Tribes: Ovimbundu, Mbundu, Bakongo and Lund-Chokwe. They all had separate struggles against the Portuguese.
Portuguese first attracted by the income from the slave trade than in spreading European civilization or missionary work.
Mozambique::
It’s main importance was as a provisionary station for Portuguese sailors going around Africa or over to the East (Goa etc.)
Resources: Sugar, cashew nuts, copra, tea and sisal.
Portuguese set up “fieras” which became the living areas for the colonists. They set up churches and trading areas.
The Portuguese later set up “prazos” where they ventured farther into Africa, these were unsuccessful at first.
Brazil:
Found in 1500.
Main purpose was to enslave Native Americans.
Resources: Mainly used for plantations such as coffee. Slaves were sent to Brazil from Africa to work on these plantations.
1693-gold deposits found, resulted in “Gold Rush”
The economic expansion was encouraged even more by the progress of the coffee and sugar-growing industries.
Important people:
Vasco de Gama-explorer
Bartholomew Dias-explorer
Important facts:
-Almost all the profits obtained in the colonies through plantations or resources went back to Portugal.
-Many African countries tried to fight the Portuguese; some were successful to an extent. It was because of certain tribes that Portuguese boundaries could not be pushed further.
-Portuguese were not a great strength, were not very wealthy and had a small population, their major advantage was having links with the East.
What the Portuguese set out to achieve and what they achieved.
-The Portuguese first set out to find trade routes and shipping routes to get to the East (India etc.) What they found in Africa was not only a stopover, but could also be beneficial to their economy.
-Once in Africa, they were after the gold and the slaves, the “black gold.”
-The traders mostly remained on the cost. They only went inland for the gold. The bases they had on the coast were fortified and often became trading centres.
-In Mozambique the new trading centres, “ferias” were situated along the banks of the river “Zambezi.” This was so that they could control all existing trade routes.
The Amistad case
The date: April 1839. The Portuguese shipped a large group of African slaves over to Havana, Cuba. Fifty-three Africans were purchased by two Spanish planters and were being shipped to their plantations. Things did not go as planned, however, and the
Africans seized control of the ship after killing the captain. They ordered the crew to turn, the ship, and they did, but to not back to Africa has the Africans had requested, but to America. In America, the US Supreme court eventually found the Africans not guilty. 35 returned home, the rest died at sea or in prison.
Timeline (Getting rid of slavery)
1842: Portugal agreed to abolish all forms of slave trade.
1869: Abolished slavery
1884-85: Berlin conference, decided that Portugal was given Mozambique, Angola and Guinea.
1886: Portugal signed two treaties that enclosed the boundaries of Portuguese, French and German territories
1902-17: The Portuguese wanted to help the Africans but he Africans turned against the Portuguese and revolted.
