The history of Europeans performing slave trade activities last many centuries. During this period, tribal Chieftains and other Africans often took manufactured goods from Europeans in exchange for slaves. Often gold and silver were also precious metals used to buy slaves. Some slaves, however, were actually kidnapped. There is no precise record of what was bartered or funds paid to obtain slaves.
The slaves were often prisoners from the interior of Africa, not their own people (apex)
African rulers and traders supplied slaves to Europeans primarily for economic gain, as the transatlantic slave trade provided significant financial incentives through the exchange of goods like firearms, textiles, and alcohol. Additionally, local power dynamics and rivalries often led to the capture and sale of prisoners of war or those from rival tribes. The demand for labor on European plantations in the Americas further fueled this trade, creating a profitable market for both African suppliers and European traders.
The Africans sold were often criminals or convicted of a crime. They were traded for goods but often traded guns and firearms to these African kingdoms.
European explorers often exchanged goods with local African traders along the coast of Africa, at trading posts established by the Europeans. Key trading posts included those in West Africa along the Gulf of Guinea, such as Elmina and Cape Coast Castle in present-day Ghana.
Descendants of European planters and African slaves are often referred to as Creoles in some regions such as the Caribbean and Louisiana.
The Slaves were often prisoners, not their own people
Yes, slavery has existed in various forms among African societies throughout history. Slavery in Africa was different from the transatlantic slave trade in that it was often based on issues like debt repayment, warfare, and social status, and slaves could sometimes work to purchase their freedom.
African slavery was already in practice when Europeans first arrived to purchase slaves in the early 16th century. Warring African tribes and factions often enslaved prisoners of war, or invaded enemy villages to kidnap and enslave villagers. The tribe leaders made a sort of business selling the slaves to European customers. Though some slaves were sold to the European continent, the majority were shipped to colonies in the New World for labor.
Historically, Europeans often viewed African people as inferior, uncivilized, and primitive. This inaccurate perception was used to justify colonialism, slavery, and exploitation of African nations and their resources. These attitudes were driven by racism and a sense of cultural superiority.
Slavery has been around for thousands of years. From the very beginning of man there has been slavery. A person doesn't have to be African to be a slave they can be ANY race. The Greeks and Romans took slaves in the wars they won. The men were often made to fight in the arenas to death and women and children were used as sex slaves and for household work. Pirates sold slaves all over the ancient world. Today there are 25 million slaves in the world from all parts of the world. Again, many are children and women used as sex slaves.
Europeans began to take slaves from Africa primarily due to the demand for labor in their colonies, particularly in the Americas. The growth of cash crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton required a substantial workforce, and indigenous populations were often decimated by disease and conflict. African slaves were seen as a more sustainable labor source, leading to the establishment of the transatlantic slave trade. This trade became a significant part of European economic expansion and colonialism during the 16th to 19th centuries.