slave trade + cultural adaptations

transatlantic slave system

consisted of 12.5 million africans sent across the Atlantic (middle passage) to americas

what were the conditions of the slave trade

very violent/brutal

what did the slave trade involve

• coercion

• forcible capture + selling

• beatings

• rebellions

• chains/imprisonment

• forced + unpaid labor

impacts of slave trade on african society

• disrupted societies, strengthened others

  • brought corruption

• enriched elites + victimized enslaved

impacts of slave trade on American societies

• african diaspora (global spread of Africans) brought new races + culture

• profits enriched european + euro-american society

• created stereotypes + slavery became metaphor for social oppresion

what were earlier large slave areas

• mediterranean sea + Indian ocean

• trans-saharan + east African trade

  • operated in islamic world

different forms of slavery

• africans able to assimilate into owner’s society (Indian ocean)

• slavery passed with generations (Americas)

• different genders could be more valued

  • not all slaves worked in degrading positions

distinctiveness of American slavery

• size + centralness to colonies’ economies

• slavery = inherited by generation — low chance of freedom

• had racial dimension — identified by “blackness”

why was there a demand for slaves

needed workers for sugar production

-work was very dangerous + difficult — not enough wage workers + serf limitations existed

who were the original slaves

slavics (slaves) — ended with capture of constantinople

-same time Portuguese found africans

what was the religious justification for slaves

pope gave encouraged slavery to Spanish/Portuguese in order to capture/convert pagans

why African slaves

• slavics not available + natives died

• marginal europeans = christians

• indentured servants = limited time + expensive

• Africans : good farmers, immune to disease, readily available + pagans

  • racist traditions created by muslims

who’s hands were the trade in from capture to selling

Africans — europeans tried to exploit rivalries + encourage warfare for cheap slaves tho. no direct military conquest was attempted

what did europeans pay with

• european + Indian textiles

• cowrie shells (African currency)

• firearms/gunpowder + tobacco/alcohol

lows and highs of the slave trade

• slow during 16th century — Portuguese interested in asia + sold delivery services to africa

• picked up during 17th century — became competitive (french, British, Dutch)

where did slaves come from

• west + south central africa

• were from marginal groups (ex. pows and criminals)

  • people who lacked community

  • “not selling their own”

where did slaves go in americas

brazil or caribbean — sugar plantations

how did slaves resist their fates

• rebellions on voyages + on plantations

• running away — forming maroon societies

maroon societies

formed of runaway slaves in remote places

-hosted Africans, natives, mestizos + whites

where big rebellions normal

no — scared europeans tho — ex. Haitian Rev.

impacts of slave trade

• new global links — brought Africa to atlantic world

• brought new demographics + economic impacts (Americas)

• connected West Africa to global economy

impacts of slave trade on African society

• slowed the economy

• caused social disruption + corruption

• introduced maize + cassava

social impacts of slave trade on women

• increased labor demands

• uneven sex ratio — men had multiple wives

• source of slave labor in africa

• signares (European + African marriages) — benefits to both

• gained political power

how did kingdom of benin take advantage of commercial opportunities from slave trade

barley participated in trade — diversified goods

-banned slave trade participation — had to rejoin when economy failed

how did kingdom of dahomey take advantage of commercial opportunities from slave trade

heavily participated in slave trade — economy centered on it

early modern globalization vs contemporary

EM : slower, not as big, centered on china, pre-industrial — relied on empire building + slavery

C : faster, bigger, centered in NA + Europe, industrialized — didn’t need slavery or empire building

factors contributing to globalization of Christianity

• supported by empire building

  • was motivation for european expansion (spanish + portuguese)

how did Christianity spread

• new england puritans : set up European religious systems (no forced conversion)

• catholic missionary groups (jesuits)

why were missionaries successful in Spanish America + Philippines

1. massive european presence — “old gods bested, should follow missionaries”

2. lack of literate world religions — easier to dominate over

why did many natives convert to christianity in Spanish America

• natives saw European victories as God’s power

• earlier conquerors (Aztecs/Incas) imposed their religions in newly conquered places — was normal

how did Spanish attempt to get rid of native religions

• continued missionary work

• extirpation movements

extirpation movements

• destroyed religious images/ritual items

• beat “idolaters”

