A number of economic, historical, cultural, religious and
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
African collaborators" (Agatucci 4).
By 1700, there were 28,000 slaves in British North America,
with 23,000 in the South. By 1710, the total had reached 44,866.
By 1715, the number was 60,000. By 1725. 75,000 slaves were in
the British colonies. By 1740, there were 150,000 slaves, with
24,000 in the North. Ten years later, there were 236,000. By
1760, the number of slaves reached 325,806. In 1770, slaves
numb...