...Shameeza Subtil Professor Lindo African American Arts May 5, 2010 Exploring African Influence on the West Indian/Caribbean Culture It is rather interesting that in a “progressive” society, our behavior and practices are firmly rooted in our past. It is ever possible to wrest ourselves from the harsh realities of slavery and its ensuing impact upon Caribbean way of life? Probably to do so may mean rewriting history (our-story) or maybe knowledge of where we are coming from is what we need to help us embrace those parts of our history that must be held on to and celebrated and relinquish the undesirable parts: our acceptance of being powerless; our antagonistic propensities. The impact of West Indian slavery on the cultural landscape of the Caribbean cannot be under estimated or taken for granted. In the entire discourse on West Indian slavery, it is often taken for granted that the discussion centers solely on enslaved Africans. However, slavery brought to the region not only African but Europeans (Spaniards, French and British) and consequent to its abolition, there was the advent of the east Indians. We see the impact of their influence in the names of places; the foods we eat; our music and dance; our arts and craft, gender and sexuality. As these and other anecdotal evidences are examined and the academic contributions of others are analysed, Caribbean culture will be clearly defined and its origin established. Slavery and its attending impact upon Caribbean culture have been...
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...clarification: • African identity- this term will be used interchangeable. (1) realizing the African continent commonality, (2) the culture and behavior of the slaves (African born and creoles)—basically what defines the slaves’ identity. • Creoles- (1) Atlantic creoles that are phenotypically and culturally mixed with African and European cultures. The Dynamic African identity: Coping with Slavery Upon considering the changes and the creation of an “African” identity (definition 2), it is important to realize that similar to the constantly changing slavery due to the frequent shifts in the social, political, and economic contexts, the “African” identity was also dynamic. Although the overall reason that prompted the development of the notion of the African continent (definition 1) might be similar across the board of slavery, the specifics of what constituted this identity (ex: religion, family formation) is largely dependent on the time period and region being discussed—ex: the 17th Century African identity in North America is different from the 18th Century identity in Europe. Several factors that enhanced the creation of the African identity (definition 2) include: (1) ability to form families as a result of the gender ratio, mortality rates, segregation from other slaves, (2) population ratio of native-born to creolized slaves, and (3) religious movement that were characteristic of the time and space. These three factors allowed for the African identity to...
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... The European influence on non-western society began a cultural shift to the European culture in more of a decentering, rather than reclamation to its own culture. Keywords: Culture, decentering, westernization. Introduction The non-western cultures faced many changes through the beginning of the twentieth century. Slavery and Christianity was a huge part in those changes. Centering of culture results in a change in one’s own culture. As the world began to modernize, cultures began to become part of the civilization that was thrust upon them. “Worldwide, non-Western cultures faced fundamental challenges to their cultural identities—not so much a recentering of culture but a decentering of culture.” The word westernization equates to transformation to the modern ways of the world, or modernization. One must be able to distinguish the two terms. Modernization is an overhaul of the current society. Prior to the Europeans, the only other contibutors to the modernization of Africa were the Arabs. The Arab nations introduced Islam to the African culture ("Westernization - Africa,"n.d.). Through the late nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century, Western Cultures began to modernize technology, communication and expand their armed forces. Western culture had been given political power, accompanied by economic gains from outside culture. As Western culture exploded, others were held in fear of the change and lacked progression (Sayre, 2010). The influence of the...
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...Height of slave trade A Point of No Return in Ouidah, Benin, a former gateway for slaves to slave ships. Slavery had long been practiced in Africa.[38][39] Between the 7th and 20th centuries, Arab slave trade (also known as slavery in the East) took 18 million slaves from Africa via trans-Saharan and Indian Ocean routes. Between the 15th and the 19th centuries (500 years), the Atlantic slave trade took an estimated 7–12 million slaves to the New World. In West Africa, the decline of the Atlantic slave trade in the 1820s caused dramatic economic shifts in local polities. The gradual decline of slave-trading, prompted by a lack of demand for slaves in the New World, increasing anti-slavery legislation in Europe and America, and the British Royal Navy's increasing presence off the West African coast, obliged African states to adopt new economies. Between 1808 and 1860, the British West Africa Squadron seized approximately 1,600 slave ships and freed 150,000 Africans who were aboard. Action was also taken against African leaders who refused to agree to British treaties to outlaw the trade, for example against "the usurping King of Lagos", deposed in 1851. Anti-slavery treaties were signed with over 50 African rulers. The largest powers of West Africa (the Asante Confederacy, the Kingdom of Dahomey, and the Oyo Empire) adopted different ways of adapting to the shift. Asante and Dahomey concentrated on the development of "legitimate commerce" in the form of palm oil...
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...Influences on the Middle East and trans-Atlantic slave trade In Race and Slavery in the Middle East An Historical Enquiry, the author, Bernard Lewis, tackles difficult subjects such as slavery and racism without prejudice and manages to explain the slave trade development in the Middle East along with the great influence and contribution it had on the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Whether it was by enforcing institutions, networks, commercial patterns or Middle Eastern concepts or by following different ways of the slave trade. With his impartial academic analysis, the reader is able to comprehend the history behind the region where slavery lasted the longest. His twenty-four colorful illustrations where the reader can appreciate the culture of slavery are a great example of local perceptions in the Middle East. Slavery in the Middle East was a tolerable institution. From the very beginning the reader can appreciate that “the institution of slavery indeed had been practiced from time immemorial” and thus establishing the slave trade in the Middle East as something passed down from ancient civilizations. Although the methods for obtaining slaves changed throughout the time something that stay in consistency about the slave trade in the Middle East was tolerance. Tolerance, for the Middle Eastern, not only meant acceptance but compassion. All communities were united in order to urge slave owners to treat their slaves as humanely as possible and to ensure this policy was followed...
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...the Dominican Republic begin? What European countries influenced the development of these nations? - Haiti and the Dominican Republic is an island with two countries of Hispaniola. Haiti makes up 1/3 of the island while the Dominican Republic makes up the rest of the 2/3 of the island. The Dominican Republic contains a mix blood of Afro-European population with the history of Spanish colonialism, while Haiti has African-caribbean population with the background of french colonialism. 2) What role did colonization have in the development of the concept of race in the Dominican Republic? What are the differences between the concept of race in Haiti and the Domincan Republic? What is the meaning of the term "Indio" in the Domincan Republic? How do Indios see the Haitians? - In 1492, Christopher Columbus was a huge influence in the colonization of the Dominican Republic. The hispaniola island originally had the majority of the population of african americans. The colonization had a diversity of european and african mix. The Dominican Republic has more of a lighter skinned population whereas Haiti has more of a darker skinned population. People in the Dominican Republic describe individual races by blanco which means white and indio which means darker skinned. Indios reject Haiti and are in denial of african ancestry. 3) What is the role of the sugar cane industry in both countries? How did the change to cattle raising affect slavery in the Dominican Republic? -The Dominican...
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...The influence of Caribbean Islands to the US Progress. Haiti became under two European colonizers such as French and Spanish. Haitians also suffered from slavery, from forced labor both under the French and Spanish colonization. During those years, many of their native leaders had attempted several revolts but failed many times. With great effort and unceasing determination for freedom, Haiti gained their independence at last in 1804. Haiti thus emerged into the world as the first black independent republic on January 1st, 1804. It’s revolution against colonialism and slavery was the first successful black movement resulting into an independent state headed by blacks, . On January 1, 1804, the heroes of the Independence, to honor the memory of the Indians who had been massacred by the Spanish renamed the island under its original Taino name, Haiti. Haiti in Taino means “High land”, “high ground” or “mountainous land” (Synopsis of Haitian History, 2007). Many would think that since Haiti was entirely independent from any European influences, it would be smooth sailing for Haiti with regard to its governance. On the contrary, this did not happen. Many Haiti emperors/leaders in succession became tyrants and they served like their masters – Spanish and French leaders. Others became greedy for power that they clung to their post for quite a time that the Haitians themselves once again espoused their ancestors’ being militants by forcefully ousting them from their post. It was only...
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...to expand their territory and bring inferior race’s under its control. The Europeans would not be the first to expand however they did go one step further, choosing occupied areas. Africa, Asia and the Pacific were three of the first areas to be conquered and permanently occupied. Industrial Revolution empowered Europeans in a way they hadn’t been empowered before; industrialization and technology changed the very nature of imperialism. The European’s possessed knowledge of technology and fire power that no one else could compare to. The Europeans felt that it was their duty as well as their right to progress the rest of human civilization by teaching them their own western ways. Because the Europeans reaped the benefits of profit and global power they felt as if they were justified in their actions. Regardless of how powerful the Europeans were, not everyone shared their views. People questioned their motives and claims of everyone benefiting from the European-style colonization. Eventually those who became subject to the Europeans, became aware of the own lost culture and ways, this began the protest of anti-colonial nationalist. Justifications of Imperialism “Something else is needed for France: that she cannot merely be a free country, that she must also be a great country, exercising all of her rightful influence over the destiny of Europe; that she ought to propagate this influence throughout the world and carry everywhere that she can hear her language,...
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...The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade took place from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries. During the Atlantic Slave Trade between twelve to twenty million slaves were brought to the Americas from Africa. An estimated two million Africans did not make it across the Atlantic to the Americas. The Atlantic Slave Trade was part of the Triangular Trade; trade that went from Europe to Africa on to the Americas then back to Europe, creating a triangular shape across the Atlantic Ocean. Millions of slaves were forced to come to the Americas from their home in Africa. This had many effects on not only Africa and the Americas, but the rest of the world also. So, what were the effects of the Atlantic Slave Trade? The biggest effect the Atlantic Slave Trade had was the help in the development of the Americas. Population loss and social disruption from trade caused the underdevelopment of Africa. The culture in the Americas also changed as the slaves brought their culture with them. Although there were many negative effects from the Atlantic Slave Trade there were also some positive ones. The slaves had a large impact on the development in the Americas as they caused the growth in agriculture and the economy. If the slaves were not brought over to the Americas, the development would not have been as fast or large. Because they were forced to work long hours and do jobs nobody else wanted to do. Because they were cheap labor, landowners could buy many so there would be more slaves...
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...the Western culture reaped accomplishments, other cultures feared the change and the progression. Struggling with the influence of the western cultures the non-western cultures had their own ways and their own values; they were not ready to take on neither change nor modifications, creating a decentering of their own culture, as they began losing their own identities. Due to the globalization of the nineteenth to the twentieth century non western cultures were faced with the influences of the western cultures, causing a decentering of their own culture. During the twentieth century such things as fashion, music, traditions, media, communication, and technology began to change and modernize to the times. Technology and communication has had an overwhelming growth since the nineteenth century. Some cultures such as music and literature has been passed down from generation to generation. There are many cultures that suffered decentering, such as Africa. The impact that the European culture had on Africa was devastating, as families and villages began to fall as men were sold or traded as slaves The African culture had many of their own traditions and their region flourished prior to the Europeans. The African nation lived quietly in large villages made up primarily of families, with each village having one leader. Art, music, and dance were a big part of the African culture. Part of their traditions was to dance at “stages of human development, the passing of the seasons or stages...
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...discussed topic regarding Africa because of more popular topics such as slavery is the contributions from other nations that aided the continents development. Who would have known that places and people that were once irrelevant to the continent of Africa would have such an amazing impact on it? The British and Portuguese have had a tremendous impact on many things and the development of Africa. The things the Portuguese brought to Africa, mainly West Africa, consisted of the negative and positive things including culture, religion, cultivation, and slavery. British also had a significant role in many parts of the developing Africa. It seems as if the Portuguese had more of an effect on Africa than Britain did. The reason that the Portuguese had such an impact on Africa in the aspect of culture because of language, instruments, music, and dances. They are the reason why a lot of the African colonies speak Portuguese as their official language. Africans adopted the flute, clarinet, guitar, violin, cello, accordion, tambourine, and piano from the Portuguese. When the Portuguese arrived in Africa, they also brought the tradition of familiar rhythms, including the polka, the waltz, and the march, creating an entirely new kind of music in West Africa (Nosotro 1). I believe the most important tradition passed onto the Africans by the Portuguese was the religion of Christianity. Before the Portuguese most Africans didn’t practice a religion and they were killing each other off by cannibalism...
