Trial: Atlantic Slave Trade and Slave Essay

Submitted By ccutejenny
Words: 588
Pages: 3

1. Europeans held an important influence in determining the character of the North African slave trade. Europeans were the dominant audience of the slave trade and, thus, they controlled the factors of it. For instance, they influenced the type of goods traded, the amount of slaves, as well as the treatment of slaves. As shown in Cheggeun’s record Europeans traded North Africans a cubic of broad cloths for every one slave. The more the Europeans demand for slaves, the more slaves were being captured and sold into slavery unfairly. After Cheggeun’s men and the North Africans decided upon the trade of goods, the Africans organized into military groups to raid their neighbors. They captured around two thousand slaves. Since the Europeans were most likely transporting the slaves back to their homes, they decided on how they wanted to treat their slaves. From the beginning of the trade, Europeans treated their slaves cruelly and harshly. The slaves stayed in cramped, filthy spaces filled with diseases. The mortality rate was around 50 percent. However, nearing the 19th century, the conditions improved greatly. Europeans realized in order to preserve the slave’s lives, they needed to provide slaves a better environment to stay in. As a result, the morality rate decreased to 5 percent.
2. The Muslim Holy men, also known as the Marabouts, influenced the commerce in African slavery greatly. They influenced many slave sellers, such as Cheggeun, to convent their slaves to Muslim. They listed many advantages they would have such as being rewarded by God. They taught the slaves how to pray and how to perform ablutions. Lastly, the Marabouts told the slaves to serve their masters well and in return they would be treated fairly and be comfortable. Sooner or later they would also gain their freedom. Thus, the sellers that day and the next took special care of their slaves. They fed them meat and allowed them to sleep in tents to keep them warm. Overall, the Marabouts improved the conditions for the slaves and helped to preserve the slave’s lives. They lowered the rate of mortality. Cheggeun even noticed that none of the slave died during those days of comfort for the slaves.
3. The organization of the slave trade in North