
Europeans instead relied on peaceful regulated trade where Africans operated on their own terms collecting customs and other duties. This contact with European traders altered the geography of the slave trades operating in Africa. Traders ensured that much of the slave trade moved to the Atlantic coast.
Full Answer
How did the slave trade affect the people of West Africa?
The growing slave trade with Europeans had a profound impact on the people of West Africa, giving prominence to local chieftains and merchants who traded slaves for European textiles, alcohol, guns, tobacco, and food. Africans also charged Europeans for the right to trade in slaves and imposed taxes on slave purchases.
What was the impact of the age of exploration on Europe?
Europeans got driven by potential of trade and building wealth through alliance with the Eastern nations and Asia. This led to the development of European monarchies to focus solely on expansion of the rule. Positive Impact Of European Exploration: European Exploration had observed positive impacts in the areas of trade, economy and politics.
How did the Europeans treat the African slaves?
The Europeans treated the African slaves very poorly for their own benefit. Later, around the sixteenth century, there was about 200,000 African people sent to Europe to be used as slaves. Then, many new ways for African people to be used were found, and it only progressed from there.
Did slavery exist in Africa before European colonization?
Before Europeans even got to Africa, slavery already existed. However, it was much different from what we know it as and think of it as now. It didn't have the racism and the typical idea that whites were the masters and that Africans were slaves. They were also allowed to marry and even have their own slaves.

How did exploration impact the slave trade?
During the period we know as the Age of Exploration, Europeans created trade routes which brought them immense wealth. This was due in part to the goods which were traded, but also to the development of a system which would wreak havoc on Africa and its descendents: The Transatlantic Slave Trade.
What role did Europe play in the slave trade?
During the so-called triangular trade that ensued from European colonization of Africa, slaves were purchased in West Africa, shipped to the Americas to produce cotton etc. The cotton was then shipped to Europe and converted into textiles. The textiles were then shipped to Africa in exchange for more slaves.
How did European expansion affect Africa and the slave trade?
Solution. Europeans intensified the slave trade by dramatically increasing the demand of slaves and by bringing guns and other such weapons to Africa.
How did the Age of Exploration contribute to the age of slavery?
Diseases brought by Europeans wiped out as much as 90 percent of the native population of the Americas . With so many people dying, there was a huge shortage of available workers in the Americas . This was one reason Europeans turned to African slaves to work their plantations.
What were the causes and effects of the slave trade?
The slave trade had devastating effects in Africa. Economic incentives for warlords and tribes to engage in the slave trade promoted an atmosphere of lawlessness and violence. Depopulation and a continuing fear of captivity made economic and agricultural development almost impossible throughout much of western Africa.
What gave rise to slave trade?
What gave rise to the slave trade? The lack of a skilled labor force in the Americas and the decline of the West African population caused residents to seek a living elsewhere. The shipment of gold from the Americas to Europe caused plantation owners to seek inexpensive laborers.
What effects did European exploration have on Africa?
Portuguese Exploration Europeans made few inroads into Africa, though, until the 1800s, due to the strong African states they encountered, tropical diseases, and a relative lack of interest. Europeans instead grew rich trading gold, gum, ivory, and enslaved people with coastal merchants.
What were the main factors that lead to European led African slave trade?
These seven factors led to the development of the slave trade:The importance of the West Indian colonies.The shortage of labour.The failure to find alternative sources of labour.The legal position.Racial attitudes.Religious factors.Military factors.
How did European expansion affect Africa?
As Europeans mapped territory, they established trading companies, entered treaties with African rulers and began to create colonies within their zones of influence. Africans were regarded as unable to govern themselves, needing the oversight of more mature races, and African cultural achievement was often ignored.
What were the effects of European Exploration?
European explorations led to the Columbian Exchange and an increase in international trade. European nations competed for colonies. The European economy underwent major changes. Today, as in the days of mercantilism, some groups want to restrict global trade to protect certain jobs and industries from competition.
What were the positive effects of European Exploration?
