The Long Term Effects Of Africas Slave Trades The Long Term

The Long Term Effects Of Africas Slave Trades The Long Term Effects Of Africas Slave Trades Nunn N 2008 The Long Term Effects Of Africas Slave Trades Quart Nunn, N. (2008). The Long Term Effects of Africa's Slave Trades. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 123(1), . Introduction: Nunn’s article begins by stating the need for the research. He states that parts of Africa have continuously faced economic underdevelopment (a trend that still continues to this day).

This economic underdevelopment has typically been attributed to Africa’s colonialist past (especially European colonialism) and Africa’s many waves of slave trading. Citing a lack of empirical analysis on the latter topic, Nunn proceeds with the thesis of his paper: African countries more affected by the slave trades are more likely to face current economic underdevelopment and stagnation. Nunn recognized that this negative relationship between countries most affected by slave trade and current GDP may not have a causal connection. For this reason, he goes on to rule out any other intervening variables that could serve as a better explanation. One of the main possibilities of an alternative casual explanation is that the countries most affected were countries that were already struggling (before 1400 A.D.) To rule out this rival hypothesis, Nunn consulted two different sources of information: (1) African Historical experts on why certain areas were selected over others to be involved in the slave trades, and (2) historic population data for various African countries.

Both seem to disprove the rival hypothesis because data shows that the areas most affected by the slave trades are the areas that were the most developed previously. Historical Background: The African Slave Trades lasted for about half of a millennium (approximately) and essentially cut the population of Africa in half. There were four main waves of slave trading focusing on different regions at different times, but the most recognized is known as the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. (Slaves shipped from West/West Central Africa to Europe and the Americas) · The three other waves include: the trans-Saharan slave trade, the Red Sea slave trade, and the Indian Ocean slave trade. · The African slave trades are the most massive in history with approximately 12 million people exported in just the trans-Atlantic trade (6 million in the 3 others combined) (figures not including those who died in raids or travel).

Another reason that Nunn stated for the uniqueness of these trades is that this was the first time that certain ethnicities began to enslave their own people. · Nunn stated that this is a direct cause of increased “social and ethnic fragmentation” that weakened states and pre-trade institutions. (This also highly contributed to

rampant amoral familism and the destruction of the African tribal system (C.f. George Ayittey)) · The slave trades caused much infighting between different African groups. This led to a further deterioration of prior social, political, and judicial institutions. Corruption grew uncontrollably.

Slave Export Data: · Nunn states that his mode of measurement for this study is the number of slaves taken from each country during the years. · To obtain the total number of slaves exported from Africa, Nunn used shipping data from 34,584 voyages from as well as other databases that have been extensively compiled over several years. · In order to locate where the slaves originated from in Africa, Nunn looked at data that reported their ethnic identities. (Data from “records of sale, slave registers, slave runaway notices, court records, church records, and notarial documents.”) · Nunn then created an algorithm to try and accurately show (as much as humanly possible) in which region each slave originated.

Basic Correlations: OLS Estimates · This section is very math intensive, but basically Nunn runs several linear regression models showing that there is indeed a relationship between countries with a history of high slave trade and low GDP (2000 was the year used). He uses the same methods to show how other rival hypotheses are not adequate in addressing causality. Conclusions: · The African slave trade is a significant contribution to current economic underdevelopment in the region. Ethnic fractionalization and the destruction of institutions are byproducts that continue to manifest themselves in modern day Africa.

Data (qualitative and quantitative) also shows that more affected areas were previously more developed.

The slave trade definitely contributed to stunted growth.

Paper For Above instruction The long-lasting impacts of Africa's slave trades have been a subject of academic inquiry, particularly in understanding how historical events influence contemporary economic conditions. Nunn’s 2008 study critically examines the hypothesis that the transatlantic slave trade and other regional slave trading waves have significantly contributed to persistent underdevelopment in Africa today. By analyzing both historical and empirical data, Nunn offers a comprehensive perspective on the enduring consequences of these historical phenomena on African social, political, and economic structures.

Historically, Africa experienced four primary waves of slave trading from about the 7th to the 19th centuries, with the transatlantic trade ranking as the most massive in scale, involving approximately 12 million individuals. These trades were characterized not only by the sheer number of people affected but also by their implications for African societal organization. Notably, the fact that certain regions and ethnic

groups were targeted for enslavement, often based on their socio-political status, resulted in significant social fragmentation and weakened state institutions. Furthermore, the scale of the transatlantic trade marked the first instance in history where African ethnicities enslaved their own people, leading to heightened ethnic and social divides (Williams, 2010). This internal fragmentation was exacerbated by ongoing conflicts and warfare spurred by the demand for slaves, which further destabilized local governance and judicial systems (Akyeampong, 2015).

Nunn’s approach to establishing causality relies on rigorous empirical analysis, employing Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression models to assess the relationship between the intensity of slave trade exports from each African country and their respective GDP figures in 2000. His methodology involves detailed data collection from over 34,000 voyages, slave registers, court records, and church documents, which was used to ascertain the ethnic origins of the slaves and their respective regions. This data was then analyzed to determine whether regions that were more affected by slave trading historically also suffered from lower levels of economic development in modern times. His results indicate a statistically significant negative correlation between the historical prevalence of slave trading and contemporary GDP levels, even after controlling for alternative explanations such as pre-existing development levels and geographic factors (Nunn, 2008).

The findings underscore that areas with a higher history of slave trading tend to be less economically developed today, suggesting a long-term causal link. Nunn’s analysis also rules out alternative explanations, such as the idea that these regions were already impoverished before the onset of slave trading; in fact, his research demonstrates that more developed regions in Africa prior to 1400 were more affected by the slave trades. These insights support the argument that the slave trade had a disruptive effect on African development by destroying social cohesion and institutional capacity (Nunn, 2008). Moreover, the demographic upheavals caused by slave exports led to long-lasting social fragmentation, which inhibits effective governance and economic activity even centuries later.

The implications of Nunn’s research extend beyond historical analysis, emphasizing the importance of understanding historical causes in policy-making and development strategies. Recognizing that the legacy of the slave trade continues to influence African economies today suggests that efforts to foster development must address these deep-rooted social and institutional problems. Programs aiming to rebuild trust, strengthen governance, and promote socio-economic stability can therefore benefit from incorporating the historical context provided by Nunn’s findings (Collier, 2010). Ensuring that

development interventions are sensitive to these historical legacies may increase their effectiveness in fostering sustainable economic growth across the continent.

In conclusion, Nunn’s study provides compelling evidence that the transatlantic slave trade and other regional slave trades have left a profound imprint on Africa’s contemporary economic landscape. This legacy of social fragmentation, weakened institutions, and demographic upheaval continues to hamper development prospects today. As such, understanding these historical processes is crucial for designing effective policies aimed at overcoming the structural disadvantages rooted in the continent’s traumatic past. Future research could expand on these findings by exploring the specific mechanisms through which social and institutional decay persists and by evaluating targeted intervention strategies to mitigate these long-term effects.

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