I visited this website

(http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/pathways/blackhistory/africa_caribbean/
west_africa.htm), which provides information on Africa and the Caribbean specifically, a brief history of West Africa "before the Europeans", and the
role of Africa, Britain, and the Caribbean in the Transatlantic slave trade. It
seems that most of what is known about West Africa's history is based off
archaeological artifacts rather than written records, with the exception of
some maps found in Portuguese archives. The archaeological excavations
conducted there have revealed that West African life ran the gamut from
humble herders and hunter-gatherers to vast empires. Much of West Africa,
particularly the kingdom of Ghana, played an essential part in the gold trade.
This drew Muslim traders from North Africa and the Middle East, and before
long, many civilizations converted to Islam.
I learned quite a bit about European-African relations prior to the
Transatlantic trade, which was not the first time Africans were enslaved; Arab
traders who traveled to West Africa often acquired slaves as far back as the
8th century B.C. At the same time, it didn't always happen to be Africans
who were subjugated by the Europeans; Spain and Portugal were conquered
by North African Muslims. The Muslims, whose culture influenced European
science, engineering, and architecture, amongst other things, were mostly
influential due to trade. Crdoba, located in Spain, was central to Islamic
culture in Europe, until 1492 when the last Muslim outpost in Spain - Granada
- was conquered.
During the 16th century, African rulers and European traders formed a trade
partnership. African prisoners of war were traded for European firearms. As
the slave trade grew, those who were in their physical prime - men, women,
and children - were captured. The lack of able-bodied workers in Africa had a
severe impact on African economies.
THOUGHT QUESTIONS:
1. Why did demand for West African slaves and natural resources grow
exponentially during the 16th century?
2. Why did Europeans enslave Africans as opposed to employing indentured
servants as was initially the custom in the American colonies?