• held religious trials/processions of shame

native resistance to conversion

• group movements (ex. Taki Onqoy)

• religious blending — ex. women offering llama blood to the church

taki onqoy

revivalist movement in peru — made predictions that adean deties would overcome God + kill Spaniards

how did Christianity assimilate into Mexican society

• churches built on old temple grounds

• confradias — church-based associations

• saints mirrored functions of old gods

• virgin of guadalupe — mesoamerican + Spanish belief of divine motherhood

• old practices had christian influence

differences between christianity in China vs Spanish america

• political context — Chinese organized, America not

• no mass Chinese conversion

• different missionary strategies — needed Chinese permission

missionary strategies in china

aimed to convert elite by accommodating for Chinese culture

• learned Chinese + Confucian values, dressed chinese

• respectful of Chinese culture — pointed out common things with christianity

• define Chinese rituals as civil observance not religious practices

outcome of missionary actions in china

• limited conversion — bc offered knowledge

• became head of Chinese Bureau of Astronomy

• attracted people with similarities to daosim

why no mass Chinese conversion

• was all or nothing religion — made people abandon traditions

• most were happy with Chinese religions

what did the Pope do and its impacts

Pope said: he had authority of Chinese converts- forbid traditions

Impacts: challenge to emperor — expelled missionaries + lost court favor, banned spread of christianity

what led to the failure of christianity in china

• popes actions

• worked with qing — lost credit

• “miracle works” = for uneducated people

• saw holy communion as cannibalism

• thought they were spies

  • bc warship presence + secret meetings

impacts of African diaspora

• brought new religions/beliefs/practices

  • blended with Christianity + other things to create new practices/beliefs/practices

islamization

contiuned expansion of Islam in sub-saharan Africa, east + west India + central/southeast asia

what did Islamization led to

islamic beliefs/practices assimilating into local culture

who is responsible for continuing to spread islam

sufis, Islamic scholars + itinerant traders

benefits of those spreading islam

• gave literacy in Arabic + established schools

• provided protective charms + served as healers

• acted as advisors, intermarried

  • was not all or nothing religion

did Islam bring same effects where it spread (southeast Asia)

no

Aceh: enforced almsgiving + dieting practices, women lost political power

Java: let women keep roles/power, islam peacefully blended with local culture

islamic renewal

done by Orthodox Muslims — were offended by Islamic blending, breaking from muhammad’s teachings

-brought violence (ex. west African wars + growing tensions in central/southeast asia)

muhammad ibn abd al-wahhab

islamic scholar, started wahabi movement

why was the wahabi movement started

• wahhab said difficulties of Islamic world was bc deviations from “pure faith”

  • upset about idolty in arabia

impacts of wahabi movement

• idols were elimiated

• books on logic were destroyed

• drugs + musical instraments banned

• restrictions on women

  • ironic bc Koran gives them rights

wang yanming

chinese influential thinker

what did wang yanming do

• promoted individualism — didn’t need extended education for virtuous life

• “intuitive knowledge exists in all”

how was Buddhism changing in china

tried to make their beliefs/practices more accessible to everyday people

what did Buddhism and Wang yangming mirror

martin luther + his ideas on indivdualism

kaozheng

“research based on truth”

• adopted in Chinese elite culture when studying past

• critical of confucianism + neo-confucianism

cultural changes in chinese cities

• plays, paintings, short stories + novels became available for entertainment

• how to paint manuals accessible to teach

• move novels produced

mita

labor system used by inca — required everyone to act as serf for the state

casta

spanish colonial social hierarchy

pueblo revolts

caused: spanish committing religious persecution, destruction of culture + forced labor of natives

led to : popes rebellion — 9 day siege of santa fe

ana nzing

queen of metamba — resisted against Portuguese following them breaking treaties — created peace treaties + gained allies

metacom’s war

king philips war — caused by natives disliking British authority — resisted by attacking colonists + their towns — fell apart after metacom died