New World slavery played an immense part in the increase of economic wealth within the American continent. However, the effects of slavery spread much farther than the American continent. The reigning prosperity possessed by Eastern nations such as China, Korea and Japan influenced the Western Hemisphere to create its own economic wealth. The world trade carousel sparked fierce competition between nations and led to many new expeditions and ways of accumulating wealth. Perhaps the most influential yet consequential among all forms of global competition was the exploitation of slaves, largely from the African continent. Slaves brought to America worked in unfavorable conditions on cotton, sugar, and tobacco fields and mills. They were thought of as less than human and therefore suffered abuse and punishment, so harsh that it sometimes led to death. Not only was New World slavery such as the Atlantic slave trade responsible for boosting the economies of the countries directly involved with the trade, but other countries around the world were also severely impacted through the use of slaves in the New World in other forms. This essay will discuss the specific ways in which nations and people across the globe were impacted and how New World slavery was a global phenomenon.
Beginning in the 15th century, slaves were taken from the coastal regions of Africa as part of the Atlantic slave trade. An estimated 12 million black slaves were removed from their homes and forced into slavery during this time (Nunn, 2007). The collection of these slaves relied heavily on different villages within African communities waging war against each other in return for weaponry such as knives, spears and guns from Europeans. The trade of black slaves for weapons which would be used to wage more wars against each other is now widely regarded as the ‘iron-slave cycle’ (Nunn, 2007). The war waged within tribes results in broken relationships and made the possibilities of larger, more economically and politically progressive communities non-existent, as the fear of being taken hostage was the biggest concern in African villages at the time. Furthermore, advancements made on government rule were destroyed since unity among tribes were no longer viable when the Europeans arrived. While the trading of weaponry for slaves brought temporary economic gain for certain successful tribes on the African continent, the overall effect was deeply negative. Firstly, the lack of manpower within tribes resulted in decreased productivity. Secondly, fear amongst tribes didn’t allow for a larger form of governing, which is significant for economic development, given the established relationship between ethnic fractionalization and long-term economic growth (Nunn, 2007).
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The countries in Europe who were running the majority of the slave trade reaped the rewards in terms of economic gain and cheap products for industry back home. Britain, for example, was heavily involved in the Atlantic slave trade for a period of time and used the cheap labor to cultivate cotton through the use of slaves in the cotton fields and mills. The extent of planning that went into the transportation of slaves in ships was meticulously planned out with diagrams and drawings, depicting the most cost-efficient way to move the labor force from one continent to another. The money they earned was extra capital for them to boost their own economies back home in the queen land. During the time, Britain was going through a revolution in terms of industrial capability and efficiency. The Industrial Revolution relied heavily on the raw, slaved produced products which would otherwise have been more expensive to obtain if sourced from somewhere else. Beyond the simple fact of cheap products from cheap labor, the Atlantic slave trade also injected capital into other areas of Europe's economy. For example, it paved the way for merchants of slaves, sugar and tobacco to establish banks in Bristol, Glasgow and Liverpool (CUP, 2000). The growth in the banking sector benefitted both the outpost merchants, who could provide credit to business owners and also banks, as they could have a farther reach since they were taking advantage of the international trade brought by slave ships. The improved banking brought on by the Atlantic trade resulted in improved financial transactions, which also helped Britain when trading with other international businesses. The Atlantic slave trade allowed countries in Europe the opportunity to rise to a level of economic power previously only possible by countries such as China. The global trade market underwent a major shift during this time of industrialization and the slave trade.
The slave trade also produced a cultural impact on the African and white community that can be felt to this day. White men in what is now known as the United States were instructed not to have marital relations with black slaves since the stigma behind slaves regarded them as less than humans. However, in regions where black slaves were able to integrate with the local community in places such as Brazil and Haiti, a distinct separation between races were not as evident as the population had offspring with one another. Due to the integration of slaves into such lands, new societies were able to prosper, and the cultural differences between two people were able to form new ways of life. During this time, people around the world, especially in Europe, began to realize the grave price they were really paying in order to have sugar and other products at such a cheap price. Through various campaigns, many of them organized by church groups, addressed the inhumanity behind slavery and the sin involved with it since God instructed people to everyone to love everyone as you love yourself (Bader-Zar, 2011). The various campaigns started to shift the public opinion of European citizens concerning the use of slaves. By the end of the early 19th century, slavery was abolished in the majority of the New World. An event that was happening in the Americas was abolished through the campaigns of people in Europe and parts of Africa. The reach of the Atlantic slave trade was one which affected every part of the world.
New World slave trade presented countries around the world with different opportunities and inflicted a range of consequences. In Africa, the social divisions within the region presented the people with massive hardships in terms in fear of being kidnapped and raided. This resulted in an inability to create a coherent government that would be able to guide positive economic growth in the long term. On the other hand, the European countries such as Britain, Portugal and Spain involved in the Atlantic slave trade gained an economic boost within their own economies. The cheap products such as cotton and sugar allowed the citizens in Europe to enjoy basic consumer products such as clothing at very affordable prices. During the whole process of slave transportation, the integration of the slaves within certain communities also led the way in shaping new societies composed of multinational people. It also gave them a voice on the global scale, which made the general public more aware of their actions and understanding of the inhumanity behind slavery. New World slavery supplied the building blocks for unprecedented growth in the global economy and allowed for a new type of consumerism that is still relevant to this day. The slaves transported from Africa suffered unimaginable hardships in order for the citizens around the world to have access to cheap goods. Although slavery was eventually abolished, the centuries worth of exploitation of millions of black slaves has left an effect on the history of the world. The historical severity of the slave trade has left a social divide among the black and white community around the world that is still prevalent to this day.
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