EHP 302: Economic and Social

History of West of Africa

Slavery and the Slave

Trade

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi

 Slavery: An Introduction
 The phenomenon of slavery is a universal one, though many
have sought to link it to Africa. Various forms of human
bondage existed from early times.

 Institutionalization probably first occurred in historical times

when agricultural advances made possible more highly
organized societies.

 There are biblical accounts of master slave relationships

where both are admonished to exist cordially.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 Slavery: An Introduction…
 “Masters,give unto your servants that which is just and
equal; knowing that ye also have a Master in heaven”.

 There was a provision for those of his people who fell

into debt to sell themselves into slavery, essentially
becoming hired laborers to pay off their debt.

 Much as events of yesteryears have been found to be

“bad” we should avoid value laden words and being
overly judgmental…
 The Arab Slave Trade
 Slavery was practiced in Arabia as in the rest of the ancient
world before the advent of Islam early in the seventh century
AD.
 Immediately before the coming of Islam, Western Arabia in
general and Mecca in particular had witnessed large numbers
of African slaves, mostly from Ahbash or Abyssinians.

 The slave trade trickled through the Sahara into North Africa,
down the Nile into Egypt and across the Red Sea into Arabia.
 The Nature of the Arab Slave Trade
 Being the core of the newly established Islamic Empire, the
Arabs held an important position both in trade and navigation.

 Having found slavery as a regular feature of the social order,

Islam, Judaism and Christianity before it did not abolish slavery,
but tried to mitigate evils by advocating good treatment and
encouraging manumission.
 The position of Islam towards traffic in human beings is echoed
in a tradition ascribed to the Prophet condemning such an
activity: “the wickedest of people are those who sell people”.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 Modes and Sources of Acquiring Slaves
 The modes of acquiring slaves either through conquest,
kidnapping or purchase and the role of Arab dealers in such
operations varied from one region to another.

 Both Arab dealers and native suppliers made full use of older
native customs that lent themselves to such activities.

 To begin with, the Arabs in their first encounter with the Nubians
and North Africans imposed an annual tribute of about four
hundred slaves in exchange for stuffs.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 Modes and Sources of Acquiring Slaves…

 As early as 747-8 Abu al-Bishr, a writer, reports that Arabs were in

the habit of kidnapping Nubians and selling them in the markets of
Egypt.
 Nasiri Khusraw, the Persian traveler, also mentions that Arabs and
others stole children from the Beja country and sold them in Muslim
towns.

 Such action was perhaps committed under the pretext of war into
enemy territory

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi

 Modes and Sources of Acquiring Slaves…
 Armed raids, though directed largely against pagans, did not spare
the Muslim communities on the frontiers of Dar al-Islam.

 In 1391 Abu Amr Uthman b. Idris, the king of Bornu, complained to

the Mamluk Sultan in Egypt that certain Arab tribes who lived in the
vicinity of his kingdom raided his subjects, killing some and taking
others, Muslims and non-Muslims, into captivity.

 The captives were sold to slave traders from Egypt, Syria and other
places.

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi

 Modes and Sources of Acquiring Slaves…
 However, probably the most important source of slaves was that
which resulted from internal strife between African ‘tribes’ and their
chiefs who fought one another and exchanged their captives for
items of trade brought by Arab merchants.

 Al-Yaqubi, the Arab geographer of the 9 th century, says that the

Zawiła (of central Bilad al-Sudan) kidnapped black slaves from the
tribes of Mira, Zaghawa, Maruwa and others who lived nearby. He
adds that he heard that black kings sold other blacks without
justification and without the provocation of war.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 The use of Slaves
 Owing to the vast influx of different types of slaves to the slave
markets, slave dealers gained experience that enabled them to
set the qualities and the deficiencies of various ethnic groups.

 Factors like place of origin, age, appearance, ability and earlier

training were all taken into consideration.

 The whites were less in number than the blacks and in time their
numbers declined, and were sparingly used.

