Labor in the New World
As Europeans were exploring the New World, Africans often accompanied them, serving as explorers and servants. The New World was full of natural resources that European countries were interested in exploiting. For this, labor was needed. Despite having Africans working in other capacities, Europeans did not immediately enslave them. Instead, since Native Americans were readily available, they were used as slaves first. However, because Europeans brought diseases, there was a high mortality rate and the work was too harsh.Europeans next looked to the employment of poor whites to serve as indentured servants. However, many problems arose. Often indentured servants ran away, refused to serve out their term, and there were not enough of them to work in the fields.
Thus, the enslavement of Africans quickly became the solution. It appeared to solve the need for cheap labor since slaves in Africa could easily be obtained.
The Slave Trade
In 1517, the trans-Atlantic slave trade officially began. As slave trading developed into big business, European countries vied for dominance. By the 17th and 18th centuries, the main traders were Dutch, French, and English companies. While independent traders existed, the Dutch West India Company and the English Royal African Company monopolized trading relations on the African coast. However, in the end, England came to dominate trading, and began providing slaves to not only its own colonies, but to other countries colonies.The trading process began at trading posts on the west coast of Africa. African kings and merchants cooperated and traded slaves for European goods that included guns, whiskey, brandy, cotton textiles, and utensils made out of brass, pewter, and ivory. The trading of European goods for slaves was known as the first leg of the triangular trade.
Obtaining slaves was not always easy. Africans acquired slaves by capturing Africans from other tribes. Not all captors went without a fight. When the opportunity arose, attempts were made to escape. Some even jumped into the ocean rather than be taken to the New World. Those that did not escape had to endure the long trip across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. This was called the middle passage of the triangular trade.
The last phase of the triangular trade occurred after slaves were brought to the Americas. When slaves arrived they were sold to plantations. In exchange for the slaves, traders received goods such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar, and returned to Europe with these items. This was the last leg of the triangular trade.
In early 1800s, many countries began banning the slave trade. Denmark (1803), Great Britain (1807), and the United States (1807) were the first to ban the importation of slaves. The Swedish and Dutch followed. Because of economic interests, Great Britain put pressure on France, Spain, Portugal, and Brazil to end their involvement. Portugal and Spain agreed after an arrangement for a cash payment from Britain was reached. Brazil did not agree until military action was taken against its coastal areas. France also did not agree to ban trading until 1815, but black market slave trading still existed until 1848.
