Land of the free or land of slavery
By Thomas and Ryan
1. Describe the social effects of the slave trade.
The slave trade devastated many african societies because of how many citizens from west Africa were taken. There was about 16 million people deprived form their families and friends in west Africa, the areas between Senegal and Angola were the most effected because of the close proximity to the most active slave ports. Slave trade also caused a large shift in gender ratios in Africa, since young males were the most sought after, two thirds of the population in western Africa were female.
2. Describe the political effects of the slave trade.
Aside from the social effects of the slave trade, it also greatly effected the politics and government in west Africa. The slave trade brought great loads of turmoil. Many people fought in wars that had nothing to do with the slave trade, but the nature encouraged them to join conflicts concerning the slave trade. Violence increase due to the trade of european weapons for slaves. Many societies would capture their own in return for firearms. The Dahomey kingdom was the initial to do this.
3. How did the plantation system work in the New World (What cash crops were produced?
Plantation economies rely on the export of cash crops as a source of income. Prominent plantation crops included cotton, rubber, sugar cane, and tobacco. The longer a crop's harvest period, the more efficient plantations become.
4. How did slaves resist? (Forms of resistance?)
Running away was a major form of resistance. Slaves who ran away most often did so for a short period of time. These runaway slaves might hide in a nearby forest or visit a relative or spouse on another plantation. They did so to escape a harsh punishment that had been threatened, to obtain relief from a heavy workload, or just to escape the drudgery of everyday life under slavery.