Describe Africa's role in the global economy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. (1 point)

• Africa sold gold, ivory, and enslaved people while under the control of Portugal.
• Africans sold enslaved people to the Middle East to do hard labor.
• Africans sold pottery, silks, glassware, and porcelain to Asia and the Middle East.
• Africans in the Kingdom of Kongo primarily profited off of the slave trade with Asia.

1 answer

Africa played a significant role in the global economy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. One of the major aspects of Africa's involvement was the sale of valuable commodities such as gold, ivory, and enslaved people under the control of Portugal. Africa became an important source of labor for European colonies, and Portugal actively engaged in the transatlantic slave trade, transporting enslaved Africans to the New World.

Additionally, Africans played a crucial role in supplying enslaved people to the Middle East, where they were forced to do hard labor. Slavery was not limited to European colonies, and African traders took advantage of the demand for labor in the Middle East.

Africa also participated in the global economy through the trading of various goods. Africans traded pottery, silks, glassware, and porcelain with Asia and the Middle East, establishing a network of commerce and cultural exchange. This trade helped to diversify Africa's economic interactions and connect it with other regions of the world.

Within Africa, the Kingdom of Kongo had a specific contribution to the global economy. The Kongolese people primarily profited from the slave trade with Asia, which involved the exchange of enslaved Africans for valuable goods, such as silk and spices. This trade with Asia contributed to the growth and prosperity of the Kingdom of Kongo.

Overall, Africa's role in the global economy during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was multifaceted. It involved not only the sale of gold, ivory, and enslaved people to Europe but also the trading of various goods with Asia and the Middle East. The Kingdom of Kongo, in particular, had a unique position within the African economic landscape, benefiting from the slave trade with Asia.