wonderful video markellion thank you :) and an interesting note about the English.
what i really want to find is a comprehensive and detailed historical overview of what happened in Africa (during the relevant time) So, who did what first? what was going on at the time? how did that affect the 'rival tribes'? how did that affect neighbouring 'countries'? what other influences happened and when? how has it developed? which orgs are still somehow involved? do you know where we can find this??! :)
The start of globalism and the international weapons trade. Yes this transcript highlights the competition between the european nations which would lead to Napoleons rise and fall, and also the era of conflict in africa which was also having external pressures of varying degree.
I thought it was really interesting that William Bosman seemed to believe the Africans had the advantage with guns when it came to their dealings with Europeans. One would assume he would be for the sale of guns as the selling of guns would result in a bigger return of slaves. Instead the sole reason for Europeans to sell guns, according to him, was that the nations of Europe were competing with each other
"thereby obliging them with a knife to cut your own throats. But we are forced to it"
This complexity shows how the european empires where all fighting for their imperialistic utopias. The market of slaves however would have other factors affecting its supply. Those tribes who sold slaves still had to capture people etc and this would require varying resources. In other words the supply was affected by conditions on the ground more than commerce
I agree and firearms had to be a big factor in making making the slave trade larger. Possibly Europeans were reluctant at the beginning to sell guns but eventually got use to it
Also European industries grew from the slave trade. In later times they would want to supplant Asian merchandise for European merchandise
International trade requires selling products the relevant party deems useful. The main product that could be sold from Europe in that era was guns because in west africa many conflicts where ongoing through generations. Fiirearms where easy to export and had useful demand.
Some things never change, ive never looked at the transatlantic slavetrade as a byproduct of the arms industry but you have shown the evidence.
The thing about war and the slave trade the worse thing is probably the increasing brutality not just the frequency of war. The slave trade in some ways change the way wars were conducted. Plus war was becoming more and more commercial because of the slave trade making it somewhat different from earlier wars
John Newton:
"I verily believe, that the far greater part of the wars, in Africa, would cease, if the Europeans would cease to tempt them, by offering goods for slaves"
Probably this assessment would be correct in regard to the coastal empires such as dohamey, ashanti, oyo etc. However the main wars where the jihads being conducted by the hausa states, sokoto caliphate and kwararafa. They had minimal european contact due to their geographic locations but also used slaves in tributary status as bargining tools or commerce. If the coastal tribes hadnt the weapons they would of become part of the many caliphates who where growing in strength in west africa
The so called Muslim slave trade became connected with the European slave trade so many of the slaves would eventually end up in the Americas
This is supported by the expansion of the East African slave trade as the Portuguese focused on buying slaves on the Eastern Coast. Since the 18th century the Swahili slave trade favored selling to Europeans
East Africa. The far greater part of the wars in Africa - the slave trade part 2
That transatlantic slavetrade however wasnt done by the Sokoto Caliphate which was the largest of the Islamic states. Im not sure who the source was but at least a quarter of slaves in the americas derived from east and central africa. There where other ports closer to the angola congo region that where used as shipping routes
I added an interesting website to the descriptions box that mentions the change to European merchandise. Disturbingly this is a big part in industrialization in Europe
"- Europeans tried to take advantage of this currency; they brought so many cowry shells that the shells lost value (inflation). As a result, European trade goods became the basic currency used in the purchase of slaves."
There is some information to show that higher prices for slaves had a connection with civil war. This would of course create conditions for more slave trading
As seen in the bellow video the supply of slaves, in the case of the "Gold Coast", was linked to prices
Even the slave traders admitted the slave trade could not function without cowry shells. If they didn't have access to trade with Asia they could not get slaves, or at least slaves in such mammoth quantities. I believe this shows that commerce itself was somehow affecting conditions on the ground that allowed the slaves to be captured in the first place
So the firearms were of course very important but it wasn't the underlying reason for the slave raiding. It has to be because of economic manipulation. This is now beyond any doubt as the slave trade could not function without access to trade with Asia
wonderful video markellion thank you :) and an interesting note about the English.
what i really want to find is a comprehensive and detailed historical overview of what happened in Africa (during the relevant time) So, who did what first? what was going on at the time? how did that affect the 'rival tribes'? how did that affect neighbouring 'countries'? what other influences happened and when? how has it developed? which orgs are still somehow involved? do you know where we can find this??! :)
MariluLane 2 years ago
You can get some good information from the book "Africa and Africans in the making of the Atlantic world, 1400-1800" By John Kelly Thornton
He didn't realize the importance of the economic manipulation but I'll send you a couple links it'll help to get a clearer picture
markellion 2 years ago
The start of globalism and the international weapons trade. Yes this transcript highlights the competition between the european nations which would lead to Napoleons rise and fall, and also the era of conflict in africa which was also having external pressures of varying degree.
