Chapter 6: The Age of Exploration and the Origins of the Atlantic Slave Trade Sources

Christopher Ohan

6 Chapter 6: The Age of Exploration and the Origins of the Atlantic Slave Trade Sources

The Age of Exploration and the Origins of the Atlantic Slave Trade Sources

Christopher Ohan

In the 15th century, Europe began a remarkable period of maritime exploration that would forever change the course of human history. This era, known as the Age of Exploration, marked the beginning of global connections between different parts of the world, though these connections often came at a devastating human cost.

Portuguese Exploration
Portugal led the way in European exploration, with Prince Henry the Navigator establishing a naval school and sponsoring numerous voyages down the African coast. Portuguese sailors developed new navigation techniques and ships called caravels that could sail against the wind. By 1488, Bartolomeu Dias rounded the southern tip of Africa, and in 1498, Vasco da Gama reached India, establishing the first European sea route to Asia.

Impact on Asian Cultures
When Portuguese ships reached India and Southeast Asia, they encountered sophisticated civilizations with advanced trading networks. The Mughal Empire in India and various kingdoms in Southeast Asia had been conducting maritime trade for centuries. These societies had developed complex systems of commerce, art, and technology. Portuguese traders initially had to adapt to existing Asian trading practices and networks rather than dominate them.

Spanish Exploration
Following Portugal’s success, Spain began its own maritime ventures. In 1492, Christopher Columbus, sailing for Spain, reached the Caribbean, beginning European contact with the Americas. This was followed by more Spanish expeditions, including those of Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro.

Indigenous American Societies
When Europeans arrived in the Americas, they found diverse and complex civilizations. The Aztec Empire in present-day Mexico and the Inca Empire in South America had developed sophisticated urban centers, agricultural systems, and social structures. Many other indigenous societies throughout the Americas had their own unique cultures, technologies, and ways of life.

The Origins of the Atlantic Slave Trade
The Atlantic slave trade emerged as European colonies in the Americas demanded labor for plantations and mines. While Europeans had initially enslaved indigenous Americans, disease and resistance led them to turn to Africa as a source of forced labor. As noted by Isabel Wilkerson, the concept of race was constructed to justify this exploitation. Europeans created false hierarchies based on physical differences to rationalize their brutal treatment of African peoples.

The Portuguese began trading enslaved Africans in the 1400s, and this horrific practice expanded dramatically with the colonization of the Americas. This system was built on racist ideologies that would have long-lasting effects on global society. The transatlantic slave trade would eventually involve the forced migration of millions of African people, devastating African societies and creating generational trauma that continues to impact communities today.

Legacy
The Age of Exploration created the first truly global network of trade and cultural exchange. However, this period also marked the beginning of European colonialism, the Atlantic slave trade, and the decimation of indigenous populations through disease and violence. These events shaped the modern world and created patterns of inequality that continue to influence global relationships today.