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi

 The use of Slaves…

 Black slaves were imported largely to fill domestic occupations

servants, nurses, concubines, eunuchs and business assistants.

 They were also used as laborers, sailors and soldiers. The house-
hold category constitute, with the exception of black troops at
times, the majority slaves; and since no special requirements were
needed to qualify work they were drawn from a wider range of
black Africans.

 However, slave girls were used as concubines

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 The use of Slaves…
 Other male slaves served as cultivators on their masters' farms,
as urban craftsmen, or as workers in building construction.

 Those who were eunuchs (tawash) or castrated slaves (khisyan)

were highly prized domestic slaves.

 They were custodians of the womenfolk or Harim in the palaces

of the Caliphs and other princes: in institution largely modelled
on complicated practice.

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi

 The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
“The transatlantic slave trade, one of the greatest atrocities in history.
This unparalleled global tragedy claimed untold millions of lives over four
centuries, and left a terrible legacy that continues to dehumanize and oppress
people around the world to this day”..

 This chapter in human history is reprehensible. The question of how

to atone for this crime still lingers.

 We must acknowledge the great lapse in moral judgment that

allowed it to happen.

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi

 The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade …
 The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade refers to the forced transportation of
enslaved Negro Africans from their homelands to destinations in
Europe and, especially, the Americas and Caribbean islands.

 The forced movement of West Africans across the Atlantic

happened on an unprecedented scale of brutality and inhumanity,
killings and massive abuses. Millions died without a burial, without a
trace.

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi

 The Beginnings of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade
 In the 13th century (1471), the Portuguese reached the Gold
Coast because of their desire for gold.

 By the 15th century, a trade route linked the coast through the
Ashanti forest with other centres in Niger. Most traders were
Mande speaking peoples.

 In the 1480s the Portuguese reported that the Mande were buying
Congo and Benin slaves at Elmina. A Portuguese trader was
stationed at Elmina and sent ships for that purpose. By 1482 built
the first castle, buying slaves, cotton and other goods.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
The Beginnings of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade…
 Settlers who migrated to the Caribbean and the West Indies started
mines and sugar plantations which took a great deal of labour. At
first they used the local Indian population or criminals and debtors
deported from Europe.

 The Indians could not supply the demand for labour and the whites
could not cope with the heat and diseases. Hence thousands of
them died (both Indians and Europeans).

 A Dominican friar, Las Casas, wanted to save the Indian population

and suggested to the Spanish king that they use African slaves.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
The Beginnings of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade…
 In 1518 Emperor Charles V of Spain authorized 15,000 slaves be
shipped from West Africa to the Americas. By the 18 th century, it had
progressively increased to 6,265,000 slaves.

 The huge leap in demand for slaves was due to the introduction of
sugarcane cultivation in the Caribbean in 1640.

 These slaves largely came from East, West and Central Africa.

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi

The Beginnings of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade…
 In 1518 Emperor Charles V of Spain authorized 15,000 slaves be
shipped from West Africa to the Americas. By the 18 th century, it had
progressively increased to 6,265,000 slaves.

 The huge leap in demand for slaves was due to the introduction of
sugarcane cultivation in the Caribbean in 1640.

 These slaves largely came from East, West and Central Africa.

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi

 Expansion in the Slave Trade
 The Dutch who were “Calvinists” condemned the Catholics for
using slaves. However after they acquired large plantations in the
West Indies from the Portuguese, they changed their thinking
about slaves and found appropriate scripture to support it.

 In 1637, they conquered Elmina and took over the slave trade.
Firearms had been introduced which created a demand for
powder as the people were waging war.

 By the 17th century, the Dutch were selling 20,000 tons of

gunpowder annually in the God Coast. Slaves were exchanged
for guns.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 Expansion in the Slave Trade…
 The Cape Coast castle was altered to make room for more slaves
as they were held in huge underground vaults which could hold
more than a 1,000 slaves at a time.

