Slavery in American History Essay Example

major factors during the colonial period.

• Labor: After colonization, the Europeans saw the large empty tracks of land had less labor available to work. According to Civil War Trust organization, the lands required men and women who would work on the cotton plantations and tobacco fields. The available white servants from Europe who were sailing in search of part-time labor did not provide sufficient and satisfying efforts in those areas. It was in that dimension that the Europeans sailed to Africa in search of the slaves to work on those fields.
• Economic benefits: The Europeans sailed to Africa with the intention of conducting trade for their manufactured goods that in exchange get the cheap labor to work on the colonized lands in America. Traded the slaves for the cotton, sugar, tobacco and molasses taken back to Europe. Those activities led to the formation of the triangular trade involving Europe, America, and Africa.

The Portuguese and Spanish were the first operatives and control of the slave trade, but as the activities increased in the 17th century, other countries in the West were increasingly involved with the trade. The slave trade first took place on the Northern part of America but as more and more European countries sailed to Africa saw a shift of the slave trade to the South. By the 18th century, the Britain became the largest player in the slave trade not only in their colonies in North Africa but also to the colonies of its rivals like the French. It controlled the great Atlantic Trade.

According to Edser 2016, the activities formed a triangular trade voyage that involved the three continents that were from Europe

to Africa, from Africa to America, and from America to Europe. The whole 18th century Britain was the major shareholder in controlling the trade. However, in 1803 the British parliament passed the law to abolishing the slave trade and in the wake of 1833, they enacted a bill to ban the use of slaves in the Britain territories,(The Rise And Fall Of The Slave Trade, 2016). The emergence of American Revolution Movement and other activists show the start to decline in the slave trade in the 18th century.

The Fall of Slave Trade

The enactment of the law stopping slave trade by the British government brought a light towards the decline of the slave trade. The Britain stood out to that law and created permanent naval patrol off the West African coast that would act against the trade, (The Rise And Fall Of The Slave Trade, 2016). It also acted on the diplomatic measures to convince the other trading partners like French to follow suit and stop the trade.

In Britain, the black people struggled to gain their liberation and free from the slave trade. Activists the likes of OlaudahEquiano and OttobahCugoano championed against the continued slave trade as it was against the norms of the community, (The Rise And Fall Of The Slave Trade, 2016). The activists were also victims of the slave traders who had been set free. There were also uprisings that had started to incorporate in the Caribbean against the slave trade.

The American Revolution birth was a sign of the start of ending the slave trade conducted on the American soil. The movement archived by Religious Society of Friends, activists and other who focused

their attention to slave merchandise. The movement commitment towards achieving the freedom and equality to all people in recognition of being humans. Their agendas brought out unease to proving how legitimate the activity was,(Abolitionism - The Abolition Of The Slave Trade,2016). The emergence of Civil War brought to an end to the slave trade as many slaves on the wake of the war ran away from the North. The American Congress during the Civil War passed a law to seizure the slave trade from the Southern territory.

Continued pressure from all sectors to put to an end the slave trade awakened all the sectors towards ending the activity. On December 1865, after the end of Civil War, the government of United States adopted an amendment that declared slave trade illegal and not allowed. It marked the end of the slave trade in America.

Effects of Slave Trade

Loss of lives and health care: the activity brought about the loss of many lives as the slaves sailed. The slaves underwent many sufferings during their period in the farms and while traveling to the destinations. In certain cases, the death rates in Brazil were higher than the birth rates. The health care of the slaves was wanting and suffered from many diseases that some resulted in their deaths.

Black American community: After the abolition of slave trade, the slaves who were there intermarried and gained the American citizenship. It is from the slave trade that there emerged the Black-American community in the United States.

Conclusion

From the essay, the slave trade was conducted by the Europeans to look for labor for their farms in America. They traveled to Africa in search of the

slaves where they traded their goods with the slaves. The rise of the slave trade facilitated by two major factors which were; labor for their farms in America and economic activities where they traded the slaves for other goods. The slave trade was conducted mainly by the Europeans and lasted for some time before it falls. The pressure from the stakeholders; British law enactment, the emergence of activists championing against the slave trade, and the American Revolution Movement. The slave trade also had a certain impact that it led to the loss of lives of the slaves and emergence of the Black-Americans. In conclusion, the slave trade was a tormenting activity that brought suffering to the people. Through civilization of the people across the world and gaining of independence, assurance to the people that no such activity would ever come to pass again.

References

1. Facts About The Slave Trade And Slavery | The Gilder Lehrman Institute Of American History.
   2016. Gilderlehrman.Org. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/slavery-and-
   anti-slavery/resources/facts-about-slave-trade-and-slavery.
2. Edser, Harvey. 2016. "The Transatlantic Slave Trade: Introduction". Understandingslavery.Com.
   http://www.understandingslavery.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id
   =369&Itemid=145.
3. Facts About The Slave Trade And Slavery | The Gilder Lehrman Institute Of American History.
   2016. Gilderlehrman.Org. https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/slavery-and-
   anti-slavery/resources/facts-about-slave-trade-and-slavery.
4. Slavery In The United States. 2016. Civilwar.Org.
   http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/slavery.html.
5. The Rise And Fall Of The Slave Trade. 2016. Openlearn.
   http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/the-rise-and-fall-the-slave-trade.
6. Equiano, Olaudah. The interesting narrative of the life of OlaudahEquiano. Broadview Press,
   2001.