Essay 2

Joseph Weber

HST 498

Barnes

Essay 2

            During the slave trade in Europe between 1600-1800 was significant in many ways.  There was a divided line between its social status and how Christianity played a roll in slavery.  France was similar towards the Americas northern states during the civil war.  Whoever crossed into the country of France they are considered free and thereby able to work for anyone they want.  Having positive morals within the church created this assumption of free will.  Atlantic Europe was heading into a direction of new benefits and products.  Christianity and how people handled their life style was one of the reasons the slave trade has been decreasing.  The connection between Christianity and social status was to get rid of the slave trade and fight for what our religion tells us to do. 

            In Walwin’s reading there was a significant impact on European life.  Luxury items came into play for the civilian’s sake.  Sugar became the largest findings from the explorers in a long time since.  Since Atlantic Europe was the main focus in the slave trade, it involved more than just Britain.  Sugar hit Europe so in advanced it was used for almost everything.  If it wasn’t for the African slave labor then this wouldn’t of been a possibility.  Christianity was the main reason for brining down the slave trade and to focus on far better assets to its country.  Since the Dutch were the brilliant minds of business in this, it made the Dutch far better than any other country because they knew how to benefit themselves over the work to obtain the luxury items.  Having Christianity as a social status made two types of slaves.  Household and field slaves were in every farm and home that had created a living and with new luxury items coming in making life easier on families. Since the Dutch had faster boats and equipment, they were able to gain an extra step.   

            Besides the luxury, there was more to Christianity and its social status.  Campaigns and having to hear debates over its culture created a better sense of knowledge amongst this time period.  True Christians, would not force their workers (slaves) to work in labor.[1]  Britain was very much into making their Christians better.  During Propaganda Fide, Christians were hoping to give the right of enslaved Africans to get baptized and sworn into Christianity.[2]  Socially, becoming polite and having a fashionable and proper presence outlook in public would be a better effort of purity.[3]  Campaigns and debates are without a doubt the turning point towards the public in Britain and other countries.

            Peabody, and Hudson were my two favorite readings because of how France and Britain played a part in Christianity and its social status.  Since slavery in France was illegal it brought thousands of free and slaved blacks.[4]  Having the refusal of slaves in the country made it difficult for those living in France.  Having to deal with court cases from run-aways and their owners.  For instance, Francisque was part Indian which by law, not a full on black.  Even though his skin was black, France saw him as just any other civilian.  His owner, Brignon took this matter into court so he can obtain the rights of Francisque back but because of nationality and laws of the country he has no right to get him back.[5]  Hudson became a part in Britain’s religious conformity by bringing up the fact that slavery in the 18^th century was in no inconsistency.[6]  Meaning that among the Whigs, Quakers and Unitarians the slave trade was separated from what they honestly believed was right.[7]  There were no dominant right or wrong response to these matters but the fact that Britain had played a roll in “liberty” it thereby created a positive asset to the turning point of the slave trade.  The most impressive written response from Hudson stated, “Britains wished to view themselves and their historical destiny than with adherence to some abstract standard of truth and justice.”[8]

            The slave trade in modern day Europe was a terrible transition for Africans to overcome.  It was only a matter of time until Christianity took part in the feelings part of the business.  The connection between Christianity and social status was to obtain a turning point and use it to better our selves as human beings and sticking to our religious belief, which we have sworn by all our life.  Betraying Christianity was another way of worshipping the devil.  Obtaining better materials such as sugar and other luxury items became a better asset to those who oppose that the slave trade should continue forward.  Feelings played a huge roll in the turning point of the slave trade, therefore makes the improvement of Atlantic Europe stronger by having positive moral beliefs of its people.

       

           

Bibliography

Brown, Christopher. Christianity and the campaign against slavery and the slave trade. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Hudson, Nicholas. “Britons Never Will be Slaves”: National Myth, Conservatism, and the Beginnings of British Antislavery. Eighteenth-Century Studies, 2001

Peabody, Sue. Race, Slavery, and the Law in Early Modern France. Historian.

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[1] Christopher Brown, Christianity and the campaign against slavery and the slave trade (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008), 524.

[2] Brown 520

[3] Brown 528

[4] Sue Peabody, Race, Slavery, and the Law in Early Modern France (Historian), 501.

[5] Peabody 505-506

[6] Nicholas Hudson, “Britons Never Will be Slaves”: National Myth, Conservatism, and the Beginnings of British Antislavery (Eighteenth-Century Studies, 2001), 560.

[7] Hudson 562

[8] Hudson 571

Essay #1

Joseph Weber

HST498

Barnes

Over the two-year period (1400-1600) there was a change between Africans and the European lifestyle between the two continents.  The medieval slave trade on the Italian Peninsula became a center point due to accessed ports and opportunity for African Americans to use their labor skills and other helpful amenities towards Europeans.  It was kidnap and later trades that stirred the desire of the English.  Rodney uses a great image of the “exotic” other, which drove the African in mid 15^th century.  In other words, he gives great input on labor, sugar, and the domestic sense of how Africans where being used.  Elbl tags on to this matter with the upper class of the African during the late 15^th to early 16^th century.  Fracchia and Guasco was my favorite reading because of what the writers are moving towards when it comes to the Africans taking part in European traditions and life styles.  The African image is changed throughout this time period and the best way to describe this period is through the eyes of the common civilian. 

