To recap on our lesson from Friday, we can notice a gradual change in attitude between both the Portuguese and the Kongolese from the start of their trading relations, up to the the peak of the slave trade. As we already know, the objective of the Portuguese is not to conquor land or establish colonies, their purpose for interacting with Africans is to establish trading posts along the cost. One of those being El Mina; one of the major and most active trading posts along the west cost. Their reason for not yielding colonies is due to their lack of power, if they had more power and control, they could enforce their will over Africans. Therefore, with the consent of local rulers, the Portuguese set up trading posts along the coast.
At these trading posts, many goods such were exchanged; two of the most important being gold and slaves. Trading slaves was nothing new to Africans; it was common for Africans to trade their own people. It was only until later that the people of Kongo were exposed to the unfair treatment Europeans inflicted upon captured slaves.
The King of Kongo was very eager to accept Portugues (western) ideas and culture. The inhabitants of this kingdom were so mesmerized by this unique image, that they borrowed the same ideas. For example, after observing and comprehending the benefits of Christianity, Afonso (the king) converts, and soon makes Christianity the state religion. Also, Afonso learned to speak Portuguese, and he too became a huge advocate of trade. Unlike the situation in Spanish Colonial America, the Portuguese did not force their culture upon the natives. Instead they brainwashed, and pursuaded the king of Kongo embrace European style. The Portugues took a different approach than the spanish. They believed the natives were barbaric savages; however, they also realized if they were taught how to act civilized, it could be accomplished.
For years, the Portuguese and Kongolese lived in harmony. They had a very peaceful and friendly relationship in which the king of Kongo referred to the king of Portugal as his "brother monarch." However, after exporting thousands of coastal Africans to different colonies in the Americas, the Portuguese began moving inland to capture more slaves. However, by doing so, they abducted people of noble families, and other Africans that are not meant to be slaves. Eventually, the slave trade got out of control. This recurring act caused the Kongolese to lose respect for the Portuguese; furthermore, the King of Kongo no longer wanted to trade with Portugal, thus implicating more chaos and conflicts between this trading relationship.
The tolerant method of the Portuguese establishing trading posts is very different than the Spanish. We don't see the Portuguese inflicting brutal acts until later in history, as opposed to the Spanish to immediately place the natives in a subordinate position along with enforcing a labor system that is apalling. This comparison is important to keep in mind when distinguishing the objectives of European countries during exploration, and the search for maritime trade routes.
I hope this summary helps, just to let everyone know, I'm picking the next person at random, so the next one to blog will be Elan.
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