Research Paper PDF

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WHAT WERE THE LONG-TERM REPERCUSSIONS OF THE SLAVE TRADE ON

AFRICA?
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Amrit Rai
History 130
Friday November 16th
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The development of a continent is an ever-changing state of consistent growth
over a long-period of time. However, as a result of the slave trade the development of
Africa was stunted. This led to long-term repercussions in development that persists
today. The transatlantic slave trade took place over a period of 400 years, although
slavery wasn't a new concept to Africa, the sheer scale of the Trans- Atlantic slave trade
was unprecedented with about 12 million slaves exported from Africa not including those
killed in transit or raids.1 The Trans-Atlantic slave trade left lasting scars on the continent
of Africa in the form of low levels of literacy, 2 an underdeveloped economy, 3 and a
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culture of mistrust. 4
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Areas with low levels of literacy correlate directly with high slave trade activity. 5
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Thus, indicating that the slave trade was a factor that propagates slow development. High
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levels of education and literacy are linked with the development of high social capital.
This is positively associated with the presence of improved governing educational trading
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and legal structures. Education is essential for the growth of any developing country.
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With educated people comes progress in the economy, political stability, and
improvements within society. This leads improvements in ways of life including in the
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fields of health, technology and agriculture. Without an effective education system there
can be no development. Education isn’t only a means to improve individual ways if life,
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1. Nathan Nunn, “The Long-term Effects of Africa's Slave Trades," The Quarterly Journal of Economics 123, no.1 (1 February 2008):
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142. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.1162/qjec.2008.123.1.139
2. Nonso Obikili, “The Impact of the Slave Trade on Literacy in West Africa: Evidence from the Colonial Era,” Journal of African
Economies 25, no.1, (1 January 2016): 21. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.1093/jae/ejv018
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3. Whatley, Warren, and Rob Gillezeau, "The Impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on Ethnic Stratification in Africa." The
American Economic Review 101, no. 3 (2011) 571. http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/stable/29783808.
4. Nunn, Nathan, and Leonard Wantchekon, “The Slave Trade and the Origins of Mistrust in Africa.” American Economic Review
101, no. 7 (December 2011): 3221. http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/aer.101.7.3221.
5. Nathan Nunn, “The Long-term Effects of Africa's Slave Trades," The Quarterly Journal of Economics 123, no.1 (1 February 2008):
142 . https://doi-org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.1162/qjec.2008.123.1.139

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it is also necessary for the evolution of a continent by increasing people’s ability to
problem solve, and adapt. 6 Africa has notoriously low levels of literacy in modern times.
This coupled with the underdeveloped institutions results in a vicious cycle.
Today a part of Africa suffering the consequences of the slave trade is it’s
impoverished economy. Economy is the wealth of a country in regards to its goods
services. A healthy economy is one that is in a constant state of development, built up
over a long period of time. However, in Africa during this period, industry and trade were
ignored in favour of easy profit. A result of this greed and lack of foresight was “the
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long-term, systematic underdevelopment of many African economies”. 7 Therefore,
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places in Africa that were more directly involved in the slave trade have a lower GDP per
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capita today than those who were less involved. 8
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At the time, high international demand made selling people an attractive source of
income rather than looking for alternate ways to develop and expand. 9 Focus remained
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on the short term profits gained from slavery than long-term economic development
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through trade industry or agriculture. Since these factors form the economic pillars of
support for larger more advanced societies we can start to see the impact of their loss to
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African society. In addition, to the lack of focus there was a lack of people. People are a
resource that is essential to progress in an economy, either as a source of tax or as

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6. Gyimah-Brempong, K. (2011). “Education and Economic Development in Africa." African Development Review 23, no. 2 (2011)
221. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.1111/j.1467-8268.2011.00282.x

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American Economic Review 101, no. 3 (2011): 219 . http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/stable/29783808.

Economies 25, no.1, (1 January 2016): . https://doi-org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.1093/jae/ejv018

9. Warren, and Gillezeau, "The Impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on Ethnic Stratification in Africa, 219
http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/stable/29783808.

