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The Slave Trade in Africa: An Ongoing Holocaust
Is it true that the trans-Atlantic slave trade, about which so much has been heard in recent years, would have been impossible without the willing and enthusiastic cooperation of African leaders? Slavery was a common practice in Africa long before the arrival of Europeans, with the trade in black slaves, who were transported from Africa to America and the islands of the Caribbean, aided by the African traders who benefited from the arrangement. Even when Europe and America outlawed slavery and the slave trade, those living in Africa clung tenaciously to the old ways and refused to relinquish what was, to them, a time-honored custom. Is it for this reason that slavery lingers on in Africa to this day?
In this book, Simon Webb explores the history of slavery in Africa and finds that it was not necessarily imposed upon the continent by Europeans, but was rather an integral part of many, perhaps most, cultures. Even when the British deployed their army and navy to try to suppress the trade in slaves during the nineteenth century, their efforts were largely ineffectual because many societies saw no reason to give up such an old, useful and profitable system.
At a time when the subject of the trans-Atlantic slave trade is seldom out of the news, this book provides a challenge to the popularly accepted view of the matter. Nobody reading it will ever view slavery and the slave trade in quite the same light again.
In this book, Simon Webb explores the history of slavery in Africa and finds that it was not necessarily imposed upon the continent by Europeans, but was rather an integral part of many, perhaps most, cultures. Even when the British deployed their army and navy to try to suppress the trade in slaves during the nineteenth century, their efforts were largely ineffectual because many societies saw no reason to give up such an old, useful and profitable system.
At a time when the subject of the trans-Atlantic slave trade is seldom out of the news, this book provides a challenge to the popularly accepted view of the matter. Nobody reading it will ever view slavery and the slave trade in quite the same light again.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 23, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 5, 2025
This book was written, as stated by the author, as a reply to the movement condemning all legacies of slave traders and slave owners in the United Kingdom in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, specifically the dunking of the statue of Edward Colston in Bristol harbour, and to counteract an alleged narrative that there was only one slave trade (the triangular Atlantic trade, specifically the Middle Passage) which was imposed on innocent Africans by evil white people.
In that respect, the author completely misses the point he is trying to address, besides raising a straw man argument.
The current debate in the United Kingdom (which must be distinguished from that in the USA although there are clear parallels) concerns race relations and societal injustices in the United Kingdom, which have their primary roots in the Atlantic slave trade *and no other*. Black people in the United Kingdom in the main have family roots in the Caribbean and the only reason that they do is because of the Atlantic slave trade. That is why there is such a concentration on that time and space. It affects people in the United Kingdom *now*. It affects social justice *now*. It affects race relations *now*.
No other forms of slavery across history and across the world have the same immediate impact on life in the United Kingdom today.
Hence a detailed examination of slavery throughout Africa’s history, and of the active role played by Africans in enslaving fellow Africans before the Atlantic slave trade, during the Atlantic slave trade, and after the Atlantic slave trade, as well as a detailed examination of how white Europeans were enslaved by North Africans well into the 19th century smacks of anti-woke whataboutism.
Nevertheless, if one looks at the work without its dubious motivation, this is a fascinating historical account.
It is clear that Africans have widely practiced slavery (that is the selling of human beings as chattels as opposed to the modern definition of slavery which includes all forms of unpaid work) well before the arrival of white colonists, as independently evidenced by Muslim explorers who described African kingdoms as built on the institution of slavery, well before any European explorers reached them. It is also clear from extensive contemporary evidence that these African kingdoms benefited from selling African slaves into the triangular trade and resisted its abolition, but that this trade was vastly inflated by the demand of white colonists for slave labour. It is also clear that slavery continued to be practiced in African countries after decolonisation. So it is true that slavery was not imposed on Africa by white people.
That however does not expunge the guilt of white people for participating in that trade in the way they did.
It is also fascinating to read of how the Barbary states of North Africa raided European countries for white slaves (going as far as raiding Baltimore in the nascent USA) and that this only stopped when the USA intervened militarily with its first naval expedition and its first ground war on foreign ground - to free Americans and other Christians held in slavery. In the mid-1800s.
Even though this is recent history for the United Kingdom as well as other European countries, that slave trade did not have an ongoing social impact in the United Kingdom in the same way as the Atlantic slave trade still does. Principally because the unfortunates who were snatched did not return to be discriminated against and for their descendants to be ill treated in the same way. Which is why the position of Black people from the Caribbean in the United Kingdom is so relevant.
The account of the Muslim slave traders depopulating large parts of Eastern Africa in a slave trade that lasted vastly longer than the Atlantic slave trade and involved vastly more slaves than the Atlantic slave trade is fascinating and terrifying in equal measure, but does not exculpate white traders and white nations. The fact that evil was widespread does not make examples of evil any less appalling.
To conclude, this is a very interesting work of history, but with a dubious motivation. I agree that other forms of slavery need to be better known by the wider public to prevent revisionist narratives gaining traction. But I disagree with the author insofar that I believe concentrating on the Atlantic slave trade and its ongoing impact on life in the United Kingdom is wholly appropriate. The legacy of that dark period of history cannot be washed away by the subsequent efforts to suppress the slave trade or by pointing out that others also benefited from it, or by bemoaning other times in history when slaver nations were also subject to slave raids. It’s not a zero sum game.
Overall this was a good read, hence three stars. I might read it again in due course, in which case the score would rise. I wondered whether to score it two stars due to the disturbance of the dubious motivation, but decided against in the end as this book - thankfully - did not attempt to justify or diminish the monstrosity of the Atlantic slave trade, much to the contrary. I do feel however that the author made an error of judgement in underestimating the contemporary relevance of that trade compared to all others.
