Slavery In Africa

[bonnie1962]

I n no way absolves the slavery in the US.  But it was the culture of the time.

 

 

 

 

Slavery in Africa

 

 

This article is about historical slavery in Africa. For modern slavery in Africa, see Slavery in contemporary Africa.

Major routes of transporting slaves out of Africa, by volume of slaves moved

 

Slavery has historically been widespread in Africa. Systems of servitude and slavery were once commonplace in parts of Africa, as they were in much of the rest of the ancient and medieval world.^[1] When the trans-Saharan slave trade, Red Sea slave trade, Indian Ocean slave trade and Atlantic slave trade (which started in the 16th century) began, many of the pre-existing local African slave systems began supplying captives for slave markets outside Africa.^[2][3] Slavery in contemporary Africa is still practised despite it being illegal.

In the relevant literature African slavery is categorized into indigenous slavery and export slavery, depending on whether or not slaves were traded beyond the continent.^[4] Slavery in historical Africa was practised in many different forms: Debt slavery, enslavement of war captives, military slavery, slavery for prostitution, and enslavement of criminals were all practised in various parts of Africa.^[5] Slavery for domestic and court purposes was widespread throughout Africa. Plantation slavery also occurred, primarily on the eastern coast of Africa and in parts of West Africa. The importance of domestic plantation slavery increased during the 19th century, due to the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade. Many African states dependent on the international slave trade reoriented their economies towards legitimate commerce worked by slave labour.^[6]

Forms

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Multiple forms of slavery and servitude have existed throughout African history, and were shaped by indigenous practices of slavery as well as the Roman institution of slavery (and the later Christian views on slavery), the Islamic institutions of slavery via the Muslim slave trade, and eventually the Atlantic slave trade.^[2] Slavery was a part of the economic structure of African societies for many centuries, although the extent varied.^[2] Ibn Battuta, who visited the ancient kingdom of Mali in the mid-14th century, recounts that the local inhabitants vied with each other in the number of slaves and servants they had, and was himself given a slave boy as a "hospitality gift."^[7] In sub-Saharan Africa, the slave relationships were often complex, with rights and freedoms given to individuals held in slavery and restrictions on sale and treatment by their masters.^[8] Many communities had hierarchies between different types of slaves: for example, differentiating between those who had been born into slavery and those who had been captured through war.^[9]

"The slaves in Africa, I suppose, are nearly in the proportion of three to one to the freemen. They claim no reward for their services except food and clothing, and are treated with kindness or severity, according to the good or bad disposition of their masters. Custom, however, has established certain rules with regard to the treatment of slaves, which it is thought dishonourable to violate. Thus the domestic slaves, or such as are born in a man's own house, are treated with more lenity than those which are purchased with money. ... But these restrictions on the power of the master extend not to the care of prisoners taken in war, nor to that of slaves purchased with money. All these unfortunate beings are considered as strangers and foreigners, who have no right to the protection of the law, and may be treated with severity, or sold to a stranger, according to the pleasure of their owners."

Travels in the Interior of Africa, Mungo Park, Travels in the Interior of Africa v. II, Chapter XXII – War and Slavery.

The forms of slavery in Africa were closely related to kinship structures. In many African communities, where land could not be owned, enslavement of individuals was used as a means to increase the influence a person had and expand connections.^[10] This made slaves a permanent part of a master's lineage, and the children of slaves could become closely connected with the larger family ties.^[2] Children of slaves born into families could be integrated into the master's kinship group and rise to prominent positions within society, even to the level of chief in some instances.^[9] However, stigma often remained attached, and there could be strict separations between slave members of a kinship group and those related to the master.^[10]

Chattel slavery

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Chattel slavery is a specific servitude relationship where the slave is treated as the property of the owner. As such, the owner is free to sell, trade, or treat the slave as he would other pieces of property, and the children of the slave often are retained as the property of the master.^[11] There is evidence of long histories of chattel slavery in the Nile River valley, much of the Sahel and North Africa. Evidence is incomplete about the extent and practices of chattel slavery throughout much of the rest of the continent prior to written records by Arab or European traders.^[11][12]

 

Military slavery

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Slaves for sacrifice at the Annual Customs of Dahomey – from The history of Dahomy, an inland Kingdom of Africa, 1793

Military slavery involved the acquisition and training of conscripted military units which would retain the identity of military slaves even after their service.^[16] Slave soldier groups would be run by a Patron, who could be the head of a government or an independent warlord, and who would send his troops out for money and his own political interests.^[16]

This was most significant in the Nile valley (primarily in Sudan and Uganda), with slave military units organized by various Islamic authorities,^[16] and with the war chiefs of Western Africa.^[17] The military units in Sudan were formed in the 1800s through large-scale military raiding in the area which is currently the countries of Sudan and South Sudan.^[16]

Slaves for sacrifice.  Sounds like a good time had by all

Human sacrifice was common in West African states up to and during the 19th century. Although archaeological evidence is not clear on the issue prior to European contact, in those societies that practised human sacrifice, slaves became the most prominent victims.^[2]