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...Westernization and European Influences on Various Cultures Angela Lancaster AIU Online HUMA215-1205B-19 Abstract We are asked to analyze and interpret a quotation about the confrontation of Western civilization with other people whose values were often dramatically opposed to the West’s. We are asked to discuss what would the loss of centeredness of culture have meant for a given cultural group. To select from the non-western cultural groups and research the impact of Western or European cultures on the group chosen. Finally we are asked to give an opinion on how non-western culture was prior to the late nineteenth century and how did it change as a result of European expansion. There are several cultures that were affected by the westernization and the colonization of the Europeans. A few of these cultures are the Native Americans, Africans, Chinese, and Japanese. Each of these different cultures had drawn in different ideals, some good, and some bad. Asia did not have as many problems with westernization as the Native Americans and the Africans. The entire culture of the Native Americans and Africans were destroyed from European expansion and colonization, whereas the Chinese and Japanese retained much of their heritage by remaining out of touch with the western world. (Sayre, 2012) The Native Americans had a civilization that was basic and traditional, and it remained that way for several hundred if not thousands of years. They lived off of the land...
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...Africa Unlike the Atlantic world, slavery in East Africa looked a little different. Slavery in Africa portrayed a complex use of labor, the exercise of rights in person, and of exploitation and coercion tempered by negotiation and accommodation. However the most common features on slavery in East Africa is the fact that it varies overtime and place. For instance, according to Miers and Roberts, “Slaves might be menial field workers, downtrodden servants, cherished concubines, surrogate kin, trusted trading agents, high officials, army commanders, ostracized social group dedicated to a deity…( 5). Perhaps the largest difference between slavery in East Africa versus slavery in the Atlantic world or the new world was the people who regulated slave trade. It is popularly known in African history that the British, French, Germans and the Spaniards played significant roles in the extrapolation of African people and their resources in the slave trade and, later, colonialism. However in East Africa, those who were in power were the Arab who, similar to the European colonial powers, found Africa to be abundant in profitable resources and sought to acquire the resources through free and forced slave labor in East Africa. Much like their European counterparts, the Arabs conducted slavery in the same repressive manner. In defining slavery, Frederick Cooper, in his book “Plantation Slavery on the East Coast of Africa” writes, “When comparing slavery in different historical contexts, it...
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...Chapter 12: The African Diaspora in the Caribbean and Europe from Pre-emancipation to the Present Day by Roswith Gerloff Caribbean history of Christianity can be divided, with overlaps, into four main periods: the rather monolithic form of Spanish Catholicism from 1492, and of the Church of England from 1620; the arrival of the Evangelicals or nonconformist missionaries, Moravians, Methodists, Baptists, Congregationalists, and Presbyterians from the mid-eighteenth century; consolidation and growth of various European denominations in the region in uneasy tension with the proliferation of independent black Christian groups and African religions in the post-emancipation era from 1833; the contest for political, economic and religious independence after 1870, including the shift from British Imperial intervention and influence to those from North America, and national independence after 1962. Contemporary studies in anthropology and sociology of religion speak of 'religions on the move', or the process of transmigration and transculturation, as it refers to dynamic, reciprocal, transitory and multidimensional creations in shaping a 'poly-contextual world'. This implies that religions have to be regarded as cultural and spiritual phenomena whose 'taken-for granted' essence1 has resulted from transcultural and transnational processes of mutual 1 Klaus Hock, University of Rostock, abstract for an essay on the African Christian Diaspora in Europe, January...
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...The Negative Political and Economic Impacts of Colonialism on Africa In October 1884, Otto von Bismarck, the German Chancellor, summoned European countries to a conference in Berlin, Germany. At the conference diplomats from Europe and America signed the Berlin Convention, which ultimately ended the Berlin Conference. This conference was created to diminish intensifying colonial struggles in Africa. This conference effectively established the boundaries of European powers. The signing of the Berlin Conference led to the scramble for Africa, which is defined as “efforts to fully occupy” portions of Africa that remained independent. With the exception of a couple countries the continent of Africa became controlled by seven European powers, including: Belgium, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. After European powers possessed control over the continent, they began to transform African society and its politics. The reason I have for choosing this topic is that a thorough understanding of colonialism in Africa is key to comprehend the obstacles that the continent of Africa and it’s leaders have to face to lead their countries into prosperity (Schraeder). Peter J. Schraeder, author of the book African Politics and Society: A Mosaic in Transformation, credits the spread of the Roman Empire as the precursor to European colonialism. The Roman Empire’s spread to Africa started in 146 B.C. when the city of Carthage, (present day Tunisia), was conquered by the Romans...
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