European exploration opened new ways of trade to Asia as well as India, that helped other nations to source products quickly and make high profits. The revenues generated benefited both the defeated and the conqueror.
What were the pros and cons of European Exploration?
The Age of Exploration: Pros and ConsCon: Introduction of diseases.Pro: Better trade routes and improved cartography.Pros and Cons.Con: Destroyed Civilization and forced religion.Pro: New land and new resources.Con: Unsafe voyage.Pro: Economic Prosperity.
What was the role of European plantations in the growth of slavery?
What was the role of European plantations in the growth of slavery? Europeans used large numbers of slaves to raise labor intensive cash crops on their plantations.
How did slavery begin in Europe?
Beginning in the 16th century, European merchants initiated the transatlantic slave trade, purchasing enslaved Africans from West African kingdoms and transporting them to Europe's colonies in the Americas.
What impact did the slave trade have on Europe quizlet?
It benefitted Europe economically, as they were able to sell the slaves for profit and collect raw materials from the slave labor which they could use to create manufactured goods in their factories in Europe.
When did Europe abolish slavery?
Three years later, on 25 March 1807, King George III signed into law the Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, banning trading in enslaved people in the British Empire.
What was the expansion of Europe in early modern times?
Seen in terms of economics, however, the expansion of Europe in early modern times was more complex than simple “exploitation” and “plundering.”. There was, in dealing with the native populations, much giving of “gifts” of nominal value in exchange for land and goods of great value. The almost universally applied mercantilist policy kept money ...
What struck the Europeans?
But for the most part, what struck the Europeans was the poverty, dirt, and superstition they found among the masses in India and China.
What was the impact of the Catalonian revolt?
The Catalonian revolt, the Portuguese insurrection of 1640, and the revolt of the Spanish territories in Italy in 1647 made it increasingly difficult for Spain to defend its far-flung empire against other European powers. Britain in particular began to encroach steadily on that empire.
What did the West take from the new worlds after Columbus?
Among Westerners, knowledge of non-European beliefs and institutions eventually penetrated to the level of popular culture, where it was marked by a host of words—powwow, kowtow, taboo, totem, for instance. In religion and ethics, however, the West took little from the new worlds opened after Columbus.
What was the first effect of the New World?
The first effect only increased the fund of the marvelous and incredible; early accounts of the New World are full of giants and pygmies, El Dorados where the streets were paved with gold, fountains of eternal youth, wondrous plants and animals. Soon, however, genuine observation was encouraged.
What groups gained and lost in the long process of inflation and expansion?
In the long process of inflation and expansion, some groups gained and others lost. In general, merchants, financiers, and business people enjoyed a rising standard of living. Those on relatively fixed incomes, including landed proprietors, suffered— unless they turned to large-scale capitalist farming.
How many seas did European wars take place on?
European wars increasingly tended to be “world wars,” fought on the seven seas and on distant continents. Sooner or later, any considerable transfer of territory overseas and any great accession of strength or wealth in any quarter of the globe affected the international balance of power.
How did the slave trade work?
The three stages of this slave trade were crucial at the time. The first involved taking European goods and tools over to Africa.
What was the first step in the slave trade?
These tools were used to get more slaves and the goods were traded for workers. The second stage was shipping the slaves to the Americas, where usually, very few survived.
How did colonization start?
Colonization essentially started with the Trans-Atlantic slave trade in the 1400's. This trade cycle, known as triangular trade, involved Americans, Europeans, and Africans. It was beneficial for everyone...except for Africa. The Europeans were lacking workers, and they knew that the African people were excellent workers. They came up with the idea to start military campaigns in Western Africa, at first, and literally captured these people.They worked efficiently in harsh climates and were used to it. The three stages of this slave trade were crucial at the time. The first involved taking European goods and tools over to Africa. These tools were used to get more slaves and the goods were traded for workers. The second stage was shipping the slaves to the Americas, where usually, very few survived. So, the Europeans didn't care one bit about them, to the point where they allowed for them to die. In the final stage, the products from slave labor were transferred back to Europe. This cycle was primarily involving Europe and Africa. The Europeans treated the African slaves very poorly for their own benefit. Later, around the sixteenth century, there was about 200,000 African people sent to Europe to be used as slaves. Then, many new ways for African people to be used were found, and it only progressed from there. The start of this slave-trading and colonizing process began with the sole idea that Europeans, whites, were better, and that they could do whatever they please, and rule Africa.
