) was a global
phenomenon where approximately 12 million Africans were transported to North and
South America across the Atlantic Ocean1. Africans could become slaves if they were
being punished for a crime they have committed, if they were captured as prisoners of
war and lastly, to pay off debt their family owned to the chiefs or kings 2The slave trade
had a detrimental affect on the African continent as it affected the social, economic, and
political pillars.
The political impact that the slave trade had on the African continent was large.
Countries in the African continent would either become great or, in cases of smaller
countries, become weak. The primary economy of the continent had boomed, but it will
be unable to meet the demand as there were very little available laborers to work in the
economy 3. The African states were originally controlled by kings and chiefs, but during
the slave trade, these kings became militaristic and would sell their people to the
highest bidder. They no longer would rule their state and their people fairly, as they only
worried about political gain and money 4. This was not the case for all chiefs and kings,
as some nobly fought for their people and had paid the price for their bravery against
the Europeans. To conclude, the state of the domestic economies in African states were
very brittle as there was no specific ruling party or structure for the various countries.
The economic impacts of Africa were linked to the loss of its people. The African
continent could not grow and develop the way it should have as they lost young, fit, and
1
Lewis, T., 2005. Transatlantic Slave Trade. [Online]
Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/transatlantic-slave-trade
[Accessed 11 May 2021].
2 BBC, n.d. Implications of the slave trade for African Societies. [Online].
Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zxt3gk7/revision/4
[Accessed 11 May 2021].
3
J Peires, Early state formation, slavery and colonial conquest in Africa, pp. 178.
4 J Peires, Early state formation, slavery and colonial conquest in Africa, pp. 207.
