Colonialism and the End of Internal Slavery Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The Atlantic slave trade was considered among the main pillars of the economy in the western region between the 16th and 19th centuries. African people were transported via the Atlantic Ocean and sold to the elites as properties. Unfortunately, some of the African leaders acted as intermediaries attacking and capturing fellow Africans and selling them to the Europeans. The symbiotic business relationship led to the rise of the slave trade across the world until its ban by the American and British governments in 1807 (Inikori 39). The concerns of human rights activists pushed for the Civil War in the United States which ultimately led to the abolishment of slavery.

Furthermore, the slave trade was no longer compatible with industrial capitalism, and as a result the western countries were willing to seek alternative means of boosting their economies. In the late 19th century, the Europeans spread across Africa in the name of ending slavery, facilitating civilization, and introducing education. However, none of these factors were the main reason for colonization. Colonialism was not meant to end slavery but to explore and exploit Africa’s resources at all costs.

Although slavery had been abolished by the beginning of the 19th century, there were still merchants and countries which participated in the illegal slave trade. As a result, the white saw local slavery as an opportunity to win Africans’ trust by condemning and fighting against the kingdoms which acted as intermediaries. Internal slavery was more inhumane compared to the external practice because black people were mistreating and selling their friends and families for rewards (Inikori 41). Consequently, when the colonialists managed to oppose and eradicate internal slavery, Africans were convinced that the former’s intentions were pure.

Nonetheless, the West’s show of kindness in ending slave trade in Africa was a demonstration of hypocrisy. The internal slavery was only a result of the trans-Atlantic slavery which was championed by the Europeans. The Yoruba of Nigeria, Ashanti of Ghana, and the Bono State are some of the African kingdoms which actively participated in local slave trading. Similarly, the members of the Nyamwezi of Tanzania and the Imbangala of Angola captured slaves on behalf of foreign merchants (Inikori 45). The prominence of the trans-Atlantic slave trade made slavery an acceptable business cementing regional business relationships such as the trans-Saharan. The practice which had developed among the Africans was a mirror of the Atlantic slave trade introduced by the Spanish, British, French, Portuguese, and the Dutch.

Consequently, fighting against slave trade was mere pretense because the Europeans were the originators of the practice. The main reason for colonization was not to abolish internal slavery but to explore and exploit the resources in Africa. In the mid-18th and early 19th centuries, the countries in the West experienced the industrial revolution characterized by advanced manufacturing processes (Inikori 53). As a result, capitalism became the new political and economic system with a few individuals owning the industries. This group saw the trans-Atlantic slave trade as a source of cheap and readily available labor and, therefore, invested a lot of money in the business.

Unfortunately, slavery became incompatible with capitalism as the elite began to buy Africans as a symbol of wealth and the practice was no longer crucial to Europe’s economy. Colonialism became the alternative to supporting the western countries and the leaders in charge sent representatives to conquer African countries in the name of ending slavery and spreading civilization.

To conclude, slavery is considered among the worst immoral practices in the world to date. However, in the early times, it was also seen as a means of businesses and the countries in Europe and America invested heavily in the activity. The trans-Atlantic slave trade which led to local slavery among the Africans benefited western nations by supplying them with cheap labor. However, when slavery proved to be ineffective in supporting industrial capitalism, the western countries picked colonialism as an alternative approach to boosting their economies. Consequently, the British, Spanish, Dutch, and other colonialists camped in Africa not to end local slavery but to exploit its resources.

Work Cited

Inikori, Joseph E. “Slavery in Africa and the Transatlantic Slave Trade”. The African Diaspora, edited by Austine Jalloh and Stephen E. Maizlish, A & M University Press, 1996, pp. 39-55.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2022, May 22). Colonialism and the End of Internal Slavery. https://ivypanda.com/essays/colonialism-and-the-end-of-internal-slavery/

Work Cited

"Colonialism and the End of Internal Slavery." IvyPanda, 22 May 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/colonialism-and-the-end-of-internal-slavery/.

References

IvyPanda. (2022) 'Colonialism and the End of Internal Slavery'. 22 May.

References

IvyPanda. 2022. "Colonialism and the End of Internal Slavery." May 22, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/colonialism-and-the-end-of-internal-slavery/.

1. IvyPanda. "Colonialism and the End of Internal Slavery." May 22, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/colonialism-and-the-end-of-internal-slavery/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Colonialism and the End of Internal Slavery." May 22, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/colonialism-and-the-end-of-internal-slavery/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1