The Rationalization of Slavery

racial factors combined to allow both Africans and Europeans to

rationalize slavery from its origins in the 17th century to the

era of Thomas Jefferson in the United States. While Africans did

take part as slave traders themselves, without the intervention

of European colonialism, Africa would not have been stricken

with slavery to the terrible degree which it was.

Gailey, Jr. writes that European nations viewed Africa

as a source to exploit for their own gain and in competition

with other European nations (Gailey 122). The slave trade began

in the 17th century, destroying not only the lives of slaves

themselves (as well as their villages and families), but also

involved Africans as active participants in the evil

institution. This was a crucial point in involving Africans in

the corruption of their own culture: "The recruitment of slaves

from the interior...was rigidly controlled by the kings and

heads of the canoe houses" (Gailey 128). Agatucci writes that

"Muslim traders exported as many as 17 million slaves to the

coast of the Indian Ocean, to the Middle East, and to North

Africa," and "to other parts of the world between 1500-1900 ..

.at least 5 million Africans sent into bondage" (Agatucci 3) .

It should also be noted that many African leaders, such as Queen

Nzingha of Angola and King Maremba of the Congo, "fought

valiantly, if vainly, against the European slavers and their

. . .
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Approximate Word count = 1031
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page)

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