Which of the following best describes why Africans could have sold other Africans into slavery?

Question

Responses

They had extra slaves that they did not need and decided to trade them.

They had extra slaves that they did not need and decided to trade them.

They thought of themselves in terms of tribal groups, such as Edo or Songhai, not as Africans.

They thought of themselves in terms of tribal groups, such as Edo or Songhai, not as Africans.

They wanted slaves to convert to Islam or Christianity.

Answer 1

The response that best describes why Africans could have sold other Africans into slavery is:

They thought of themselves in terms of tribal groups, such as Edo or Songhai, not as Africans.

This perspective highlights the complex social and political structures in Africa at the time, where different ethnic groups or tribes operated independently and often had conflicts or rivalries with one another. This local identity sometimes led to the selling of captives from rival groups into the transatlantic slave trade, rather than a unified African identity that opposed the institution of slavery.