Europe’s image of Africans did change through the eyes of many.  Not only was the Iberian Peninsula the center point for slaves but also the search for gold in the Gambia River.[1]  Atlantic Europe was using the ports to have the Africans be transported to their lands which was later resolved when northern part of Europe decided to have explorers go out for themselves.  Bringing slaves who can translate and men with trade good supplies.  As Rodney mentioned in his article, the merchants and missionaries standpoint on the few profession interests in Africa during the mid 15^th century was ignored once overseas affairs took noticed.[2]  It wasn’t until the notion of taking matters into their own countries hands as religion played a huge factor between the trade in Mediterranean Europe and the Iberian Peninsula countries.  The common African became such leisure to the people of Europe to the point of not acknowledging the command by Queen Elizabeth of kicking all African Americans out.  Life was just plain easy and the work was getting done better than before with the Arabs.[3]

In Elbl article it is very certain that the Africans will not be pushed around very easily.  She does a really good job letting the reader know about how it was a struggle for both sides.  The Portuguese are perceived as invaders, therefore due to their higher in technology there was very little hope for Africans.[4]  Warfare and piracy was the key to making the Africans corporate.  The struggle for both the sides were in a result in lack of communication and comprehension.[5]  Without communication there is going to be issues and mis-cues when visiting.  Not knowing who will do what or what equipment they may bring from pass visits.  Thanks to Cadamosto and Diogo Gomes who led the piece establishment further south towards Gambia there was trade involvement rather than force.[6]  Trading arrangements were not so different from all of Europe because trade was a big key to gain sugar, and other helpful benefits towards the common European. 

Personally, between the readings of Fracchia and Guasco there were different expectations, but share the same trademark in slaves.  Looking into art is almost as close as becoming part of the moment.  The image Africans display late in the 16^th century is “invisibility” which falls under European society.  As Guasco mentioned, destroying villages succeeded the “Villano war” military effort in the 1577-1578 period.[7]  Isn’t this exactly what the English did during the early to present time as Spanish prevailed the effort?  The dominant Iberian Peninsula had the right location and leadership to furthermore their expectations.  Early modern Englishmen believed that slavery was in doubt a horrible fate in which Spain’s Atlantic world had been brought up to be.[8]  The main aspect that needs to be asserted here is that trade brought the Iberian and Atlantic Peninsulas together.  In the eyes of the civilians, there was a sense of wrong but who is there to tell them otherwise? Fracchia and Guasco use their articles to gain the sense of importance Africans play on Europeans lives.

The common man is only influenced on those around them.  Africans played a key roll on their existence of life and how to bestow their destiny.  Rodney had great knowledge on the slave trade and how it factored opportunities towards explorers.  Elbl brought the sense of how the struggles were going to play out not only amongst the Africans but all of Europe.  Lastly, Fracchia and Guasco use both the Iberian and Atlantic Peninsula together to share similarities and guidance of what each person/group was going through. This all comes to importance because the workforce and leisure the European people have received from Africans are phenomenal.  If it wasn’t for this time period then who knows what the common man would be like today?  These articles were great sources to read into to gain input and what it was really like through the eyes of a common civilian during that time period.  

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[1] Walter Rodney, Africa in Europe and the Americans: Chapter 9 (Cambridge: Cambridge University and Press, 2008), 577.

[2] Rodney 579.

[3] Rodney 582.

[4] Ivana Elbl, Cross-Cultural Trade and Diplomacy: Portuguese Relations with West Africa, 1441-1521. (Hawaii: University of Hawai’I Press, 1992), 166.

[5] Elbl 169.

[6] Elbl 170.

[7] Michael Guasco, ‘Free from the tyrannous Spanyard’? Englishmen and Africans in Spain’s Atlantic World (North Carolina: Davidson College department of history, 2008), 7.

[8] Guasco 5.

Introduction

Hello,

My full name is Joseph Adam Weber II and I currently live in Palatine, IL.  Palatine is a suburb in Chicago which I have been currently living in for about nine years.  Growing up with my mother in Louisiana and later making it out to Chicago turned out to be an okay fit.  Being able to attend Arizona State was my dream since freshman year of high school.  Secondary Education (History) has been my major since second semester freshman year with the idea of teaching and coaching baseball or golf.  Throughout the year I found history to be challenging but very rewarding when finding out about how the current is very much like the past.  If it weren't for history then the future wouldn't have been as successful.  I plan on educating teenagers to become better adults and help build character when it comes to sports.

HST 300 has helped me prepare for a class such as this.  Overland trails in American history was difficult but it will be more rewarding once I set a foot in this class.  Other history classes help build culture of Europe but I had very little on Africa.  Hope to engage more knowledge at the end of this class.