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producers of goods and services. However as the, “value of people as captives [rose]
above their marginal value as producers to be taxed” 10 the population of potential
workers and developers dwindled rapidly, leaving the country with not enough people to
successfully instigate economic progress. Ultimately, these factors led to the economy
stagnating for nearly 500 years, stunting its long-term development and leading to the
weak African economies of today.
Another repercussion of the slave trade is the mindset of mistrust, isolation, and
corruption that has since been embedded in African culture. The consequence of this
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culture in modern day Africa has been prevalent ethnic violence, national instability, and
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poor governmental ruling structures. During the time of the slave trade mistrust became
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a essential defense mechanism as a consequence of 20 percent of slaves being sold by
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friends and family. 11 Isolation was similarly necessary in order to create “outsiders”
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[source 1] to justify selling other families exchange for one's own freedom. Isolation
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allowed people to adopt and us vs. them attitude that made it easier for slavers to raid the
smaller villages and harder for them to unite against their common enemy. Corruption
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was the third vice that became common as a result of the slave trade. People were often
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sentenced to slavery through the judicial system via fabricated crime. One example is
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“red water ordeal” used by the chief of Cassanga “to procure slaves and their possessions.
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Those accused of a crime were forced to drink a poisonous red liquid. If they vomited,
then they were judged to be guilty. If they did not vomit, they were deemed not guilty.
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American Economic Review 101, no. 3 (2011): . http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/stable/29783808.
11. Nunn, Nathan, and Leonard Wantchekon, “The Slave Trade and the Origins of Mistrust in Africa.” American Economic Review
101, no. 7 (December 2011):. http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/aer.101.7.3221.
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However, for those that did not vomit this usually brought death by poisoning. Their
possessions were then seized and their family members were sold into slavery.” 12It
became common for the leaders of local communities to obtain slaves in this manner,
thus promoting corruption in positions of authority and subsequently distrust amongst the
people that is noticeable today.
Unsurprisingly, cultures that promoted mistrust, isolation, corruption and
underdevelopment were the type of societies that flourished under the banner of the slave
trade 13. In fact the more developed, and peaceful the society the easier it was for them to
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be captured and sold 14. This meant that the majority population left in Africa were those
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who exemplified these vices. As a result what occurred was 400 years worth of teaching,
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promoting and solidifying their value until they became embedded in their culture the
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outcome of this being civil conflict, as well as political and national instability in modern
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times.
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Great leaders, inspirational thinkers and revolutionary inventors may only occur
once in a lifetime. Imagine a world where Einstein, his family or ancestors were captured
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and sold into slavery, what would the modern world have lost. What if France or England
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were never allowed to develop their political, legal or trading institutions due to the
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constant abduction and selling of its ruling elite? Who knows how many inventors like
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England's James Watt, were lost to Africa as a consequence of slavery. Over 12 million
lives worth of potential wasted. The trans-Atlantic slave trade was a result of human
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12. Nathan Nunn, “The Long-term Effects of Africa's Slave Trades," The Quarterly Journal of Economics 123, no.1 (1 February
2008): 144 . https://doi-org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.1162/qjec.2008.123.1.139
Economies 25, no.1, (1 January 2016): 1. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.1093/jae/ejv018
14. Obikili, “The Impact of the Slave Trade on Literacy in West Africa: Evidence from the Colonial Era,” 1

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greed for short-term selfish profit became the foundation for the poverty and suffering of
an entire continent.
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Bibliography
Whatley, Warren, and Rob Gillezeau. "The Impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on
Ethnic Stratification in Africa." The American Economic Review 101, no. 3 (2011): 571-
76. http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/stable/29783808.
Nunn, Nathan, and Leonard Wantchekon, “The Slave Trade and the Origins of Mistrust
in Africa.” American Economic Review 101, no. 7 (December 2011): 3221–3252.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/aer.101.7.3221.

Nonso Obikili, “The Impact of the Slave Trade on Literacy in West Africa: Evidence
from the Colonial Era,” Journal of African Economies 25, no.1, (1 January 2016):1-27.
https://doi-org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.1093/jae/ejv018
Nathan Nunn, “The Long-term Effects of Africa's Slave Trades," The Quarterly Journal
of Economics 123, no.1 (1 February 2008):139-176. https://doi-
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org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.1162/qjec.2008.123.1.139
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Gyimah-Brempong, K. (2011). Education and Economic Development in Africa. African
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Development Review, 23 (2), 219-236. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.sfu.ca/10.1111/j.1467-
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8268.2011.00282.x
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1

WHAT WERE THE LONG-TERM REPERCUSSIONS OF THE SLAVE TRADE ON

The development of a continent is an ever-changing state of consistent growth

of Africa in the form of low levels of literacy, 2 an underdeveloped economy, 3 and a

it is also necessary for the evolution of a continent by increasing people’s ability to

This coupled with the underdeveloped institutions results in a vicious cycle.

impoverished economy. Economy is the wealth of a country in regards to its goods

services. A healthy economy is one that is in a constant state of development, built up

resource that is essential to progress in an economy, either as a source of tax or as

above their marginal value as producers to be taxed” 10 the population of potential

weak African economies of today.

people that is noticeable today.

Unsurprisingly, cultures that promoted mistrust, isolation, corruption and

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