The Atlantic slave trade has had many effects on the lives of Africans. Despite the fact that most of the effects were negative, some had positive consequences on the lives of Africans. One of the effects of the slave trade is that it increased war mostly in West Africa. Bearing in mind that the slaves bought by the European and the American slave traders were not just acquired through direct raiding, warfare increased as coastal kingdoms raided inland tribes to get slaves to sell. The coastal communities were motivated to obtain things like guns in exchange for slaves.
Another effect of the slave trade was that it changed the composition of the African population. It is believed that about one-third of females were taken as slaves compared to the men where around two-thirds of the slaves. The trade was profiting those involved hence creating a group of rich and wealthy men in the African society (Hardy, 2014).
Slave trade also resulted in death due to famine and hunger. This is because people did not have the time to work on their farms and produce agricultural products as they spent most of their time away from their homes trying to avoid being held captive. Local industries also collapsed because of the slave trade. This was brought about by the fact that the workers were taken away as slaves. A good example is the handicraft industry.
Europe continued raking profits not only from its plantation economies but also from banks. The banks were mainly located in London and Liverpool. The banks were aimed at regulating trade, providing insurance and loans, thus they created a significant opportunity for making money. Europe also managed to get adequate labor from the slaves, who were abundant and cheap.
The conditions that the enslaved children, men, and women encountered were quite inhumane. The dungeons were not hygienically fit for people to stay. Women were also targets of rape and physical abuse. Being chained in hundreds, they were severely tortured and abused. They were treated as “cargo” yet they were human beings (Könighofer, 2008).
With the growth of the slave trade, the conditions when boarding ships worsened. With around 300 slaves on board a ship, about sixty died of either suicide, diseases or malnutrition. There was also the scarcity of water, food, water. There was also an outbreak of malaria, which resulted in the death of some people. Other sicknesses included diarrhea, scurvy, and dehydration (Appiah & Gates, 2005).
The coffles covered a distance of 25-30 miles a day on foot. Women were bound together by ropes while men were bound by chains around their necks. The restraints were only removed when the coffles came near a market.
The sugar revolution refers to the introduction of the concept of whole plantation farming in the seventeenth-century. This included its institutions, technology, and Africans who were brought to work. The new version of the plantation was more sophisticated than the previous ones (Curtin, 1998).
Various methods were used by the slave traders to control the slaves. The methods included psychological intimidation, constant punishment, whipping, use of religion and slave codes. Every Southern state had its set of slave laws (University of Houston, 2007).
References
Appiah, A., & Gates, H. L. (2005). Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African and African American Experience. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Curtin, P. D. (1998). The Rise and Fall of the Plantation Complex. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Hardy, :. D. (2014, February). Riches & Misery: The Consequences Of The Atlantic Slave Trade . Retrieved January 2016, from Open learn: http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/riches-misery-the-consequences-the-atlantic-slave-trade
Könighofer, M. (2008). The New Ship of Zion. London: LIT Verlag Münster.