The Annual Customs of Dahomey were the most notorious example of human sacrifice of slaves, where 500 prisoners would be sacrificed. Sacrifices were carried out all along the West African coast and further inland. Sacrifices were common in the Benin Empire, in what is now southern Nigeria, and in several small independent states in the same region. In the Ashanti Region, human sacrifice was often combined with capital punishment.^[18][19][20]

Local slave trade

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Young slave women in Luanda, c. 1897

Many nations such as the Bono State, Ashanti of present-day Ghana and the Yoruba of present-day Nigeria were involved in slave-trading.^[21] Groups such as the Imbangala of Angola and the Nyamwezi of Tanzania would serve as intermediaries or roving bands, waging war on African states to capture people for export as slaves. Historians John Thornton and Linda Heywood of Boston University have estimated that of the Africans captured and then sold as slaves to the New World in the Atlantic slave trade, around 90% were enslaved by fellow Africans who sold them to European traders.^[22] Henry Louis Gates, the Harvard Chair of African and African American Studies, has stated that "without complex business partnerships between African elites and European traders and commercial agents, the slave trade to the New World would have been impossible, at least on the scale it occurred."^[22]

The entire Bubi ethnic group descends from escaped intertribal slaves owned by various ancient West-central African ethnic groups.

 

[bonnie1962]

 

 

Interactions between Native American Tribes

The Native American tribes had various interactions with each other. These interactions ranged from peaceful trade to violent conflicts. Some tribes formed alliances with each other to strengthen their military power, while others remained neutral. The interactions between the tribes were complex and varied depending on the region and the time period.

 

 

Reasons for Conflict

The primary reason for conflict between Native American tribes was the competition for resources, including land. The tribes depended on the land for hunting, gathering, and farming. As the population grew, the demand for resources increased, leading to conflicts over territory. Additionally, some tribes had long-standing rivalries due to historical events, such as disputes over trade or inter-tribal marriages.

Types of Conflict

The conflicts between Native American tribes took different forms. Some were small-scale skirmishes, while others were large-scale battles that lasted for days. Tribal conflicts varied in intensity depending on the tribe’s military strength and the stakes involved. The conflicts were fought using traditional weapons such as bows and arrows, spears, and tomahawks.

 

 

Resolution of Conflict

Native American tribes resolved their conflicts in various ways. Some tribes used diplomacy and negotiation to resolve their disputes. Others resorted to war to settle their differences. In some cases, tribes would agree to a truce or peace treaty to end hostilities. However, in other cases, the conflicts would continue for years, resulting in the displacement of entire tribes.

Impact of Conflict on Native American Tribes

The conflicts between Native American tribes had a significant impact on their communities. These conflicts resulted in the loss of lives and property, displacement, and the destruction of cultural practices and traditions. Additionally, the conflicts weakened some tribes, leaving them vulnerable to external threats such as colonization.

 

 

 

 

Did Native American Tribes Fight Each Other For Land?

Intertribal conflict was a reality for Native American tribes long before the arrival of European colonizers. Historical rivalries, competition for resources, disputes over boundaries, and cultural differences were just some of the reasons behind Native American wars. The role of trade in intertribal conflict was also a double-edged sword. While trade had the potential to bring tribes together, it could also lead to increased tensions and conflict.

Intertribal Conflict: A Reality for Native American Tribes

Native American tribes fought each other for land long before Europeans arrived on the continent. Intertribal conflict was a reality of Native American life, and it was driven by a variety of factors. Some of these factors were historical rivalries, the competition for resources, the role of trade, the influence of European colonization, cultural differences, disputes over boundaries, and women’s roles in Native American warfare.

Historical Rivalries: Reasons Behind Native American Wars

Historical rivalries often played a significant role in Native American wars. These rivalries could be based on past conflicts or on territorial disputes. Many Native American tribes had long-standing grudges against one another that led to intertribal conflict. For example, the Iroquois Confederacy and the Hurons were bitter enemies for centuries, fighting numerous wars over disputed territory.

The Competition for Resources: A Major Cause of Intertribal Conflict

The competition for resources was another major cause of intertribal conflict. Native American tribes often fought over hunting grounds, fishing spots, and other resources that were essential to their survival. As populations grew and resources became scarcer, this competition intensified, leading to more frequent and

[Gustave]

Its unfortunately still going on today. 

[bonnie1962]

But to acknowledge that doesn't play well with the notion that slavery and racism is a product of the white race. Slavery and racism have been a fact of life almost since creation. But if that is acknowledged it kind of takes away the eternal victimhood of some by those of the white race. The failures to achieve are always blamed on slavery and the continuing racism. Ignoring the many fine and accomplished men and women of minority races. 

The native americans and their defenders rewrite history to make what is now the US a paradise, native americans strolling hand in hand thru the prairie, loving all.  In reality it was a brutal cruel place, those stronger took from the weaker. And celebrated for their cunning and bravery. The problem with that behavior was only condemned when the white settlers. stronger and more cunning took what had been stolen from another tribe as their own. 

Those of the white race have enough of their own faults and failures to shoulder without accepting  forever the slightly skewed version of history .