What was Africa used for?
Africa was primarily used for the Europeans to obtain gold. This is what it was used for in about 1440, before slavery initially began. One of the very first trading posts Europe established in Africa was called "Elmina', which is the translation of "the mine" in Portuguese. This fort was also useful as a harbor for European ships.
Why was the Fort of the Fort useful?
This fort was also useful as a harbor for European ships. African people were kidnapped and then brought back to the fort to be traded for goods such as iron, guns, cloth, and other valuable items. Before Europeans even got to Africa, slavery already existed.
Did the Europeans care about slaves?
So, the Europeans didn't care one bit about them, to the point where they allowed for them to die. In the final stage, the products from slave labor were transferred back to Europe. This cycle was primarily involving Europe and Africa. The Europeans treated the African slaves very poorly for their own benefit.
How did the transatlantic slave trade work?
Let me explain how it worked. Okay, so a ship loaded with various manufactured products would leave Europe and sail down to Africa. There it would trade these products for African slaves. The ship loaded with slaves would then sail to the New World where slaves would be traded for natural resources like sugar, cotton, tobacco, or whatever. The ship loaded with these natural resources would then sail to Europe, where these natural resources were turned into useful products. The cycle would then repeat. The transatlantic slave trade brought great prosperity to Europe and the American Colonies but was a ruthless and brutal system. Slaves were locked in chains and suffered terrible conditions aboard specially designed 'slave ships.'
What was international trade before the age of exploration?
International Trade Before the Age of Exploration. We all know Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World in 1492 was a big deal. I mean, it opened up a whole other hemisphere to European exploration and eventually settlement. In this lesson, we are going to look specifically at the role of international commerce during the Age of Exploration.
What is the philosophy of mercantilism?
Mercantilism was an economic philosophy in which a country seeks to amass as much raw wealth as possible, usually through trading, monopolizing resources, and strict regulation. The transatlantic slave trade was a system where European countries would trade various resources for slaves in a triangular fashion.
What was the African slave trade called?
In time, a pattern revolving around slave trading developed. This is often called the transatlantic slave trade , or sometimes the triangular slave trade. Basically, it was a system where European countries would trade various resources for slaves in a triangular fashion.
What is the purpose of a mercantilist colony?
Under a mercantilist system, colonies basically exist for the sole purpose of bringing wealth to the mother country.
How did Europeans travel to the Indies?
For centuries, Europeans had traveled to the Indies across Eurasia via the Silk Road. The Silk Road was actually not one specific trail but rather a series of trade routes extending between Europe and East Asia. But there were problems with the Silk Road. It was a long, dangerous, and brutal journey.
Why did the Age of Exploration allow for the continued development of mercantilism?
Example: The Age of Exploration allowed for the continued development of mercantilism because European explorers found lands in the New World that had raw materials that Europe did not have.
Why did European powers enslave Africans?
Instead of meditating on the death and destruction, they caused, European powers enslaved Africans to replenish their dying workforce.
How did European exploration begin?
Contrary to how we’ve mythologized Columbus, European Exploration began long before he set sail in 1492.
What was the motivation behind the expansion of the world?
The motivation behind this expansion was simple. Early explorers sought wealth and fame. Spain and Portugal showered early explorers like Christopher Columbus and Vasco da Gama with gold and glory when they returned home.
Why did the European monarchies sponsor the spice trade?
They sought to bring their country’s wealth via the spice trade and secure their legacy by bringing prosperity to their people.
What was Marco Polo's next leg of exploration?
