Surname 1
Name
Instructor
Course
Date
What were the most important economic, political, and cultural aspects of West African society? In
what ways did geography impact cultural differences among West African civilizations?
Most West African societies were thriving before the beginning of Trans-Atlantic trade of the 17 th
century. The most important economic activities of West African Society involved cultivation of crops,
animal husbandry, and trade with neighboring societies, e.g. Sudan (Week 2. Lecture). Flourishing trade
amongst the societies in the west African region led to prosperity amongst most societies.
Consequently, this prosperity produced a wealthy political elite led by kings and chiefs in societies such
as the Soninke who found prosperity through the Iron weaponry trade. Animals of burden, e.g. the
camel were instrumental in trade as they helped move cargo over long distances. Culturally the most
important aspect of the West African Society was traditional religion, most polytheistic, and family. Until
the advent of trans-atlantic slave trade, most West African societies lived in villages and mostly based
their social life on extended families.
West Africa has very diverse geographical organization which impacted and influenced different
civilizations differently. For instance, in the Savannah’s villages were allowed to grow large because the
geography allowed while in the dry areas villages remained relatively small. The economic activities also
depended on the fertility of land. In the dry areas, farming mostly centered around keeping goats, cattle,
and camels. In the wooded areas like the Congo, Benin, and parts of the western coast, farmers raised
yams and palm products.
Discuss the concept of “cruelty” as it applied to the treatment of African slaves during the Middle
Passage segment of the Atlantic slave trade. Is it possible to use modern moral arguments to
understand European and African participation in the Atlantic slave trade?
Months after capture and being held captive in dark and cold cells on the cost, African slaves were
loaded into boats and ships, christened ‘Slavers’ to be shipped to the western world. During the ‘the
middle passage’ as it came to be known, the slaves endured massive cruelty at the hands of ship
captains and crew. According to Hine et al., the boats were filled beyond capacity because the slavers
treated slaves as cargo (Ch. 2, Pg. 36). The cruelty was so dehumanizing and psychologically
dehumanizing that, according to the middle passage documentary, pregnant women, mostly
impregnated by ship crew, put objects inside their wombs in order to miscarriage rather than birth a
child into such horrible situations. This cruelty went on unchecked by the slave traders because, inspite
of their Christian faith, slave traders had dehumanized slaves. As such, cruelty on slaves was not cruelty
on a human being. However, the some historians have brought up the issue of cruelty on slave ships and
argued that relative to the “practices acceptable in the past” (Hine et al. 37) these acts were not limited
to slaves. Moreover, Hine et al. notes, cruelty must be placed in the context of culture and how cultures
Name
Instructor
Course
Date
What were the most important economic, political, and cultural aspects of West African society? In
what ways did geography impact cultural differences among West African civilizations?
Most West African societies were thriving before the beginning of Trans-Atlantic trade of the 17 th
century. The most important economic activities of West African Society involved cultivation of crops,
animal husbandry, and trade with neighboring societies, e.g. Sudan (Week 2. Lecture). Flourishing trade
amongst the societies in the west African region led to prosperity amongst most societies.
Consequently, this prosperity produced a wealthy political elite led by kings and chiefs in societies such
as the Soninke who found prosperity through the Iron weaponry trade. Animals of burden, e.g. the
camel were instrumental in trade as they helped move cargo over long distances. Culturally the most
important aspect of the West African Society was traditional religion, most polytheistic, and family. Until
the advent of trans-atlantic slave trade, most West African societies lived in villages and mostly based
their social life on extended families.
West Africa has very diverse geographical organization which impacted and influenced different
civilizations differently. For instance, in the Savannah’s villages were allowed to grow large because the
geography allowed while in the dry areas villages remained relatively small. The economic activities also
depended on the fertility of land. In the dry areas, farming mostly centered around keeping goats, cattle,
and camels. In the wooded areas like the Congo, Benin, and parts of the western coast, farmers raised
yams and palm products.
Discuss the concept of “cruelty” as it applied to the treatment of African slaves during the Middle
Passage segment of the Atlantic slave trade. Is it possible to use modern moral arguments to
understand European and African participation in the Atlantic slave trade?
Months after capture and being held captive in dark and cold cells on the cost, African slaves were
loaded into boats and ships, christened ‘Slavers’ to be shipped to the western world. During the ‘the
middle passage’ as it came to be known, the slaves endured massive cruelty at the hands of ship
captains and crew. According to Hine et al., the boats were filled beyond capacity because the slavers
treated slaves as cargo (Ch. 2, Pg. 36). The cruelty was so dehumanizing and psychologically
dehumanizing that, according to the middle passage documentary, pregnant women, mostly
impregnated by ship crew, put objects inside their wombs in order to miscarriage rather than birth a
child into such horrible situations. This cruelty went on unchecked by the slave traders because, inspite
of their Christian faith, slave traders had dehumanized slaves. As such, cruelty on slaves was not cruelty
on a human being. However, the some historians have brought up the issue of cruelty on slave ships and
argued that relative to the “practices acceptable in the past” (Hine et al. 37) these acts were not limited
to slaves. Moreover, Hine et al. notes, cruelty must be placed in the context of culture and how cultures
