African Slave Trade in American History

“African Slave Trade in American History”

Slavery has taken place throughout the world since before ancient times, and the act of trading slaves was a common act throughout the world for centuries. Slavery previously existed in certain parts of Africa, Europe, Asia, and also in America before the beginning of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. What initially started out as an enormous search for trade in gold, spices, and etc., ended up turning into an callous human trading system of exporting African slaves, which would continue for well over 400 years. In the late 15th century, Europeans and Arabs removed slaves from the West, Central and Southeast Africa overseas during the African slave trade era. The European establishment of Africa developed quickly in Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is commonly believed that Africa had up to 10,000 different states and independent groups with distinctive languages and civilizations before the outside world took possession of it. The Atlantic slave trade ascended after trade contacts were created amongst the continents of the Europe, Africa, and Asia which were considered the old world and those of the North America and South America, which were considered the new world. For many centuries, tidal currents prevented ocean travel mostly dangerous and risky for the ships that were then traveling, and as such there had been very little naval interaction between the peoples living in these islands. “However the 15th century, new European advancements in naval technologies meant that ships were better equipped to deal with the problem of tidal currents, and could begin traversing the Atlantic Ocean. Between 1600 and 1800, approximately 300,000 sailors engaged in the slave trade ...

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... was abolished towards the end of the 18th century. Many slaves sought out missing family members and relocated up north to prevent further enslavement. Some slaves stayed at the plantations with their former slave masters due to the life they established on their plantations. Other freed slaves began to build a life for themselves and families by creating their own businesses or going finding some sort of education. Many freed slaves continued to contribute to the industrialization era, which brought about speedy developments in transportation and communication, especially in the methods of steam navigation, railways, and telegraphs. Furthermore, the prohibition of slavery did not dismiss the pain and humiliation of having been a slave for many people. Many descendants of slaves were permanently affected by this stigma for generations after slavery was abolished.