The age of exploration continues to define how European powers gained their prominence. It changed the trajectory of the once struggling continent of nations that were resource poor and disorganized. From commerce, foraging conflict and private possessions, Europeans adjusted practically to almost all elements of the countries they ‘explored’ as they proceeded beyond discovery into colonization. With power struggles among the prevalent European powers of the time, the fight for dominance was vicious.
As the European powers of the time expanded their territories and sought to extract what they could for their nations, their pillaging of Africa gave them the resource they needed most: human labor, free labor at that.
The Birth Of Slavery
As European explorers ‘discovered’ various new lands and began to settle in these new worlds, the resources in these places became a great source of income. With severe competition between the great European powers, garnering more resources quickly was of the essence. The slave trade was already prevalent in the 16th century, yet had never been done on such scale as was seen in the decades to come. There was also the pressing need to legitimize these territories and establish clear boundaries.
The need for labor to grow farm produce in these new lands, particularly sugarcane and tobacco, was intense across the colonies. As a result, White settlers began to depend heavily on Africans, and their flow across the Atlantic intensified around the 1600s. This would directly impact the commercial viability of the colonization.
In 1672, the Royal African Company was granted exclusivity on the shipment of slaves from Africa to British colonies. It shipped approximately 3 million Africans from their ancestral homes over the following four generations.
The British had codified the practice of slave ownership into a colonial power by the 1700s. This was key in determining a clear sway of power. With human resources that never had to be paid, that could be worked to death owing to an endless supply of free manpower, the British eventually obtained a clear dominance in power.
While other nations such as Spain, Portugal and France were also undeniable powers, they could not match the resources the British had at their disposal. The growth of the slave trade altered the history of Western colonization. European powers thrived off the resources they pillaged from their colonies and gradually spread their reach further around the world.
Conclusion
A number of wars broke out throughout centuries some of which continued well into the 20th century. Eventually, most nations were granted ‘independence’, others fought hard for it. However, the power that was accumulated through the hundreds of years of colonization placed European countries at the helm of power well into the 20th century. It could be argued that their current dominance and role in world affairs is largely due to colonization.
FAQs
- Why did the Europeans establish the slave trade?
There was a growing need for labor. Free labor or slaves were seen as the best available resource.
- Did the slave trade start during the era of colonization?
No, slavery had been around for thousands of years—some say as early as 6800 BC. Nonetheless, it was common for enslaved people to be captured from other villages and tribes and sold for many millennia.
- Other than being killed by European settlers in America, what was a significant cause of death among the local populace?
From 1616 to 1618, diseases wiped off 75% of the native population. These diseases were new to the tribes; they never had any exposure to them until the settlers arrived.
- Which company is known to have been a significant propagator of the slave trade during the colonial years?
The Royal African Company was the largest known slave trade enterprise, which shipped approximately 3 million Africans from their ancestral homes over four generations.
