Atlantic Slave Trade - effects on africa
- 2. LEARNING INTENTIONS • Describe the different ways that Africa was affected by the Slave Trade • Describe how some Africans benefitted from the trade
- 3. There are numerous ways that Africa was affected by the slave trade, many of which continue to hurt Africa today.
- 4. A lower population The large numbers of Africans who were kidnapped significantly reduced Africa’s population. It is estimated that by 1850 Africa’s would population would have been 50 million instead of 25 million.
- 5. Loss of fit workers The bulk of Africans kidnapped to be slaves were young and fit (usually men). This left less people to work and grow crops in Africa, spreading poverty.
- 6. Poorer health As Africans were moved across the continent, it meant that diseases spread too. Also because there was less food due to young, fit workers being kidnapped, people were more likely to fall ill.
- 7. Families split up The slave trade caused families to be split up as Africans were taken away from their homelands. This meant some parents would never again see their children.
- 8. Where people lived As the slave factories were found on the African coast, this led many Africans to move inland. This often meant Africans lost their jobs if they had worked as fishermen.
- 9. Violence and war The fact that many slaves were prisoners of war led to more fights between different African societies. Groups moving also led to further war and disputes over access to land and water.
- 10. Transport changed In order to move large numbers of slaves, transport networks were set up. This led to clearer connections between inland Africa and the coast, which made non-slave trading easier too.
- 11. Wealth for some Africans Some Africans greatly benefitted from the slave trade. Many African kings and chiefs became very rich by selling slaves, and benefitted from access to European goods.
- 12. Power and weapons By selling Africans, some African societies gained guns from the Europeans, making them more powerful. This helped them win future wars, and build their own empires within Africa.
- 13. Languages changed The slave trade also helped changed languages in Africa. As more Africans mixed, their dialects influenced each other. European languages were mixed in too. Swahili is a good example.
- 14. The seeds of modern day poverty in Africa are found in the slave trade. Many of the farming and war problems in various African countries can be traced back to the Atlantic Slave Trade.