Mr. MillhouseAP World HistoryHebron High School

15th century minimal – to Atlantic island plantations

16th century – small17th c. increase to 16,000 per

year18th c. most of trade, 7 million

slaves, 80% of all trade over all years

19th c. slows down, under attack, still exports to Cuba & Brazil (1.7 million)

Slavery was common in African society Where?▪ The Kongo, Ghana, Benin, etc.

All land was owned by the state▪ Owning slaves was a way to gain wealth

Slaves were used for servants, concubines, and field workers

Arrival of Europeans provided new opportunities for expansion of slavery

Competition between rival kingdoms led to endless wars Kingdoms trade

slaves for guns Wars led to political

centralization Slave trade shifts

balance of power From Sudanic Africa

to the Gold Coast, the Kongo, and Angola

Asante is on the Gold Coast Modern day Ghana

Asante were members of the Akan people Began as twenty small states▪ Matrilineal clan lineage

Most prominent clan was the Okoyo Access to firearms allowed the Okoyo to

centralize their authority after 1650 CE Under the leadership of Osei Tutu (d. 1717)

Other Akan clans forced to pay tribute Clans maintain some

autonomy A council advised the ruler

on important issues Used an ideology of unity

to overcome clan divisions Dealt directly with the

Dutch at El Mina Slave made up 2/3 of trade

by 1700

Centralized kingdom Converted to

Christianity Maintained diplomatic

ties with Portugal Attempted to abolish

the slave trade Portugal monopolized

trade with the Kongo Cowries, slaves, Asian

luxuries

Loango, capital city of the Kongo

Dutch East India Co. establish a colony at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652 Provision ships headed to Asia

Large fertile lands were great for farming Used slave labor▪ Slaves brought from Indonesia and other parts of Asia▪ Eventually enslave the natives

Dutch settlers, called Boers, move to Cape Colony in search of land▪ 17, 000 settlers, 26,ooo slaves, and 14,ooo natives by

1800