In that respect, the author completely misses the point he is trying to address, besides raising a straw man argument.
The current debate in the United Kingdom (which must be distinguished from that in the USA although there are clear parallels) concerns race relations and societal injustices in the United Kingdom, which have their primary roots in the Atlantic slave trade *and no other*. Black people in the United Kingdom in the main have family roots in the Caribbean and the only reason that they do is because of the Atlantic slave trade. That is why there is such a concentration on that time and space. It affects people in the United Kingdom *now*. It affects social justice *now*. It affects race relations *now*.
No other forms of slavery across history and across the world have the same immediate impact on life in the United Kingdom today.
Hence a detailed examination of slavery throughout Africa’s history, and of the active role played by Africans in enslaving fellow Africans before the Atlantic slave trade, during the Atlantic slave trade, and after the Atlantic slave trade, as well as a detailed examination of how white Europeans were enslaved by North Africans well into the 19th century smacks of anti-woke whataboutism.
Nevertheless, if one looks at the work without its dubious motivation, this is a fascinating historical account.
It is clear that Africans have widely practiced slavery (that is the selling of human beings as chattels as opposed to the modern definition of slavery which includes all forms of unpaid work) well before the arrival of white colonists, as independently evidenced by Muslim explorers who described African kingdoms as built on the institution of slavery, well before any European explorers reached them. It is also clear from extensive contemporary evidence that these African kingdoms benefited from selling African slaves into the triangular trade and resisted its abolition, but that this trade was vastly inflated by the demand of white colonists for slave labour. It is also clear that slavery continued to be practiced in African countries after decolonisation. So it is true that slavery was not imposed on Africa by white people.
That however does not expunge the guilt of white people for participating in that trade in the way they did.
It is also fascinating to read of how the Barbary states of North Africa raided European countries for white slaves (going as far as raiding Baltimore in the nascent USA) and that this only stopped when the USA intervened militarily with its first naval expedition and its first ground war on foreign ground - to free Americans and other Christians held in slavery. In the mid-1800s.
Even though this is recent history for the United Kingdom as well as other European countries, that slave trade did not have an ongoing social impact in the United Kingdom in the same way as the Atlantic slave trade still does. Principally because the unfortunates who were snatched did not return to be discriminated against and for their descendants to be ill treated in the same way. Which is why the position of Black people from the Caribbean in the United Kingdom is so relevant.
The account of the Muslim slave traders depopulating large parts of Eastern Africa in a slave trade that lasted vastly longer than the Atlantic slave trade and involved vastly more slaves than the Atlantic slave trade is fascinating and terrifying in equal measure, but does not exculpate white traders and white nations. The fact that evil was widespread does not make examples of evil any less appalling.
To conclude, this is a very interesting work of history, but with a dubious motivation. I agree that other forms of slavery need to be better known by the wider public to prevent revisionist narratives gaining traction. But I disagree with the author insofar that I believe concentrating on the Atlantic slave trade and its ongoing impact on life in the United Kingdom is wholly appropriate. The legacy of that dark period of history cannot be washed away by the subsequent efforts to suppress the slave trade or by pointing out that others also benefited from it, or by bemoaning other times in history when slaver nations were also subject to slave raids. It’s not a zero sum game.
Overall this was a good read, hence three stars. I might read it again in due course, in which case the score would rise. I wondered whether to score it two stars due to the disturbance of the dubious motivation, but decided against in the end as this book - thankfully - did not attempt to justify or diminish the monstrosity of the Atlantic slave trade, much to the contrary. I do feel however that the author made an error of judgement in underestimating the contemporary relevance of that trade compared to all others.
June 11, 2023
A necessary book but writing could be improved
Oversimplification is inevitable in thinking about aspects of history in which we are not academic specialists. But it is readily taken to extremes and belief that "the slave trade" began and ended with the transatlantic trade in and horrific abuse of black Africans by Europeans is a crass example. Such myths lead to inappropriate actions.
This book covers the entire history of slavery in relation to Africa including enslavement of Europeans by Muslims and Africans by Africans. It indicates sources and for me shed light on history I had misunderstood or been ignorant of.
It could do with heavy editing to cut repetition and the Kindle version would be improved by clickable links to the references and illustrations.
But even in its present form it should be much more widely read.
Oversimplification is inevitable in thinking about aspects of history in which we are not academic specialists. But it is readily taken to extremes and belief that "the slave trade" began and ended with the transatlantic trade in and horrific abuse of black Africans by Europeans is a crass example. Such myths lead to inappropriate actions.
This book covers the entire history of slavery in relation to Africa including enslavement of Europeans by Muslims and Africans by Africans. It indicates sources and for me shed light on history I had misunderstood or been ignorant of.
It could do with heavy editing to cut repetition and the Kindle version would be improved by clickable links to the references and illustrations.
But even in its present form it should be much more widely read.
April 20, 2023
Just the facts
An excellently researched book, exposing the myth that ‘The Slave Trade’ was a one-time event in which Europeans transported Africans across the Atlantic.
Written without judgement of the moral character of what any group did or didn’t do, and without accusing anyone today of being guilty of the actions of their ancestors.
Just the facts.
An excellently researched book, exposing the myth that ‘The Slave Trade’ was a one-time event in which Europeans transported Africans across the Atlantic.
Written without judgement of the moral character of what any group did or didn’t do, and without accusing anyone today of being guilty of the actions of their ancestors.
Just the facts.
November 10, 2025
I need more people to read this book.
Deeply disgusted to see that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church justified slavery using the "Curse of Ham" doctrine.
Deeply disgusted to see that the Ethiopian Orthodox Church justified slavery using the "Curse of Ham" doctrine.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews