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Difficulty: MediumWest African Societies and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

In the early sixteenth century, the Portuguese explorer Duarte Pacheco Pereira described trade at the West African estuary of the Senegal River:

'In this country, the inhabitants are called Jalofos [Wolof]... The trade here consists of slaves, whom the local rulers capture in wars among themselves or purchase from neighboring regions. They sell these captives to our merchants in exchange for horses, brass vessels, and red woolen cloth. The local kings hold absolute authority over their lands, and we must pay them customs duties before we are permitted to trade.'
—Duarte Pacheco Pereira, Esmeraldo de Situ Orbis, c. 1505–1508

Which of the following developments in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries is best illustrated by the interaction described in the excerpt?

  1. A
    Spanish authorities extended the encomienda system to West Africa to directly manage agricultural labor and tribute collection.
  2. European merchants relied on trade alliances with sovereign West African rulers who controlled the supply of captives and regulated commerce.Answer
  3. C
    The trade network primarily served to export native West African agricultural products, such as maize and potatoes, to European markets.
  4. D
    Captives traded along the West African coast entered a system of temporary indentured servitude that allowed them to eventually obtain land in Europe.

Answer

European merchants relied on trade alliances with sovereign West African rulers who controlled the supply of captives and regulated commerce.
The excerpt demonstrates that West African rulers maintained absolute authority over their territories and regulated trade with Portuguese merchants, who had to pay customs duties. This highlights that early European trade on the West African coast relied on partnerships and negotiations with sovereign African states rather than direct European conquest or colonization of the interior.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the provided historical source to identify the nature of the relationship between the Portuguese and West African rulers.
The source states that local kings hold absolute authority and that Portuguese traders must pay customs duties to them.
This establishes that West African rulers maintained political sovereignty and controlled the terms of trade.
2
Evaluate each option against the historical context of early transatlantic trade and West African societies.
The correct option alignment is determined by matching the text's description of mutual commerce under African authority with the concept of trade alliances with sovereign rulers.
It correctly identifies that Europeans did not conquer or rule these coastal areas in Period 1 but instead traded with existing sovereign states.

Key Concept

West African sovereignty and commerce in the early transatlantic slave trade
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

West African Societies and the Transatlantic Slave Trade

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