Trade organization was a significant foundation for the impact of cultural exchange between 1495 throughout 1775. This was a period where colonization had rooted most of the European regimes as they scrambled to get a share in other parts of the world. The comic encounters between Americans and European people varied as time progressed, impacting the two entities socially, politically, and economically. There were a lot of items to be traded, including slaves, which brought about the interaction of different cultures and the interbreeding of other ethnicities. As much as there were economic profits from the trade triangles, social norms and institutions were developed due to these trade interactions.
First and foremost, in 1492, Colombus arrived on the Caribbean island with Black men as sailors, and others arrived with the Spanish fleet as soldiers. Sooner and later, the Europeans believed the Africans had a high workforce and could sustain severe conditions, turning them into slaves. That was the birth of slavery, and it was practiced for the next 250 years and acted as the pinnacle of Europe’s economy. The Slave trade being the primary source of trade, led to the emergence of the Black American race that has spread worldwide. Enslaved people in Africa were transported and sold to various bays through the Trans-Atlantic trade. As a result of interbreeding with the Whites, it brought about the Black American ethnicity (Nunn). The cultural exchange and the rise of different ideologies on music, marriages, and other rites were seen as a repercussion of the Trans-Atlantic trade.
Secondly, the slave trade led to an influx of population into the European countries that saw the economy of America and European countries rise beyond measure. Slaves were the main product of trade, and the number of slaves determined people’s wealth. In 1793, the exchange and production of tobacco and cotton increased profits since the slaves worked tirelessly in the fields to martial the flow of products in the market. The Trans-Atlantic trade resulted in the development of machinery that was quite outstanding in that period of time (Nunn). The emergence of the cotton gin helped in cotton production on farms and boosted the economy of many countries since there was enough labor from the available slaves. Moreover, production increased, and the lives of the Whites improved while the poor Blacks remained in shackles of poverty and means of trade and brutality.
Last but not least, despite the positive effects of trade interactions, it led to political instability, ethnic division, and underdevelopment in some states. Human trade led to civil war and the deaths of many people. Many Africans were abducted and taken against their will, where some died due to brutal conditions on the voyage. In contrast, others committed suicide to escape the aftermath of slavery. By the mid-1800, half of the black population was wiped out due to the slave trade since they faced harsh and cruel conditions from their “owners” (Muhammad). In Africa, economic underdevelopment was evident while civil war struck different parts of the Western African countries. The transatlantic trade marked the beginning of racial discrimination that is still evident even after abolishing the slave trade in 1946. Socially, African people faced hardship while the Europeans enjoyed profits from the trade.
In conclusion, trade had both positive and negative impacts on the lives of different individuals at that time. The aftermath of this trade organization is still felt up to now since there is the Black American ethnicity and rise in racial segregation. However, the economic status of America and Europe grew tremendously over the years due to the Trans Atlantic trade and other trade operations between 1492 and the late 1700s. The evolution of farming also improved, increasing food and other products to sell in the market. But this is all due to the slave trade, which was the central trade exchange at that time period. Therefore, trade exchange impacted people socially and economically, which mirrors the current society.
Works Cited
Muhammad, Patricia M. “The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade: European Slaving Corporations, The Papacy and the Issue of Reparations.” Willamette Journal of International Law and Dispute Resolution, vol. 26, no. 1/2, 2019, pp. 173–248.
Nunn, Nathan. “The Long-Term Effects of Africa’s Slave Trades.” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, vol. 123, no. 1, 2008, pp. 139–76.
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