The Slave Trade Across The Atlantic:
By Abdullahi Idris, Bauchi
Following the discovery of America,many Europeans left they own homes to settle in the new world.The Spaniards went Mexico,South America and the west lndies.They conquered these lands and built up a Spanish empire in 1519 to 1521,soon afterwards,the English,the Dutch,the French and other founded colonies on island of the west Indies and in North America.
From the very beginning,these European settlers started to open up rich gold and silver mines in the New world.
They also began cultivation of sugarcane,tabbaco, cotton,ginger and coffee on plantations in the tropical and sub-tropical areas of North and South America and the west Indies.
As the work in the mines and plantations increased,the settlers realized that the natives of the of Americas and the islands were not strong enough to undertake such heavy work.
Some religious men spoke out against the ill-treatment of natives.They pursuaded the owners of the mines and plantations to look elsewhere for men and women to replace the American Indians.These men were found to be very strong, therefore,when the Europe adventurers miners and farmers to decided to look elsewhere for workers,they decided to use the people of Africa.As Spain have no colonies in Africa,the Spanish settlers in America agreed to buy from Portugal the slaves they needed in the New world.
In the sixteen century,the number of Slaves shipped to the New world was not great.But the number increased during the following century,and reached a peak in the eighteen century.In the seventh century,the trade was taken up by other European nations: England, France,Holland, Sweden and Denmark.
