Effects of Slave Trade on EAST Africa Slave Trade had a deep impact on the social and economic set up of East Africa. 1. Itledtodepopulation.TheinvolvementofEastAfricasocietiesinslavetradeledtothedecreasein thenumberofpeopleintheregion.Thiswasbecauselargenumberofslaveswasexportedoutside EastAfrica.Otherpeoplelosttheirlivesintheprocessofresistingtobetakenasslaves 2. ItledtothecreationoffearandinsecurityintheeastAfricansocieties.However,afterthe introductionofslavetradeinEastAfricatherewasastateofinsecuritywithintheregion.Thiswas becausestrongstatescouldinvadeweakstatesandcaptureslaves.Forexample,Bugandacould invadeBunyoro.Thisprocessinvolvedwarsandmassmigrationbecausepeoplefearedtobe captured.Alltheseinterruptedpre-colonialAfricasocialsetup SlaveTradeintensifiedsocialclassesinEastAfrica.Thismeansthatthereweresocialclassesinthe societies.However,thesituationbecameworseaftertheintroductionofslavetradeintheregion. ThiswasbecausechiefscouldengageintradeandexploitwealthfromitforexamplechiefMirambo ofNyamwezi.Thiscreatedinequalitybetweenthosewhoparticipated(chiefs)againsttheirsubjects whichrankedchiefstobeinhigherclassleavingotherstobelowerclass. 3. Itledtothespreadofpolygamy;aftertheintroductionofslavetradeinEastAfrica,polygamous practicesbecamecommon.Thiswasbecauseslavetradewashedoutmen.Asaresult,therewasa scarcityofmeninnumberastheyoutcompetedmenintermsofratio.Therefore,theyhadnoother optionratherthanmorethanonewifetoshareonemanhenceviolatingorinterruptingthesocialculturalpre-colonialsocietiesofeastAfrica 4. Economically,itledtothefollowinginterruptions;Destructionoflocaltrade;beforecolonialtimes, Africansocietieswerestronglyorganizedeconomically.Theycouldparticipateinproductionand trade.Forexample,insouth-WesternTanganyika,Fipasmithsexchangedtheirproductforcloth woveninRukwaandalsopot,cloth,ironandsaltwerethestapleofregiontrade.However,withthe comingofslavetrade,allthesewereinterruptedthusleadingtotheunderdevelopmentofthe region 5. Itledtothedeclineofagriculturalproduction;thiswasbecauseAfricanmanpowersweretakento ArabicfarmsespeciallyinZanzibarandotherpartsofMiddleEast.Theremainingpopulationwas theagedpeopleandchildrenwhocouldnotproduceenoughhencedeclineinagricultural production. 6. Itledtothedeclineoflocalindustries;inpre-colonialsocietiestherewerelocalskilledpeoplelike ironsmelters,skilledcraftsandpotterymakers.ForexampleKisswomenofNyasaLakebartered theirpotsfromhousetohouseinNyakusavillage.TheyalsomadeclothesfrombarkinBuhahaya, UnyakyusaandBuganda. Althoughslavetradeinterruptedsocialandeconomicdevelopmentinpre-colonialeastAfricasocieties,to someextentitledtodevelopmentoftownsandcities,forexampleZanzibar,UjijiandTabora,riseof
Missionaries came to East Africa for various reasons. These were economic, social, and humanitarian in nature. The missionaries had the ambition to spread Christianity to the people of East Africa. This would be through preaching and teaching the holy gospel so that many would get converted to Christianity They wanted to fight against slave trade in East Africa. Earlier travelers like John Speke and James Grant, H.M. Stanley, Dr. David Livingstone and others had reported about the evils of slave trade in East Africa. Christian missionaries therefore came with an intention of putting an end to end introducing or replacing it with legitimate trade. Missionaries wanted to resettle the freed slaves in East Africa by setting up resettlement centers both in the interior and at the coast for example at Bagamoyo and Free town near Mombasa. They wanted to check on the spread of Islam in East Africa from the coast with intentions of converting many to Christianity. Some missiona
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