1.
The transatlantic slave trade has caused far-reaching changes in the economic and political life in Africa. In some areas, the development of the productive forces was completely fettered. The huge outflow of people, which can be compared with the bloodletting between XVII and XIX centuries suspended the increase of the population in the vast territories of West Africa (Lamie, 2007). Meanwhile, other parts of the world have experienced a fairly strong population explosion. With the forced slaves withdrawal, Africa deprived the most young and healthy people and it is the most valuable workforce (Lamie, 2007). Trying to downplay the significance of these events, the bourgeois writers often point out that without slavery, a similar effect on the population growth at that time could result in epidemics, drought, armed conflicts etc. But their main argument boils down to the fact that the loss of life in Africa is balanced with European imports of new food crops: maize, cassava, peanuts. These cultures form the basis of the diet of Africans up till now.
Not daring to penetrate into the interior of the continent, European merchants delegated the capture of slaves to the local leaders of African tribes and other merchants. For safety reasons, European ships even anchored at some distance from the shore. In some African areas, a layer of rich African merchants established, who were cashing in on the slave trade. European merchants exchanged the usual poor-quality products of European manufactories (fabrics, glass and iron goods as well as firearms and gunpowder) for “high quality” slaves (Lamie, 2007). These were fraudulent transactions, beneficial only to the one side and did not bring any advantages to the other, despite the temporary enrichment of the African merchants and rulers.
2.
The constant need for slaves caused a chain reaction that had a highly negative consequences: the depopulation of large areas, escalating hunt for slaves in constant internecine wars of tribes and peoples, which often lead to mutual destruction and enslavement, to the destruction of the traditional social structure, in the death of local crafts and trade (Lamie, 2007). Armed with modern firearms separate groups of hunters for slaves penetrated farther into the hinterland. Their leaders have increased their personal troops, personal intensified their power, but they have completely lost interest in material production. The war became a permanent occupation for them, and very profitable (Lamie, 2007). Such a situation has developed around the hinterland of the coast. The members of the village communities had no incentive to engage in agriculture and crafts. Inside African trade exchange stood.
The consequences of the slave trade affected not only the coast and its immediate rear, but also other parts of Central Africa, as it caused a replacement of trade routes, and often a complete cessation in African trade (Kohout, 2012). So, in the XVII century trans-Saharan trade turnover was sharply reduced on the roads of the Western and Central Sudan. However, small-scale commercial operations across the Sahara, mostly through its central part, were held until the end of the XIX century (Kohout, 2012). Still the main role in most cases played shorter and cheaper sea route linking North Africa to southern regions. Trade in gold had also moved to the south coast.
3.
Definitely, such a humiliation of African people and the Atlantic Slave Trade could not be left without any attention. First, slaves tried to free themselves on their own using force. Starting from the XVI century, revolts had occurred almost on a regular basis. However, European forces always managed to extinguish these uprisings easily until 1700s. This is why most of the slaves usually tried to escape rather than fight for freedom (Harold, 2000). What is more important, those who managed to escape did not just hide from the authorities, but gathered together into communities called the Maroons. They located in hardly accessible places and usually very well fortified. From time to time, Maroons attacked plantations to free other slaves from their masters. This somewhat drew the attention of whites to the fact that blacks are totally against slavery and they would rather fight to the death than return to the plantations (Harold, 2000).
The first organized abolition movement began in Europe only in XVIII century. The strongest one took place in the United Kingdom, where Evangelical Christians founded the " Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade” (Harold, 2000). The leaders of this movement organized several influential mass demonstrations against slavery. Although, British government lead by King George III was against abolition, in the 1807 Parliament of the UK finally ratified the decision to forbid slavery and slave trade. Additionally, they started to force other European countries to follow the British example (Harold). Indeed, the abolition movement spread out starting from XIX century, it had supporters all over the world.
References
Harrold, S. (2000). Abolitionist Movement. Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://autocww.colorado.edu/~flc/E64ContentFiles/WorldHistory/AbolitionistMovement.html
Kohout, N. (2012). Review of Trans-Saharan Africa in World History by Ralph A. Austen.The Middle Ground Journal, Fall(5). Retrieved from http://www2.css.edu/app/depts/his/historyjournal/index.cfm?cat=7&art=106
Lamie, K. (2007). The Impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade on West Africa: Polygyny and Female Reproductive Success. Nebraska Anthropologist, 31, 16-22. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1030&context=nebanthro
