The Atlantic slave trade: What too few textbooks told you - Anthony Hazard

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

Slavery, the treatment of human beings as property, deprived of personal rights,

Robovlasništvo, tretiranje ljudi kao svojine lišene ličnih prava,

has occurred in many forms throughout the world.

se pojavljivalo u raznim oblicima široma sveta.

But one institution stands out for both its global scale and its lasting legacy.

Ali se jedna institucija ističe i po opsegu i po trajnim posledicama.

The Atlantic slave trade,

Atlantska trgovina robljem,

occurring from the late 15th to the mid 19th century

koja je trajala od kasnog 15. do sredine 19. veka

and spanning three continents,

i prostirala se na tri kontinenta,

forcibly brought more than 10 million Africans to the Americas.

nasilno je dovela više od deset miliona Afrikanaca u Ameriku.

The impact it would leave affected not only these slaves

Posledice koje će ostaviti za sobom uticaće, ne samo na ove robove

and their descendants,

i njihove potomke,

but the economies and histories of large parts of the world.

već i na ekonomije i istorije značajnih delova sveta.

There had been centuries of contact between Europe and Africa

Vekovima su Evropa i Afrika bile u kontaktu

via the Mediterranean.

preko Mediterana.

But the Atlantic slave trade began in the late 1400s

Ali je atlantska trgovina robljem počela kasnih 1400-ih

with Portuguese colonies in West Africa,

u portugalskim kolonijama u Zapadnoj Africi

and Spanish settlement of the Americas shortly after.

i uskoro u španskim naseobinama u Americi.

The crops grown in the new colonies, sugar cane, tobacco, and cotton,

Usevi šećerne repe, duvana i pamuka u novim kolonijama

were labor intensive,

su zahtevali intenzivan rad,

and there were not enough settlers or indentured servants

a nije bilo dovoljno doseljenika, ni najamnika

to cultivate all the new land.

koji bi obrađivali novu zemlju.

American Natives were enslaved, but many died from new diseases,

Američki domoroci su porobljeni, ali su mnogi pomrli od novih bolesti,

while others effectively resisted.

dok su se drugi uspešno opirali.

And so to meet the massive demand for labor,

Stoga da bi odgovorili na ogromnu potražnju radne snage,

the Europeans looked to Africa.

Evropljani su se okrenuli Africi.

African slavery had existed for centuries in various forms.

U Africi je robovlasništvo postojalo vekovima u raznim oblicima.

Some slaves were indentured servants,

Neki robovi su bili najamnici

with a limited term and the chance to buy one's freedom.

na određeno vreme i s mogućnošću otkupa slobode.

Others were more like European serfs.

Drugi su bili poput evropskih kmetova.

In some societies, slaves could be part of a master's family,

U nekim društvima, robovi su mogli da budu deo gospodarove porodice,

own land, and even rise to positions of power.

da poseduju zemlju, pa čak i da se uzdignu na poziciju vlasti.

But when white captains came offering manufactured goods,

Ali kada su beli kapetani počeli da nude robu,

weapons, and rum for slaves,

oružje i rum za robove,

African kings and merchants had little reason to hesitate.

afrički kraljevi i trgovci nisu mnogo oklevali.

They viewed the people they sold not as fellow Africans

Nisu gledali na ljude koje su prodavali kao na braću Afrikance,

but criminals, debtors, or prisoners of war from rival tribes.

već kao na kriminalce, dužnike ili ratne zarobljenike iz neprijateljskog plemena.

By selling them, kings enriched their own realms,

Njihovom prodajom, kraljevi su obogaćivali svoja kraljevstva,

and strengthened them against neighboring enemies.

jačajući tako u odnosu na svoje neprijateljske komšije.

African kingdoms prospered from the slave trade,

Afrička kraljevstva su prosperirala od trgovine robljem,

but meeting the European's massive demand created intense competition.

ali velika evropska potražnja stvorila je snažnu konkurenciju.

Slavery replaced other criminal sentences,

Ropstvo je zamenilo druge oblike kažnjavanja,

and capturing slaves became a motivation for war,

a uzimanje robova je postalo razlog za ratovanje,

rather than its result.

umesto njegova posledica.

To defend themselves from slave raids,

Kako bi se odbranili od najezdi robokradica,

neighboring kingdoms needed European firearms,

susednim kraljevstvima je bilo potrebno evropsko oružje,

which they also bought with slaves.

koje su takođe plaćali u roblju.

The slave trade had become an arms race,

Trgovina robljem je postala trka u naoružavanju,

altering societies and economies across the continent.

koja je menjala društva i ekonomiju širom kontinenta.

As for the slaves themselves, they faced unimaginable brutality.

Što se tiče samih robova, bili su suočeni s nezamislivom okrutnošću.

After being marched to slave forts on the coast,

Nakon što bi ih odveli u priobalne kampove za robove,

shaved to prevent lice, and branded,

obrijali zbog vaški i žigosali,

they were loaded onto ships bound for the Americas.

ukrcavali su ih na brodove spremne za Ameriku.

