27. Demographic and Environmental changes

A. Slave Trade

1. European slave trade out of Africa

2. Caused by need for labor in Americas; had been continuing since 1500s

3. Effects: many Africans migrated forcibly from Africa to the Americas

B. End of Slave trade

1. Industrial Revolution led to better communication; this publicized slaves’ conditions and permitted abolitionists to communicate better and become better organized—note Quakerism, Methodism

2. Slave revolts (e.g., Haitian Revolution) made slave-owners fearful

3. The philosophes argued that slavery was incompatible with human nature

4. Slavery may have become unprofitable—Adam Smith argued that a slave would have little incentive to work well

5. International pressure—once many countries abolished slavery, they pressured other countries (e.g., Brazil) into abolishing slavery

C. Demographic Effects of End of Slave trade (i.e., indentured servitude)

1. Indentured servitude boomed to compensate for loss of slavery, especially where slaves did not live in conditions permitting them to have families (compare : Southern USA vs. Brazil)

2. Indentured servitude was also used for labor in African colonies (e.g., Indians in South Africa)

3. Indentured servants came largely from Asia, both East and South; as a result, many Asians migrated to Africa and the Americas—this largely a result of the end of the slave trade
II. Population Growth and Food Supply

A. Increased Food Supply

1. Industrial revolution caused increased agricultural yield (helped by slave labor and indentured servants’ labor)

2. Industrial revolution resulted in improved transportation; this made it easier to transport food to distant sources

3. Food was not distributed evenly because wealth was not distributed evenly : the rich were able to use their wealth to gain more, etc.

B. The “Population Explosion”

1.

a. Increased food supply

c. Medicine had little to do with this surge