The next leg of exploration was overland. Marco Polo traveled the Silk Road in the 13th century to find China. The stories and goods he brought back would greatly influence Christopher Columbus’ journey west to find the Indies.
How many Africans arrived in America in the 15th century?
From there, slavers traded them for goods, which then returned to Europe, forming a triangle. Between the 15th and 18th centuries, over 15 million Africans arrived in America. Five million of them died in horrific conditions in camps during their first year.
How many people died from the European plague?
Nobody knows how many people died from these European plagues, but it was likely over half of their population.
How did the Europeans influence the slave trade?
The growing slave trade with Europeans had a profound impact on the people of West Africa, giving prominence to local chieftains and merchants who traded slaves for European textiles, alcohol, guns, tobacco, and food. Africans also charged Europeans for the right to trade in slaves and imposed taxes on slave purchases. Different African groups and kingdoms even staged large-scale raids on each other to meet the demand for slaves.
What were the reasons for the rise of slavery in the American colonies?
Explain the reasons for the rise of slavery in the American colonies. As Europeans moved beyond exploration and into colonization of the Americas, they brought changes to virtually every aspect of the land and its people, from trade and hunting to warfare and personal property.
What happened to Africans when they reached their destination in America?
When they reached their destination in America, Africans found themselves trapped in shockingly brutal slave societies. In the Chesapeake colonies, they faced a lifetime of harvesting and processing tobacco. Everywhere, Africans resisted slavery, and running away was common.
Why did Europeans travel to America?
Just as pharmaceutical companies today scour the natural world for new drugs, Europeans traveled to America to discover new medicines. The task of cataloging the new plants found there helped give birth to the science of botany. Early botanists included the English naturalist Sir Hans Sloane, who traveled to Jamaica in 1687 and there recorded hundreds of new plants ( [link] ). Sloane also helped popularize the drinking of chocolate, made from the cacao bean, in England.
How many slaves were there in 1700?
By 1700, the tiny English sugar island of Barbados had a population of fifty thousand slaves, and the English had encoded the institution of chattel slavery into colonial law. This new system of African slavery came slowly to the English colonists, who did not have slavery at home and preferred to use servant labor.
What was the demand for labor in the colonies?
Everywhere in the American colonies, a crushing demand for labor existed to grow New World cash crops, especially sugar and tobacco. This need led Europeans to rely increasingly on Africans, and after 1600, the movement of Africans across the Atlantic accelerated.
What were the first things that Europeans introduced to Indians?
In the 1500s, some of the earliest objects Europeans introduced to Indians were glass beads, copper kettles, and metal utensils. Native people often adapted these items for their own use.
What were the effects of the trade of slaves?
It was one of the reasons behind death of people. Also, people who were traded were kept in inhuman conditions and were starved. Unable to deal with such disastrous conditions, many of them committed suicides. effects of exploration of africa.
How did European exploration affect the politics of several nations?
European nations continued to form new influential and authoritative alliance s that significantly impacted politics of several nations. The assets and resources acquired from European exploration, led small territories to exercise supremacy that is unequal to their size.
Why did the European nations start indulging in anti-social activities?
As the different European nations aimed at fulfilling their greed of acquire wealth and social recognition, they started indulging in anti-social activities. These activities served as the ground for corruption between the rulers.
What were the benefits of European exploration?
One of the examples is black pepper whose price was more than Gold in primitive Rome. European exploration opened new ways of trade to Asia as well as India, that helped other nations to source products quickly and make high profits. The revenues generated benefited both the defeated and the conqueror.
What were the two major types of exchanges in the European exploration?
This period was characterized by the two major kinds of exchange: Cultural, and Biological. In the “Biological exchange”, people traded animals, diseases and plants.
Why did the Europeans develop monarchies?
This led to the development of European monarchies to focus solely on expansion of the rule.
How did the development of new trade routes affect the economy?
Economy: With the development of new trade routes, transportation of commodities got easier and stable. It benefited traders to obtain and stock larger stocks, to effectively manage the supply, and demand. Construction of new routes helped traders to realize transportation of goods in just a few months than years.
