African Societies Responsible for Their Involvement in Slave Trade Essay Example

who are part of African society, actively participated in slave trade (Salzberger 2004).

There were various reasons that propelled African societies to participate in slave trade business one of them being community debts. Different families in the ancient Africa had debts due to various reasons such as dowry debts, fines, property ownership among others (Kelley 2000). These debts tend to act as a reason of people to trade others in the name of repaying their debt. Others traded themselves to slave merchants for some time to gain some cash and uplift their livelihood and later lead a comfortable life. Parents on the other hand were not left behind they traded their children especially the girl child for their own personal gain (Hall 2005). All these transactions familiarize Africans with slave trade business therefore after foreigners showed up it were a walk on the park for them. Africans were familiar with all the protocol involved, the route to use while transporting them and how to charge their buyers.

Criminals who were convicted for criminal records, vagabonds and orphans were not spared by rulers and African merchants. Those wise African elders that resolved conflict and imposed judgment to wrong doers are the same people who had links with slave trade merchants (Hall 2005). They traded out prisoners for their selfish gains of wealth and other precious materials. Children after lose their parents were immediately traded off whenever no family member volunteers to take care of them. Sometime a number of these children were given out as bonuses to the clients who bought a large number of slaves. Vagabonds on the other hand were not spared; they were considered a

threat to the society and as being unruly (Salzberger 2004). They were therefore traded off so quickly all in the name of protecting society’s security. This clearly shows that those people that the society entrusted to protect its people are the same people that were in the front lane to give them out for slavery (Okoth 2006). These leaders were selfish and used any weird means to ensure that they fulfill their interest at the cost of people’s lives (Howard 2008). This clearly shows the participation of African societies in to slave trade.

In ancient Africa community wars were the order of the day. Communities fought for livestock repossession, land ownership, grudges and even women. During these wars some communities were really affected and as a way of protecting themselves for future conflicts they had to outsource extra manpower. The extra man power was outsourced not in any other way but through slave’s acquisition. After slaves’ acquisition communities would term themselves as dominant and powerful for both labor purposes and protection (Salzberger 2004). The slaves were integrated to the society’s culture and used as front runners during wars and manual work. After the penetration of foreigners in Africa there was reduction of community wars and therefore the so called reinforcement slaves were traded out to the foreigners for wealth acquisition by the host community (Kelley 2000). This business became so common and got to a point whereby everyone was at risk, this picture clearly elaborates the involvement of African societies in to slave trade (Howard 2008).

Traditional gamblers were common in ancient African societies. People who participated in gabling were considered wealthy rich and lead a comfortable

life. They gambled and offered most precious possessions in their lives including their wives. Gamblers played a crucial part in propelling slave trade not only to foreigners but also other fellow Africans (Davidson 2004). After the introduction of export slave trade by Europeans in Africa, gamblers were lured by these European merchants to act as their suppliers. Europeans used expensive and precious assets in exchange with strong energetic men who war exported to western countries. A good example was whereby a gambler in west Africa traded off his wife and ‘handicapped’ child in order for him to buy a new wife with hopes of her giving birth to a ‘normal’ child (Howard 2008). The business ran so smoothly such that when Europeans colonial power took root some of these gamblers were promoted to area chiefs.

Community conflicts were not the only motivation of engaging in slave trade but also war between family members (Davidson 2004). When a particular family member upsets the family as a whole, he or she becomes a nuisance and the only way to get rid of them was through slave trade. Those people who went against the society’s rules and regulations were termed as society’s outcast and were blamed of bad omen within the community. The only way to do away with outcasts was through trading them off through slave trade (Salzberger 2004). The business was considered profitable since the society of the traded member would gain material wealth and the person traded as a slave would learn hi or lesson and gain a sense of responsibility. All these forms of slave trade clearly shows that African societies didn’t have their peoples’

best interest at heart.

Conclusion

All those parties and individuals that were involved in slave trade or supported it in any particular way were morally wrong in being part of the process. However, slave trade has been legally abolished in Africa and Western countries for more than a century now (Howard 2008). Descendants of slaves are free people now, even if they may find it difficult to improve their situation they stand equal chances in all the available resources in the countries they are in.

Leaders of both races should come up with ways of improving poor black’s lives, not by dishing out handouts but through education, opportunities and equal access to government facilities and resources. No matter how much time passes slavery will remain a heavy shadow in the western countries past. It’s time now that we look forward as a globe where slavery is a thing of the past. Where blacks and whites are equal and racism is not a factor (Davidson 2004). Maybe what people should do is put all this behind and work together towards a better tomorrow. Support each other and live together as brothers and sisters (Kelley 2000).

References

• Davidson, B. (2004). The African slave trade. Oxford: Currey.
• Hall, G. M. (2005). Slavery and African ethnicities in the Americas: Restoring the links.
• Howard-Hassmann, R. E., & Lombardo, A. P. (2008). Reparations to Africa. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania Press.
• Kelley, R. D. G. (2000). To make our world anew: A history of African Americans. Oxford u.a.: Oxford Univ. Press.
• Okoth, A. (2006). African societies and the establishment of colonial rule: 1800-1915. Nairobi u.a.: East African Educational Publ.
• Salzberger, R. P., & Turck, M. C. (2004). Reparations for slavery: A
  

reader. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers