Thursday, February 17, 2011
Hmm, I wonder
I was thinking about the new topic for essay two. How did you all do on your readings?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Essay One
Prior to 1680, Africa’s involvement with the Atlantic world was not a victimized narration of slavery. It’s fantastic how unimportant many historians have not written about the African cultural, religious and social origins of the New World slave trade populations have not been researched until recently. As the story of slavery goes, historian John Thornton argues for this undressed research, Africa’s role and influence upon a more realistic and agency asserted for the culture in Africa and in the New World. According to historian John Thornton’s book: Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1600-1800, the military and elitists of many African countries were able to control their trade negotiations and supplies with European nations for awhile; however, the Africans would loose control of trade negotiations as an increase for demands were made by new European colonizers. In this essay, I will discuss how historian John Thornton described the culture of Africa as it operated in Africa, identify Thornton’s idea about African culture as Africans maintained it in the New World and then compare these two perspectives of what these two ideas had in common or did not have in common.
First, the culture of Africa as it operated in Africa during 1600 until the later 1800s has been debated as a continental homogeneity. “The development of self-sustaining families, reproducing themselves demographically and creating and transmitting a culture” can best describe the African culture as it operated in Africa (Thornton, pg. 168). Family life is composed of the daily routine that includes chores done around the house, preparing meals and having time spent together in play and prayer. Not all culture in Africa had the same family dynamics, but most families were able to remain in stable environment to express themselves aesthetically in their spirituality with similar language that was spoken in their homes, villages and around others that these people would interact with outside of their homes and villages. “”Even in religion beyond the pale of Islam, the people of the region shared broad philosophical concepts received together in the cursed sect of Muhammad”(Thornton, pg. 186). But if cultural homogeneity could not be agreed upon by the current academia, what would an African country identify itself as? According to Thornton, “ in its primary form, the nation was recognized by language… but it also included other marks of group identity, such as scarifications”(Thornton, pg. 185). The African culture of language and religion was believed to be instrumental in the development of the African labor force and its economic system. In areas, such as, the Congo, Sierra Leone and other areas along the Gold Coast, the export of slaves that were either taken forcefully from their villages had created a economic homogeneity by each nation’s linguistic and religious similarities that permitted commercial networking for quality labor.
Second, historian John Thornton’s idea about African culture as Africans maintained it in the New World was analyzed as, that Africans may have been linguistically diverse, there were only three known different cultures that would contribute to the New World. The language and religion of Africans were used in the New World and would be rooted in the new American culture. African culture as diverse as it could be was able to adapt throughout the hardships of forced enslavement. As argued by historian John Thornton, the essential structures of the cultural elements retained by Africans in the New World were derived from Africa, while the incidentals were derived as the results of a cultural contact with the Europeans. The slave trade and subsequent transfer to the New World plantations were not at all random. As Thornton argues, “through the process on enslavement, sale, transfer, shipment and relocation on the plantation was certainly disruptive to the personal and family lives of those people that endured it, its effect on culture may have been much less than many suggest. Slaves, although no longer surrounded by their familiar home environment, village, and family, were nevertheless not in a cultural wilderness when they arrived in America”(pg. 204-05).
In conclusion, the ideas argued by Thornton for the cultural perspective of Africa as it was operated in Africa can be compared to the perspective of culture of Africans in the New World were able to survive enslavement of their family language and spirituality. For a while African nations were strong enough to repel efforts of economic dominations by new European colonizers. As Thornton argued, that neither European nor African would control the slave trade, most African and Europeans just created the trade situation at their own advantage. For example, in Africa the 17th Century kings of Congo would inconsistent with their political appropriations as they rose in power, which would dissolve political relationships but not the spiritual stability of the family structures in Africa. In comparison, the African culture in the New World the culture was more material- as in the constructing of buildings, homes, tools even artwork that was now constructed to be singular and dependent on a particular environment to create these things to build the “material culture”. As argued by Thornton, “ language, aesthetics, philosophy, family structure, and political systems all coexisted, and moreover, are harmonized with each other”(pg. 209). In the New World the African culture could interact with one another without the use of feudal system, as in Africa. The slave trade was maintained its power through the control of violence by an African submission to their capturers and the slaveholder. Conquest of slaves happened when a more distant elite, like the European monarchy, overpowered a regional elite, like a king of Congo. Both states of culture, in Africa and the New World were changing but gaining new power in a new commodity from the human slave trade.
First, the culture of Africa as it operated in Africa during 1600 until the later 1800s has been debated as a continental homogeneity. “The development of self-sustaining families, reproducing themselves demographically and creating and transmitting a culture” can best describe the African culture as it operated in Africa (Thornton, pg. 168). Family life is composed of the daily routine that includes chores done around the house, preparing meals and having time spent together in play and prayer. Not all culture in Africa had the same family dynamics, but most families were able to remain in stable environment to express themselves aesthetically in their spirituality with similar language that was spoken in their homes, villages and around others that these people would interact with outside of their homes and villages. “”Even in religion beyond the pale of Islam, the people of the region shared broad philosophical concepts received together in the cursed sect of Muhammad”(Thornton, pg. 186). But if cultural homogeneity could not be agreed upon by the current academia, what would an African country identify itself as? According to Thornton, “ in its primary form, the nation was recognized by language… but it also included other marks of group identity, such as scarifications”(Thornton, pg. 185). The African culture of language and religion was believed to be instrumental in the development of the African labor force and its economic system. In areas, such as, the Congo, Sierra Leone and other areas along the Gold Coast, the export of slaves that were either taken forcefully from their villages had created a economic homogeneity by each nation’s linguistic and religious similarities that permitted commercial networking for quality labor.
Second, historian John Thornton’s idea about African culture as Africans maintained it in the New World was analyzed as, that Africans may have been linguistically diverse, there were only three known different cultures that would contribute to the New World. The language and religion of Africans were used in the New World and would be rooted in the new American culture. African culture as diverse as it could be was able to adapt throughout the hardships of forced enslavement. As argued by historian John Thornton, the essential structures of the cultural elements retained by Africans in the New World were derived from Africa, while the incidentals were derived as the results of a cultural contact with the Europeans. The slave trade and subsequent transfer to the New World plantations were not at all random. As Thornton argues, “through the process on enslavement, sale, transfer, shipment and relocation on the plantation was certainly disruptive to the personal and family lives of those people that endured it, its effect on culture may have been much less than many suggest. Slaves, although no longer surrounded by their familiar home environment, village, and family, were nevertheless not in a cultural wilderness when they arrived in America”(pg. 204-05).
In conclusion, the ideas argued by Thornton for the cultural perspective of Africa as it was operated in Africa can be compared to the perspective of culture of Africans in the New World were able to survive enslavement of their family language and spirituality. For a while African nations were strong enough to repel efforts of economic dominations by new European colonizers. As Thornton argued, that neither European nor African would control the slave trade, most African and Europeans just created the trade situation at their own advantage. For example, in Africa the 17th Century kings of Congo would inconsistent with their political appropriations as they rose in power, which would dissolve political relationships but not the spiritual stability of the family structures in Africa. In comparison, the African culture in the New World the culture was more material- as in the constructing of buildings, homes, tools even artwork that was now constructed to be singular and dependent on a particular environment to create these things to build the “material culture”. As argued by Thornton, “ language, aesthetics, philosophy, family structure, and political systems all coexisted, and moreover, are harmonized with each other”(pg. 209). In the New World the African culture could interact with one another without the use of feudal system, as in Africa. The slave trade was maintained its power through the control of violence by an African submission to their capturers and the slaveholder. Conquest of slaves happened when a more distant elite, like the European monarchy, overpowered a regional elite, like a king of Congo. Both states of culture, in Africa and the New World were changing but gaining new power in a new commodity from the human slave trade.
Friday, February 4, 2011
All about Me
Good Evening
I am a student of HST 300 with you all. I am so happy to be part of the class and wish everyone well . I hope that your semester goes well for all of you as we learn together historical methodologies. My historical have been based in European, Medieval and Renaissance Arts.
I am a student of HST 300 with you all. I am so happy to be part of the class and wish everyone well . I hope that your semester goes well for all of you as we learn together historical methodologies. My historical have been based in European, Medieval and Renaissance Arts.
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