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Main arguments of Suzanne Miers and Igor Kopytoff, and Claude Meillassoux • Mie

Main arguments of Suzanne Miers and Igor Kopytoff, and Claude Meillassoux • Miers and Kopytoff put the word “slave” in quotation marks—don’t believe there was truly slavery in Africa • The Western slave is a commodity and chattel, no control over destiny, no rights, no chance for children to get ahead—Miers and Kopytoff construct their argument by showing that these conditions don’t apply to African internal slavery o Rights-in-persons—slaves were not the only people bought and sold—a lineage owned its members  Marriage in Zaire was a transaction in which husband’s matrilineage purchased bride and her lineage  Children could be sold/pawned  Children of free man and slave belonged purely to male— advantage to having children with slave o Acquisition of slaves—not necessarily violent  Borgou—orphans adopted as slaves  Serious crimes necessitated giving up kin members as slaves  War/raid most common method, however o Societal Marginality  Not permanent—successive generations “half-belonged”  Slaves often given powerful positions—considered trustworthy, no other allegiances o Slave-trade  High demand for people within Africa, but not necessarily for labor o Slavery within Africa one end of “kinship-slavery” continuum. Existed before European contact. • Mellaissoux claims there is no continuum—kin-slave as opposites, not ends of continuum o Admits that slaves can have surprising privileges, while heads of families can have complete power over their kin o Slaves defined by their status as commodities on the market—result of a violent act o Two conditions for slavery to emerge—market, foreign traders African-born slave narratives: Equiano and Baquaqua • Equiano and Baquaqua’s writings very unique—very few such sources by Africans who were born in Africa • Doubts about authenticity of both—abolitionist intent, written long after Middle Passage, desire to glorify African homeland • Olaudah Equiano o Born in Benin province of Nigeria—kidnapped, as a child sold to British slavers in 1756 o Lots of detail about Equiano’s village—authority based on age—discusses how slaves were barely treated differently than villagers o Not taken directly to coast—bought and sold by Africans multiple times— doesn’t arrive on coast until eight months after kidnapped o While he has been able to communicate with people all through his travels to the coast, he can’t understand anyone on the slave ship o Slaves perceive ship as magical—many people resist, are flogged, try to commit suicide o Brought to West Indies • Baquaqua o Born in northern Benin to a merchant Muslim father—served as a porter on trade expedition to Ghana o Kidnapped into slavery while drunk-taken to Benin, put on ship to Brazil (unlike Equiano) o Sailed from Rio de Janeiro to NY (where slavery was illegal) with load of coffee o Abolitionists tried to free Baquaqua—legal proceedings—Baquaqua escaped from ship with other man—went to Haiti o Converted to Christianity—became involved with various churches— determined to return home  Alcoholic at this point in his life—not very Muslim—calls into doubt his conversion to Christianity—was he just trying to get back to Africa? o Found racism prevalent in USA—went to Canada—wrote book African trade relations with Europe and Asia, c.1500 to c.1700 • Before 1700, African gold exporting was more significant and profitable (for Europeans) than the slave trade. In 1665, the Company of Royal Adventurers made ¾ of its profit from gold and other commodities. • West Africa • Notable scholar Rodney claimed that African trade with Europe created African dependency, because Africa imported manufactured goods o Notably cloth, metal goods, currency, and non-utilitarian items such as beads o However, Africa was capable of producing these for itself—all of thof these goods were luxuries o Africa actually imported bed mats, horns, and saltcellars • Both African and European governments tried to regulate trade, while European chartered companies tried gain monopolies (Dutch West India Company, English Royal Africa Company) o Everyone was pretty unsuccessful—trade was too diverse and non- essential • From 1500-1620, trade dominated by Portuguese • Dutch entered market around 1620, but not very successful in dominating trade • African states protected buyers by demanding taxes/bribes/gifts • East Africa • Largely traded with India o Mutapa state traded gold/ivory for cloth/beads from India  Trade not essential to Mutapa o Goods shipped from Sofala to Kilwa (Swahili cities), then out into the Indian Ocean basin o Not exploited either—traded for what they wanted uploads/Litterature/ guide 14 .pdf