Abstract The discovery of the New World opened new markets for European colonizers, as well as new sources wealth. In the Americas, the rich and abundant land meant much wealth could be generated through industries such as agriculture. The only missing factor was a cheap source of labor in order to clear and farm the land. For this purpose, European colonizers turned to Africa. The kingdoms of Mali and Ghana were particular sources of slaves, since those kingdoms already had a system of slavery in place. This paper examines the cultural and political history of the kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. It examines how the systems of slavery in these kingdoms differed significantly from the system of slavery in the Americas. Furthermore, the paper looks at how the African slaves sought to preserve their African heritage, despite the different system of slavery predominant in the New World.
From the Paper "Another significant difference lies in the end of slave status. In the African kingdoms, slaves could earn their freedom through work. If they satisfied their debts, they could be removed from slavery. As an example, Sundjata rose from the ranks of slave to become ruler of the Mali Empire. Among the Songhay, slaves were treated not as outcasts, but as part of the extended family (Davidson 209)."
