Wonders of The African World

The Trans-Atlantic slave trade took place around the mid-fifteenth century when the Portuguese grew interest in the African continent. The lack of work force in their country might have pushed them to Africa; but who knows? The slave trade continued till the nineteenth century. The immense majority of slaves who were brought to the new world were known to be from West and Central part of Africa (Ghana, Benin, Dahume and etc.). In addition to the Portuguese, British, Dutch, French, American and surprisingly, Africans themselves played a role in the slave trade—scholars argue that the countries from the New world forced themselves in the African continent to recruit slaves whiles others argue that Africans ( Chiefs, Kings, etc.) or the Middleman initiated slavery first. Slaves in Africa were habitually criminal individuals who had unpaid debts and had to work till their debt were paid off and as Paul Lovejoy noted, “[…] slaves in African societies were absolute property or chattel of their owners […] (Azevedo, 74)”; whereas in the Americas, slaves were not personal ownership of other human lives; they are actually able to buy their freedom and obtain societal elevation. Although all either side of the scholars’ allegation may be true, it doesn’t permit any human being on this earth to sell or exchange another human’s life for money or goods. That is true “greed”!

            Many countries were involved in the slave trade including the African continent itself. Before the arrival of the Europeans, slavery existed in Africa (Ghana)—there were people in the palace who serves the chiefs, kings and their generation. Let’s take my homeland, Ghana for example “it appears that the large numbers of Africans were enslaved and forced to work in the Gold coast mines prior to European contact” ( Azevedo, 75). When the foreigners from the new world arrived in Ghana, they realized that they had well established political systems in an inhumane manner; in other words, they had Kings, Chiefs and others whom the people respected, followed, and worshiped. Also, the foreigners discovered well established economic systems in terms of trade, wealth and so on as teacher Akosua Apaabi referred to in the video. This underlines the argument of some scholars that, slavery were in existence before the Europeans arrived indoors and also being born in Ghana, I witnessed rich families who had maids and servants who did house chores, ran errands, and did so many other things that the rich themselves will not do. Also, traders also ask permission from kings to build forts and castles (Elmina) where they will keep the slaves that weren’t able to fit the first boat trip; surprisingly, their permissions were granted by the Ghanaian leaders and rent was paid to keep their fellow African in the castles—what I call “The Cage”.

            In addition, the Ashanti tribe was known to have sold and exchange lots of their own people. For example, “The Akan gold miners and African authorities paid the Portuguese traders in gold in exchange for the slaves provided. Likewise, other Europeans, including the English, the Dutch, the Danes, entered the trade and provided slaves in exchange for gold with the Akan people” (Azevedo, 75). Africans in general—Ghanaians to be precise believed they were getting what they needed (force labor) from the Europeans and that was what mattered at that time. They didn’t think far to consider the effects they were dragging upon themselves in the later future; as in the video, Wonders of the African World, Dr. Louis visited Quidah and learned a bit about Don Francisco who had over 90 children with all African women. Dr. Louis discovered how Don Francisco ruled Quidah by directing a road straight to the beach where the Europeans had their boats and ships waiting for their chained slaves. When Dr. Louis arrived on the beach, he found broken glasses of wine sitting on the sand—left over of the exchange goods; he then said that Africans today are suffering from its own curse from selling its own people. Africans at the time they were building what they might have referred to as “partners”, didn’t think that these same partners will force and make their own way of recruiting slaves. Its effects are being suffered today.

            The African perspectives provide a context to better understand the slave trade because it goes into detail about the truth of where, when, and how it began. It also provided specific examples noted in the above paragraphs about the role the African continent played in recruiting slavery; the context has made it clear that the Europeans weren’t the full initiators even though they went along with it after they discovered the wealth in Africa—especially Ghana ( Gold Coast). Even though the context has given some clarification  about this part of the African history, the arguments circulating about it still hangs; scholars and some Africans from the video Wonders of the African World  believe that if Africans themselves hadn’t sold their people, there was no way the Europeans would’ve had the right to enlarge and recruit slavery. Opponents argue that the Europeans were and are responsible for slavery on the African continent.