Slavery and African Life

Synopsis

This interpretation of the impact of slavery on African life emphasizes the importance of external demand for slaves by Occidental and Oriental purchasers in developing an active trade in slaves within Africa. The book summarizes a wide range of recent literature on slavery for all of tropical Africa. It analyzes the demography, economics, social structure and ideology of slavery in Africa from the beginning of large-scale slave exports in the seventeenth century to the gradual elimination of slavery in the twentieth century. While primarily a general survey, Dr. Manning presents original research and analysis, especially in his demographic model, computer simulation of slave trade and analysis of slave prices. By revealing clearly the succession of transformations which slavery brought throughout the African continent, the book shows in new depth the place of Africa in the history of the Atlantic basin, of western Asia and North Africa, and of the Indian Ocean.