World History:
The Earth and its Peoples
Chapter 18
The Atlantic System and Africa,
1550-1800
Objectives
• Describe and give concrete illustrations of the effects of
the Atlantic system on African, European, and American
societies and their environments.
• Understand the relationship between the spread of sugar
plantations and the growth of the slave trade.
• Be able to describe capitalism and mercantilism and
explain their roles in the development of the Atlantic
system.
• Be able to compare and account for the different roles
and influence of the West and Islam in sub-Saharan
Africa between about 1550-1800.
Atlantic System
West Indies
– 1500 - Sugar-cane intro
– 1600 - tobacco
• European markets
• chartered companies
• free passage
– 1650 crisis
– Dutch West Indies Company
• 1621
• private trading co.
– dividends
• Brazilian sugar
– slavery
• 1654
– West Indies alliance
Atlantic System
Slavery
– 16th century rise
• West Indies land values
• rising sugar prices
– 7 versus 3-4
Plantation Life
– cultivation
• factory
– crushing / processing
• farm
– byproducts
• molasses and rum
• soil exhaustion / deforestation
– demographic effects
• plant / animals
• Arawak / Carib
Atlantic System
Atlantic System
Slaves - 18th Century
– 90% island pop.
– 2-1 male
• 23 - male; 25.5 - female
• ‘seasoning’ - 1/3 mortality
• plantocracy
– few rich landowners
– social stratification
• castes
– 70% field
• women
– tradesmen
– ‘driver’
• male slave
• ensure hard work
Atlantic System
Atlantic Economy - 1760-1800
– sugar / slave ships
Reasons for success
• private enterprise
– capitalism
• banks
• trading companies
• stock exchanges
– Amsterdam
• insurance
– mercantilism
• precious metal accumulation
• competition
• Navigation Acts of 1660s
• most profitable
Atlantic System
Great (Atlantic) Circuit
– Europe, Africa, Americas
– 1st leg
• metal bars, guns, textiles
– 2nd leg
• gold, timber, slaves
• 1500-1650: 800k
• 1650-1800: 7.5m
– 1 in 6
» disease
» execution / abuse
» suicide
– 3rd leg
• plantation goods
Atlantic System
Africa, Atlantic, and Islam
Africa’s Slave Trade
• 1650-1800
• textiles and guns
– tobacco and rum
• Africa’s strong position
– ^ slaves, ^ price
– local customs
– European competition
• Gold Coast / Slave Coast
Comp.
– Dahomey
– Asante and Oyo
• war captives
Africa, Atlantic, and Islam
Bight of Biafra - 18th Century
– densely populated
– no strong kingdoms
• merchants
– kidnapping
• fairs
Angola
– Portuguese control
– prisoners of war / drought
• byproduct
1) European / African elite alliance
2) European over African wealth
Africa, Atlantic, and Islam
Muslim Territorial Dominance
– N. Africa
• Ottoman Empire
• Morocco
• slavery
– 1600-1800: 1.7m
• Sahara
• Indian Ocean
– women
• servants and concubines
• population recovery
– children
• harem guards
– Muslim