Features of the Triangular Trade: The Triangular Essay

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Features of the Triangular Trade:

The Triangular Trade is a slavery route that derived its name from the three triangular paths that were used to receive slaves and formed the shape of a triangle. This trade occurred during the transatlantic slave trade and developed from the long trade journeys taken by various European sailors. The Triangular Trade involved a huge range of people in addition to the sailors who used various ships and travelled along various paths. This trade was characterized by three different stages or phases that proved to be lucrative for many merchants. The three different phases act as the main features of the Triangular Trade as explained below.

The first phase of the triangular trade was characterized by the transportation of various manufactured products from Europe to Africa. Some of these manufactured products that substituted for African slaves included spirit, beads, cloth, metal items, cowrie shells, and guns. The guns were basically used to assist in the expansion of empires and acquiring more slaves though they were eventually used against the European colonizers (Boddy-Evans, n.d.).

The shipping of slaves to the Americas was the second stage of this trade and it's usually known as the middle passage in relation to the triangular trade. As compared to other routes, this was the longest route of this trade route as the slaves were held below decks in uninhabitable conditions. As both the food and water that the slaves were served were contaminated, the middle passage had a huge mortality rate in the triangular trade. Slaves were only permitted above the decks of the ship for a very minimal period on a daily basis in order to exercise.

The final route of the triangular trade was the transportation of goods from Americas back to Europe and is referred to as the return journey. This route was also characterized by the transportation of goods from labor plantations by slaves including cotton and tobacco. While it was a difficult journey, the movement of ships was aided by Equatorial Counter current.

Difference between Imperialism and Colonialism:

The persistence of the Western-centrism in the formation and development of global history has contributed to the trend to associate colonialism with the expansion and domination of foreign cultures and people by Europeans.

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Actually, colonialism is regarded as a major global force that been an important part of the modern age since it implies that technological processes are global in scope and relevant to all human societies across the world (Adas, 1998). This term has developed be utilized in the definitions of almost every historical process as various empires were involved in these processes.

Notably, imperialism and colonialism have always been used interchangeably though these terms have different meanings. The reason for the use of these words as synonyms of each other is because they basically refer to the political and economic domination of another entity. Scholars have experienced difficulties in differentiating the two because they both underline the oppression of another ("Difference between Colonialism and Imperialism," n.d.).

Colonialism basically refers to a situation where a nation conquers and rule over another nation or region through the exploitation of resources for the benefit of the conquering nation. This term is also used to refer to the process of developing and maintaining colonies in a specific territory by people from a different nation, region, and territory. This process can result in the alteration of the existing social, physical, and economic structures of the conquered region.

In contrast, imperialism is used to describe the political or economic control through formal or informal means. While colonialism acts as the practice of suppression, imperialism is the idea or driving force behind the practice. It means the creation of an empire, expansion of the empire into surrounding regions, and extension of its dominance. Therefore, imperialism is just the exercise of power over conquered regions through superior or indirect means of control.

Difference between North and South America Slave Societies:

While the North and South were regions with complementary economies, the existence of slave societies was the most evident difference between these two regions. During this period of complementary economies between the North and South….....

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