sexymalcom1970 2 years ago
I thought it was really interesting that William Bosman seemed to believe the Africans had the advantage with guns when it came to their dealings with Europeans. One would assume he would be for the sale of guns as the selling of guns would result in a bigger return of slaves. Instead the sole reason for Europeans to sell guns, according to him, was that the nations of Europe were competing with each other
"thereby obliging them with a knife to cut your own throats. But we are forced to it"
markellion 2 years ago
This complexity shows how the european empires where all fighting for their imperialistic utopias. The market of slaves however would have other factors affecting its supply. Those tribes who sold slaves still had to capture people etc and this would require varying resources. In other words the supply was affected by conditions on the ground more than commerce
sexymalcom1970 2 years ago
I agree and firearms had to be a big factor in making making the slave trade larger. Possibly Europeans were reluctant at the beginning to sell guns but eventually got use to it
Also European industries grew from the slave trade. In later times they would want to supplant Asian merchandise for European merchandise
markellion 2 years ago
International trade requires selling products the relevant party deems useful. The main product that could be sold from Europe in that era was guns because in west africa many conflicts where ongoing through generations. Fiirearms where easy to export and had useful demand.
Some things never change, ive never looked at the transatlantic slavetrade as a byproduct of the arms industry but you have shown the evidence.
sexymalcom1970 2 years ago
The thing about war and the slave trade the worse thing is probably the increasing brutality not just the frequency of war. The slave trade in some ways change the way wars were conducted. Plus war was becoming more and more commercial because of the slave trade making it somewhat different from earlier wars
John Newton:
"I verily believe, that the far greater part of the wars, in Africa, would cease, if the Europeans would cease to tempt them, by offering goods for slaves"
markellion 2 years ago
Probably this assessment would be correct in regard to the coastal empires such as dohamey, ashanti, oyo etc. However the main wars where the jihads being conducted by the hausa states, sokoto caliphate and kwararafa. They had minimal european contact due to their geographic locations but also used slaves in tributary status as bargining tools or commerce. If the coastal tribes hadnt the weapons they would of become part of the many caliphates who where growing in strength in west africa
sexymalcom1970 2 years ago
The so called Muslim slave trade became connected with the European slave trade so many of the slaves would eventually end up in the Americas
This is supported by the expansion of the East African slave trade as the Portuguese focused on buying slaves on the Eastern Coast. Since the 18th century the Swahili slave trade favored selling to Europeans
East Africa. The far greater part of the wars in Africa - the slave trade part 2
markellion 2 years ago
That transatlantic slavetrade however wasnt done by the Sokoto Caliphate which was the largest of the Islamic states. Im not sure who the source was but at least a quarter of slaves in the americas derived from east and central africa. There where other ports closer to the angola congo region that where used as shipping routes
sexymalcom1970 2 years ago
It didn't have to be direct.
markellion 2 years ago
I really don't know I should really do more research on this.
markellion 2 years ago
What about all the Islamic movements that spontaneously arose during the era of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade protesting the slave trade.
That suggests a rise in slave trading
markellion 2 years ago
Though before the major slave trading period the Moroccan invasion of Songhay shows that Europeans had a major impact. See video:
Moroccan invasion of Songhay and Historical relations between Africans across the Sahara
markellion 2 years ago
I added an interesting website to the descriptions box that mentions the change to European merchandise. Disturbingly this is a big part in industrialization in Europe
"- Europeans tried to take advantage of this currency; they brought so many cowry shells that the shells lost value (inflation). As a result, European trade goods became the basic currency used in the purchase of slaves."
markellion 2 years ago
There is some information to show that higher prices for slaves had a connection with civil war. This would of course create conditions for more slave trading
As seen in the bellow video the supply of slaves, in the case of the "Gold Coast", was linked to prices
"Trans-Atlantic Slave trade part 1 Introduction"
markellion 2 years ago
Even the slave traders admitted the slave trade could not function without cowry shells. If they didn't have access to trade with Asia they could not get slaves, or at least slaves in such mammoth quantities. I believe this shows that commerce itself was somehow affecting conditions on the ground that allowed the slaves to be captured in the first place
markellion 2 years ago
So the firearms were of course very important but it wasn't the underlying reason for the slave raiding. It has to be because of economic manipulation. This is now beyond any doubt as the slave trade could not function without access to trade with Asia
markellion 2 years ago
valid point and the obvious seeds of the globalised economy we see today.
sexymalcom1970 2 years ago