 These dungeons were appalling dark holes and contributed to

terrible suffering of the slaves.
 Only a third of the slaves sent were women because slave owners
discouraged child bearing.
 Therefore the plantation owners had to constantly have new slaves
and west Africa provided many slaves to meet this need.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 Expansion in the Slave Trade…
 The British also imported guns and ammunition for slaves.

 Consequently, the number of inter-ethnic wars and raids increased.

Asante fought wars against others around them to capture slaves
who could then be exchanged for guns….cycle

 In the 18th century, the British took over from the Dutch and this led
to an expansion of the forts and castles.
 Tobacco and rice plantations expanded in the USA and more
laborers were needed.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 The Journey to the New World
 Slaves were packed like sardines in specially designed ships on
their journey to the New World.
 For the human cargo of slaves, it was among the most difficult sea
passages ever undertaken.

 On average, 16% of the men, women, and children involved

perished in transit. Crossing the ocean could take 25 to 60 days,
depending on origin, destination and wind direction.

 Men slaves remained shackled but female and children were freer
and all were fed twice a day.
 Why the Triangular Trade?

1. Arrival of merchant ships from Europe to West Africa carrying; textiles,

rum, guns, gunpowder, gin, knives etc
2. The middle passage; the transportation of African slaves in chains to the
New World
3. From New World back to Europe with cotton, tobacco, sugar, indigo etc
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 How they Were Captured

1. Warfare
2. Slave raids
3. Kidnapping
4. Pawning
5. Sale of criminals
6. Market supply
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 The Slave Trade inside Ghana
 Slavery existed in Ghana before the Atlantic slave trade. People
became slaves as a result of debt, hunger, crime, capture war or
purchased in markets.
 Just that, they were treated humanely and often became a part of
the master’s family.
 Between 1800 and 1824, Ashanti received an annual payment
from the Dagomba of about 2,000 slaves per year as tribute.
 The Dagomba raided the weaker groups in northern Ghana and
sent them to Ashanti. The slave tribute did not cease until 1824
when the Yaa Na refused to continue paying.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 The Slave Trade inside Ghana…

 The most intensive period of slave raiding in northern Ghana

occurred between 1860s and 1900s when Zambarima raided
the north. The karaga chief recruited them to go on a slave
raiding expedition as “mercenaries and mallams”
 Babatu headed north, ravaging villages after facing some
resistance.
 Samouri to the West
 Salaga slave market and relics etc (Wells, baobab, shackles,
spears, cemetery, memories, alliances, descendants etc)
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 Effects of the Slave Trade
i. Easily exploited in European rivalry for 400 years where some 9
to 12 million Africans were brought alive to Americas.
ii. The USA, West Indies, New World, Britain and Europe improved
their development.
iii. Attitudes of arrogance and superiority were reinforced which led
to their oppression.
iv. A wealthy class of indigenous Ghanaian merchants emerged
v. Ghanaian towns and villages raided each other for slaves, in
contrast to the way they were formerly treated, now brutalized and
subjected to a wide range inhuman treatment.
vi. Due to the profits, people lost interest in productive economic
activity.
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 Effects of the Slave Trade…
v. Life was unsettled. The economic and social lives of the people
totally disrupted.
vi. People tended to settle around rocky hills where the horsemen
would be disadvantageous
vii. Many northern Ghanaians took oaths on earth shrines for
protection.
viii. Some groups were viewed as inferior
ix. Use of aggression in resolving disputes by fighting was reinforced.
x. Many became Muslims.
Stories and festivals of resistance (feok, the only festival of the
Builsa)
Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi
 Other Legacies
-depopulation
-decline in local industry
-slave brutalities
-inter-ethnic wars
-trade malpractice
-construction of forts and castles
-European manufactured goods
-rise and expansion of kingdoms

Dr. Samuel Nana Abokyi

Thank you