Before the introduction of the slave trade, Africans who lived in West Africa had diverse and rich histories of their culture. Africans had established city-states and kingdoms, each with a different culture and language. In some regions, political systems were small, relying on mutual consensus between individuals at the village level. Africans demonstrated great knowledge in artwork, astronomy, mathematics and medicine. The practice helped them in making domestic goods and other luxury items for both trade and local use.
Before the start of the slave trade, West Africans had established business with Europeans for centuries. Portuguese were the first traders to arrive at the West Africa coast, followed by the French, Dutch, and British. They were mainly concerned with precious goods like ivory, gold and spices. In their first contact, European traders abducted, and others bought Africans to be sold as slaves. The activity continued at a moderated slow rate until the 17th century, when the demand for more slaves by plantation owners increased (Fanny, 2017). Slaves were required to help meet the increasing demand for sugar, giving birth to the transatlantic slave trade. It is important to realize that before this period, enslavement was not based on race.
The use of slave workers was affirmed by the establishment of Virginia law, where the state of the mother dictated the status of a child. In simple terms, the law meant that a slave woman gave birth to children viewed as commodities with the same fate as the mother. The law gave room for the U.S to become a slave state. To slaves, sugar cane was seen as a brutal crop that required them to work for six days in a week where some, especially in cultivation, were burnt while other workers were killed. Workers in sugar firms had their life span limited to less than seven years due to increased torture. Laborers were worked to death, and plantation owners ensured proper replacement by new slaves who arrived regularly. In other words, the need for sugar in tea and coffee took precedence over human life, which set the rhythm of slavery in America.
Since enslaved Africans had a good taste of freedom before they arrived in America, they strongly fought to regain it when they were abducted from their homes. The need for freedom brought about rebellion both in urban centers and plantation sites. The push started in 1739 where a team of slaves who lived in South Carolina seized and killed two shopkeepers with a strong call for liberty (Intondi, 2020). The movement was termed Stono Rebellion, and it was the biggest slave uprising that saw 20 whites and 40 blacks killed. Afraid of the continued rebellion, white lawmakers stopped the importation of slaves for 10-years and enacted a Negro act 1740 that prohibited any form of education, assembly and movement among the slaves. The Stono movement is one of many rebellion groups that occurred to end slavery in the U.S.
The war against slavery ended in 1865 following the emancipation proclamation that led to freedom for all slaves in southern regions. However, after two years, all the soldiers arrived to enforce it in Texas, fully implementing this proclamation. African-Americans since then have celebrated the day that brought about the desired liberation. Today, African-Americans have pushed for equal rights and the same representation in political arenas. However, more has to be done to lift the existing cold rift between whites and blacks.
The contribution of the Africans in America right from the slavery period to date has left an undeniable mark in U.S history. Slaves performed all manner of tasks within the U.S. Whether skilled or unskilled; slaves worked in towns and plantations in various capacities (Fanny, 2017). Slaves from central and West Africa came up with the knowledge of rice growing in Georgia and Carolina. Initially, rice, alongside other food: sorghum, watermelon, and millet, did not exist in the U.S. Africans came up with methods of preparing food along with rice dishes and gumbo.
In addition, the African influence is found in most African American music, which employs repetition as part of their melody. The evidence is also clear in most of the Negro old spiritual songs and other songs sung by slaves as they worked in plantation fields. It is also important to realize that most of the laborers in plantations were dressmakers, masons and blacksmiths. Therefore, they worked in sugarcane and cotton growing firms and got involved in other economic building activities. As a result, it is clear that Africans made firms flourish and this, to a large extent, helped establish the economic strength of Texas to date. African Americans also made exceptional input to the civil war. They got involved in many battles where some served as ship captains, spies, and guides. The union officers found it essential to the information given by slaves. Besides, most plantation engineers provided fighting equipment alongside farm tools, most of which are used today. However, it is important to realize that despite the meaningful contribution of Africans, laborers contribution, particularly in the plantation, was considered to be more important than their lives.
References
Fanny, B. (2017). African Americans and Jungian psychology: Leaving the shadows. Routledge. Web.
Intondi, V. J. (2020). African Americans Against the Bomb. Stanford University Press. Web.