How was the continent of Africa enslaved from the 15th to 19th century? Was it because the technology of the Europeans was that much better for them to be able to do that?

Question

How was the continent of Africa enslaved from the 15th to 19th century? Was it because the technology of the Europeans was that much better for them to be able to do that?

In: 1

Answer 1

I think it would be wrong to say that Africa was enslaved.

Two different things happened.

Europeans bought enslaved people mostly from other Africans to ship to the Americas and elsewhere.

Europeans also colonized most of Africa. While some of the ways that European colonizer lorded over the locals qualified as slavery, much of it was not quite there.

For the most part Europeans had the advantage of more advanced military tech similar to how they had that advantage over the native Americans. Unlike with the Americas, Africa actually had the advantage when it came to diseases, especially in the tropical regions.

So outside of the North and very south of the continent. Europeans never settled in large numbers. they had skeleton crews that ruled the lands with the help of native proxies who did most of the work and who in turn ruled over the other natives.

The often exploited tribal and ethnic rivalries or created new ones to have a class of loyal subject who would help them exploit the others.