A sad page in the history of mankind.
When it comes to the slave trade, most people probably remembers the black slaves who were brought from Africa. But in fact, human trafficking appeared in the story much earlier, and connected with it many interesting facts.
1. Mesopotamian code of Hammurabi
One of the first mentions of slavery were found in the Mesopotamian code of Hammurabi (approximately 1860 BC). It is worth noting that earlier hunter-gatherers, who lacked writing, slavery was not very popular, because it requires social stratification.
2. The Pyramids Of Egypt
Since the beginning of civilization (after hunter-gatherers) slavery played a huge role in society: from the construction of the pyramids in Egypt to slavery in England. In fact, at the turn of the century, according to current estimates, 3/4 of the world were trapped in bondage against their will (we are talking about various forms of slavery or serfdom).
3. The Arabian Peninsula
The first large-scale slave trade originated from the Arabs. In the VII century began the export of slaves from West Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. Some historians believe that the Arab slave trade was the possible source of prejudice against black Africans South of the Sahara, which persist to this day.
4. Portugal
The Portuguese were the first to transport slaves across the Atlantic in the sixteenth century. Over the next 4 centuries they were the main “suppliers” of slaves. In fact, by the time slavery was abolished in the XIX century, almost half of all the slaves transported across the Atlantic were sent to Portuguese colonies such as Brazil.
5. West Africa
Although most people think that most slaves were taken on British ships from West Africa to the United States, it really is only a little more than 6% of all slaves.
The vast majority of slaves (approximately 60%) was sent to Spanish and Portuguese colonies in South America. Most of the remaining slaves (approximately 30%) were taken to the Caribbean by the British, French and Dutch empires.
6. “The triangle trade”
Interestingly, on the basis of the slave trade created a so-called “Trade triangle”. As you can guess from the name, this implies that trade among the three separate regions.
Originally took slaves to West Africa and exchanged them for commodities in the Caribbean. Then these raw materials and precious products were exchanged for manufactured goods in New England, and then again industrial goods were exchanged for slaves in West Africa.
7. 12 million slaves
Historians estimate that about 12 million African slaves were transported across the Atlantic between the XVI and XIX centuries. About 1.5 million people died on the ships during transport, and 10.5 million were sold into slavery, mostly in the Caribbean. In addition, 6 million were sold to the Asian slave traders, and another 8 million was intended for the slave traders in Africa.
8. Only the coast
About 4 million slaves died during their forced “drove” from the heartland of Africa to the coast. Since the Europeans, as a rule, were afraid to get too far inland (due to disease), slaves brought to the coast, where it was sold to slavers.
9. “Posts”
Once at the coast slaves were kept in large FORTS called “factory”. Historians estimate that 20 million slaves passed through the Fort, they killed about 4% (820 000).
10. The ships of slave traders
The captains of these slave ships were loaded to their ships from 350 to 600 people. In the end, slaves were transported in such distress that they could barely move after a 2-month voyage across the Atlantic. Many died from disease, because sleeping in his urine and feces.
Others committed suicide, escaping from the hold and jumped overboard. Even the sailors didn’t like working on these slave ships, as many died from disease. It was profitable from the point of view of profit, because the ship’s captain had to pay fewer people.
11. The sugar plantations of Brazil
Sugar plantations were the reason that about 84% of slaves were brought to the New world. The vast majority of them were in Brazil.
12. African slaves
So why the Europeans bought African slaves. If to explain in a nutshell, the reason was technology. Although it would be cheaper to enslave other Europeans, progress in shipbuilding technology made it possible to start to enslave the people on the other continent.
13. American South
Plantations in the American South (which usually worked less than 100 slaves) was much smaller in size compared to plantations in the Caribbean and South America (each of them usually employed more than 100 slaves). This has led to a high incidence on large plantations in South America.
Mortality rates in the Caribbean and Brazil was so high and the birth rate was so low that the number of the slaves could not be maintained at the same level without a constant influx of new people from Africa. In the US the birth rate of slaves was almost 80% higher.
14. The birth rate
By 1825 the high birth rate among slaves in the US led to the fact that nearly a quarter of all the black people in the New world lived in the United States.
15. Slavery today
All Nations of the Earth “officially” banned slavery, but it still remains a huge problem. In the world today really more slaves than ever in history. According to some estimates, in modern bondage live to 50 million people.
Most of these slaves are in South Asia (over 20 million) but all the rest of Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East also have high levels of slavery.
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