Africa

1. Notes on Pg. 435 - 440 MI: Trade linked Africa and Portugal in ways of economic, political, and religious aspects. ++: **Factories** were established on the Western coast of Africa, forts and trading posts w/ resident merchants. Portuguese goods were exchanged for African goods like gold and ivory. ++: Attempts at "Europeanizing" occurred for some African kingdoms like Kongo, even trying to promote Christianity despite there being some Muslims in the area, which were their enemies. ++: Enslavement also occurred, which led to rulers trying to break free from Portugal control, but failed. Slaves were slowly being transferred to Portugal as the Portuguese saw that trading for slaves was safer and more profitable. Flourished when plantations grew popular.

MI: The number of the exportation of slaves varied from place to place depending on economic and health conditions in those areas. ++: In the Caribbean and Latin America, due to the surge of plantations, required more slaves for labor. In addition, the poor work environment led to a high mortality rate, and the dominance of male slaves led to low fertility. ++: In contrast, southern United States was not involved heavily in the Atlantic slave trade b/c of a temperate climate, a good working condition, etc. Slaves did not die out as often. ++: Regardless, the number of slaves exported to the Americas were extremely high; more than 7 million slaves were transported as part of the Atlantic slave trade.

MI: Population changes and demographic changes occurred in Africa as a result of the Atlantic trade route. ++: There were much more women than men in African societies due to men being enslaved and transported to the Americas. ++: Large number of women meant that there were more children being born, increasing the population, and new products like maize helped extend the lifespan of these people. ++: The factors in population growth may have canceled out the population loss caused by deaths and enslavement. 25 million Africans lived in 1850.

MI: The economic profitablity of the Atlantic slave trade was enough to provoke other European nations besides Portugal to try and take control of it. ++: European nations established their own ports, cities, and the like on the African coast to have a steady supply of slaves, going as far as exchanging captives for slaves. ++: An economic system developed; in particular for the Spanish, the most valued was the **Indies piece**, a male, while women and children were priced at a fraction of that cost. ++: Profitability levels were questionable, but the development of the **Triangular Trade** and the integration of African societies into the global economy were important effects of the Atlantic slave trade.

2. Notes on Pg. 440 - 448 MI: Because slavery was already an established institution before the Europeans came, it was easy for the trade system to develop without any large difficulties. ++: Slaves were already being used as field workers, servants, and the like by the Africans. This allowed Europeans to adopt similar systems. ++: Slaves could have consisted of both pagan and Muslim, despite justification that only pagan people should be enslaved, not Muslims. ++: Europeans were able to tap into preexisting trade routes and supplies since Africans themselves had already developed them.

MI: The coming of the Europeans stimulated the slave trade in ways that promoted political instability and warfare. ++: The increasing demand for slaves led states to conquer more and try to build up their military strength, an increase in social status for the warrior class. ++: The guns brought over by the Europeans led to more warfare, as states traded their slaves for more guns, leading to further fights/outbreaks. ++: Power began to shift from the coast to the interior where European products like guns affected their military powers, control, and motives.

MI: As European contact began to increase among the African states, their economic, political, and economic systems began to change in order to adapt to their new encounters. ++: States such as **Asante** and **Dahomey** made their economies revolve around slave trade, with slaves making up 2/3rds of their economies essentially. Other states like Benin did not adapt such changes. ++: Dahomey eliminated the political + cultural institutions of the areas that they conquered in their search for more slaves. However, other states began to adapt to European styles of government, including a council to keep the king/ruler's power in check. ++: Europeans admired African art and even imported some of their artists to request personal works, from motherhood to royal pieces of artwork.

MI: Outside peoples had profound effects on the interior societies of Africa, affecting the slave trade and religious beliefs of their societies. ++: On the east African coast and islands, plantations were being set up, with slaves chosen to work on them. ++: Islamic jihads were being held due to increasing Islamization; kingdoms like Hausa were being fought against due to them not believing in the teachings of Muhammad. ++: The captives from these jihads were used as slaves, both for labor purposes and for the economy.

MI: Southern Africa's demographics began to change greatly as European contacts began to increase in that region. ++: Boers, or the Dutch, settlers were pushed up North as a result of government interference; they staged **the Great Trek** as a way to escape from the government. ++: The Bantu people moved South, but British control of the area caused resistance in their settlements of farming land.

MI: The rise of the Zulu under the leadership of Shaka led to the development and increasing power of African societies. ++: Shaka created a structure for the Zulu society that helped bring power in politics and military strength. ++: The rise of power led to **mfecane**, wars of crushing and wandering where crushed societies would have its inhabitants sometimes be forced to join the Zulu after extensive wandering. ++: The rise of the Zulu also led to conflicts with the Europeans, including land and slaves.

3. Pg. 448-454 Notes

MI: The slave trade was that which linked the histories of the Americas to Africa, and helped bring Africa into the world economy. ++: Africa imported firearms, textiles, and tobacco in exchange for their ivory, gold, and slaves. ++: Price of slaves gradually rose, and in turn, the terms of trade gradually favored the Africans more.

MI: The lives of slaves were not ideal lives, with a high mortality rate and horrible living conditions. ++: Average mortality rate was about 18% at the time of the 18th century. ++: Faced dangers of poor hygiene, dysentery, diseases, and bad treatment while being transported on **the Middle Passage**.

MI: African slaves performed a variety of tasks while in America. ++: They were especially valued for their skills with herding, metallurgy, and intensive agriculture. ++: The plantation system, however, characterized their lifestyle; they were usually only agricultural laborers.

MI: American slave societies had created distinctions between slaves of race and color. ++: **Saltwater slaves** were slaves born in Africa, where as **Creole slaves** were slaves born in America. ++: Creole slaves were more likely to gain freedom via manumission than saltwater slaves. ++: For the most part, both saltwater slaves and creole slaves made up a large portion of American slave societies, except for the southern colonies of British North America.

MI: By being exposed to the Europeans' culture, Africans created and developed their own unique Afro-American culture that combined aspects of their culture and the new culture that they were exposed to. ++: Slaves often adopted Catholicism, introduced by the Spaniards and the Portuguese. ++: Some tried to fuse beliefs together, like their own African beliefs and the beliefs of Catholicism. ++: Sometimes, this fusion led to rebellious outbreaks and escapes, such as **Palmares**.

MI: The abolition of the Atlantic slave trade came from possibly moral, economic, and religious reasons. ++: African societies began to export other products like peanuts, cotton, and palm oil instead of slaves. ++: Intellectual thinkers believed that enslavement was immoral, and was an archaic concept that was viewed as positive back then, but not during their own time period. ++: Religious humanitarians argued for England to stop the slave trade. Once they did so, England tried to convince other countries to stop doing so as well.