The slave trade had devastating impacts on Africa. It caused a massive decrease in the African population, with an estimated 50 million Africans captured and sold. Societies were disrupted as tribal wars increased to capture more slaves and gender imbalance resulted from preferential capture of young men. Cities were destroyed as populations fled to avoid capture, destroying industries like mining and disrupting agriculture. The economies of African nations became dominated by slaving and goods imported from Europe.

1. IMPACT OF THE SLAVE TRADE ON
AFRICA

2. WHAT IS THE SLAVE TRADE?
This was the business or process of procuring,
transporting and selling slaves especially black
Africans to the New World prior to the mid-19th
century.

3. IMPACT ON AFRICA
There was a decrease in the
African population
The Europeans preferred
fit, young and strong
individuals with the belief
that these persons were
better able to work on the
plantations
It is estimated that 50
million Africans were lost!

4. Societies were disrupted
Tribal wars were frequent
Laws were changed , making
crimes punishable by slavery
(prisoners from war,
criminals)
Due to the fact that they
wanted young men, women
and children but more males
than females, the balance of
society was distorted.
People felt insecure- Africans
were capturing their own
people

5. Cities were destroyed
Population in the cities
decreased as people fled the
cities to avoid being captured
The mining industry was
ruined
Agricultural production was
disrupted
The economy became
dominated by slaving and
imported manufactured
goods from Europe.

6. Continued…
There was distribution of
ammunition in Central and
West Africa which helped
with the military and
political supremacy of
tribes in Africa
Remaining Africans
depended on European
goods (sugar, tobacco, rice,
cotton etc.)