About 20% of them would never see land again.

Oko 20% njih nikada više neće videti tlo.

Most captains of the day were tight packers,

Većina tadašnjih kapetana je pretrpavala brodove,

cramming as many men as possible below deck.

trpajući što više muškaraca ispod palube.

While the lack of sanitation caused many to die of disease,

Zbog nedostatka sanitetsko-zdravstvenih mera, mnogi su pomrli od bolesti,

and others were thrown overboard for being sick,

dok su drugi izbacivani s broda zbog bolesti

or as discipline,

ili kao oblik discipline.

the captain's ensured their profits by cutting off slave's ears

Kapetani su osiguravali svoju zaradu odsecajući robovima uši

as proof of purchase.

kao potvrdu kupovine.

Some captives took matters into their own hands.

Neki zatočenici su uzimali stvari u svoje ruke.

Many inland Africans had never seen whites before,

Mnogi Afrikanci iz unutrašnjosti nikada pre nisu videli belce

and thought them to be cannibals,

i mislili su da su kanibali,

constantly taking people away and returning for more.

jer su stalno odvodili ljude i vraćali se po još.

Afraid of being eaten, or just to avoid further suffering,

Strahujući da će da budu pojedeni ili prosto da izbegnu dalje patnje,

they committed suicide or starved themselves,

izvršavali su samoubistva ili su se izgladnjivali,

believing that in death, their souls would return home.

verujući da će se nakon smrti njihove duše vratiti svojim domovima.

Those who survived were completley dehumanized,

Oni koji su preživeli su u potpunosti dehumanizovani,

treated as mere cargo.

tretirani su kao puki teret.

Women and children were kept above deck and abused by the crew,

Žene i decu su držali na palubi gde ih je posada zlostavljala,

while the men were made to perform dances

dok su muškarce terali da plešu

in order to keep them exercised and curb rebellion.

kako bi ih održavali u kondiciji i obuzdavali pobune.

What happened to those Africans who reached the New World

Šta se dešavalo sa Afrikancima koji su dospeli u Novi svet

and how the legacy of slavery still affects their descendants today

i kako robovlasničko zaveštanje i dalje utiče na njihove potomke

is fairly well known.

je prilično poznato.

But what is not often discussed

Ali o čemu se retko raspravlja

is the effect that the Atlantic slave trade had on Africa's future.

je uticaj koji je atlantska trgovina robljem imala na budućnost Afrike.

Not only did the continent lose tens of millions of its able-bodied population,

Ne samo da je kontinent izgubio na desetine miliona zdravih ljudi,

but because most of the slaves taken were men,

već zato što su robovi uglavnom bili muškarci,

the long-term demographic effect was even greater.

trajne demografske posledice su bile još izraženije.

When the slave trade was finally outlawed in the Americas and Europe,

Kada je trgovina robljem zakonom zabranjena u Americi i Evropi,

the African kingdoms whose economies it had come to dominate collapsed,

afrička kraljevstva, čije su ekonomije dominirale zahvaljujući njoj, propala su,

leaving them open to conquest and colonization.

ostajući tako podložna osvajanjima i kolonizaciji.

And the increased competition and influx of European weapons

A rastuća konkurencija i priliv oružja iz Evrope,

fueled warfare and instability that continues to this day.

podstakli su ratove i nestabilnost koji i danas traju.

The Atlantic slave trade also contributed to the development of racist ideology.

Atlantska trgovina robljem je takođe doprinela razvoju rasističke ideologije.

Most African slavery had no deeper reason than legal punishment

Robovlasništvo u Africi najčešće nije imalo dublje razloge od kažnjavanja

or intertribal warfare,

ili unutar plemenskih ratova,

but the Europeans who preached a universal religion,

ali Evropljanima, koji su propovedali univerzalnu religiju

and who had long ago outlawed enslaving fellow Christians,

i koji su odavno zakonom zabranili porobljavanje braće hrišćana,

needed justification for a practice

bilo je potrebno opravdanje za ovaj čin

so obviously at odds with their ideals of equality.

koji se tako očigledno kosio s njihovim idealom jednakosti.

So they claimed that Africans were biologically inferior

Zato su tvrdili da su Afrikanci biološki inferiorni

and destined to be slaves,

i da su stvoreni da budu robovi,

making great efforts to justify this theory.

ulažući velike napore kako bi opravdali ovu teoriju.

Thus, slavery in Europe and the Americas acquired a racial basis,

Tako je robovlasništvo u Evropi i Americi dobilo rasnu osnovu,

making it impossible for slaves and their future descendants

onemogućujući robovima i njihovim budućim potomcima

to attain equal status in society.

da steknu jednak status u društvu.

In all of these ways,

U svim ovim slučajevima,

the Atlantic slave trade was an injustice on a massive scale

atlantska trgovina robljem bila je ogromna nepravda

whose impact has continued long after its abolition.

čiji uticaj još traje dugo nakon njenog ukidanja.