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African Societies. What does the word perception mean to you?. By definition, Perception is - The process by which people translate their impressions into a coherent and unified view of the world around them. So when you hear the word Africa, what do you immediately think?.
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What does the word perception mean to you? By definition, Perception is - The process by which people translate their impressions into a coherent and unified view of the world around them.
So when you hear the word Africa, what do you immediately think? When you hear a reference to Africa in the context of US History, what do you think? The beliefs you hold as truth about Africa are call presuppositions. You will act and behave according to those truths you hold. But what is your presuppositions are wrong? How would that change the way you think about the World and Africa?
Africa is huge Africa has some limitations compared to other parts of the world. Only 6 domesticated plants for human use compared to other countries which typically have up to 18. “No” animals for domesticated use These last two facts alone were critical to the history of Africa as to why it developed as it did. If people could not grow a sustainable food source their population could not grow and develop!
A Brief Historical Overview of Africa The origins of humanity stated in northern Africa and migrated to the rest of the world. People also migrated throughout the continent of Africa. Since Africa could not sustain any type of domesticable plant life or animals, the food source was limited and sporadic. The nomadic lifestyle was the norm for Africa (hunters and gatherers, moving around and limited population growth.
Regionally Africa evolved as a result of developing technology and food sources. (North) Western Africa (economically) developed more quickly. Eventually western Africa experienced some limited farming success in about 3000 BC and the population began to grow. Central Africa was mostly jungle and trade was based on animal skins and ivory. As such communities developed as did the technology. Weapons made of iron increased as did the food production and more condensed groups of people began to increase. Southern Africa developed as farmland with some gold industry. North eastern Africa developed a community based on trade with the Middle East countries. North eastern Africa was heavily influenced the Muslim world. This is where the Africa slave trade began!
The only economic commodity in Africa was the slave trade industry of humans. Originally slavery started out as the results of conflicts between fighting tribes. The tribes that overcame the other took the defeated tribe members and sold them into slavery. In the beginning, Africans enslaved other Africans. And as slavery developed as much as one third of Africa was held in slavery.
By about 700 AD the slave trade started between eastern Africa and the Muslim world. This was the main trade commodity that Africa had with the Muslim world. It was too long that western Africa began using slaves to transport gold and salt over the Sahara Desert. It is estimated that before the arrival of the European society into the slave trade business, some 11 million Africans were already enslaved. This was a highly effective business.
There was also another factor that led to the development of slavery, which was Europe's sweet tooth and the discovery of sugar. Sugar was considered an exotic product as was highly sought after. The main problem with the sugar plantation industry was that it was very labor. Also, once you have an abundance of the product, prices go down, plantations needing keep up with the demand cannot pay their workers. In about 1472 the fateful decision to bring in slaves, an industry already established in Africa.
So, now we come to North America. It was in the 1500’s and that the first African were brought in by the Spanish. However a revolt ensued and these African escaped into the wilderness. In 1619 a Dutch trading shipped came into Jamestown and brought with them 20 slaves to trade. From that year on, the slave industry steadily grew each year. As the colonies began to grow and establish themselves in N America, the different regions and the climate impacted how these colonies grew. South with warmer weather and more fertile lands developed a society based on large plantations with cash crops such as Indigo, rice and tobacco. These crops were very labor intensive. The European plantation owners did not want to work and only a few controlled vast amounts of land. Therefore the slave industry thrived and their economy depended on the slaves.
The North was very different from the South. Colder climate, not conducive to farming any plants and very wet. The main industries in this area was lumber (ship building) and fishing. There was no need for slaves. The slave population grew steadily until the 1700’s as the colonies began to define themselves. The North saw a rapid growth of religious groups who abhorred slavery. The importation of slaves from Africa was only about 5% in N American compared to C and S America where there was a lot of turmoil from revolting slaves. When the Constitution was signed the slave industry was being phased out. There was an agreement to end the importation of slaves by 1808. However, in 1793 with new technology such as the invention of the cotton gin, the slave industry was energized.
