Sugar, Slaves, and the Modern Economy

Johann Zoffany, “Dido and Lady Elizabeth Murray,” 1799

Step One: Desire• It was fashionable in Europe to drink coffee, tea,

and cocoa. • Sugar makes these items more palatable

(yummy)• Demand was high…what might happen because

of this?• Production was difficult and labor intensive• In Africa, empire-builders needed lux. goods and

guns to fulfill their goals • CONTRAST: Ashante confederation built on

domination of gold and wars yielding prisoners. Benin tried to limit and control trade – mostly products, not people.

African Captives in YokesAfrican Captives in Yokes

Step Two: Fill the need• Africans engaged in wars to build their

territories

• Wars yielded POWs

• POWs sold to get more guns, lux. goods

• Tiny elite (plantocracy) could afford huge tracts of land and slaves to work them

• Huge fortunes were made

• What might the winning parties do to continue the system?

Slave Ship PlanSlave Ship Plan

Step Three: Continue the cycle

• Tea and coffee drinking become institutions. What kinds of activities/places support this institution?

• Consumption spreads from elite downward. WHY?

• Demand grows. The system continued.

Slave Master BrandsSlave Master Brands

Step Four: Decline• With what problems, inherent in slavery,

would people across the globe take issue?

• What might slaves eventually do? Why would this be a major problem?

– Abolitionist movement & Christianity, English Common Law prohibitions (Abolished slave trade: 1808; Slavery: 1834)

– Haitian Revolution, loss of money, deemed too risky

Slave, early 19cSlave, early 19c

Decline (cont.)• Because of these two issues, what do you envision

happening over time?• What will shortly take place in England, that might

make the use of compelled human slavery redundant?– New sources of sugar found (sugar beet grown in

Europe); physical buying of people and slavery declined and indentured servitude rises (from China and Japan)

– Industrial Revolution; production mechanized

Abolitionist Symbol, 1800s, “Am I not a Man and a

Brother?”

Abolitionist Symbol, 1800s, “Am I not a Man and a

Brother?”

Roundtable Discussion1. Break into groups of four.

2. Choose a policeman (keeps the group on task), a time-keeper (duh), a facilitator (focuses the group), and a reader.

3. You will have several questions to discuss after the reader goes over the article with your group, 3 minutes for each question.

4. Jot notes at the bottom of your paper to record ideas.

5. Be ready for group discussion.

Question One

What has been the role of race in the history of slavery? How are

our conceptions of slavery based on the slavery practiced in the

Atlantic system?

Question Two

Why has slavery been considered “natural” or “necessary” by people

throughout history? To what extent do you agree/disagree?

Question Three

It has been stated that,

“African slave trade was one of the first truly international trades.”

Discuss.

Question Four

Why did Africa become the leading source of slaves in the early

modern economy?

Question Five

To what extent do you think systems of slavery still exist

today? What examples can you think of? Or, was the world rid of

slavery with the onset of the Industrial Revolution?