“The growth of the Atlantic slave trade was mainly an extension of existing practices of slavery in African societies.” Discuss.

The question requires that candidates offer a considered and balanced review of the statement that the growth of the Atlantic slave trade was mainly an extension of existing practices of slavery in African societies. Candidates may discuss that slavery was a long-standing institution in many parts of West Africa and that it had contributed to the success of empires such as Mali and Songhai. The legacy of animosity created by the existing trade meant that some African groups were prepared to act as middlemen for the Europeans by procuring slaves from the interior. Candidates may discuss other ways in which European slavers were adept at exploiting divisions and rivalries among Africans. Candidates may disagree with the statement by arguing that other factors were more important causes of the expansion: the demand for labour in the sugar plantations of the New World; advances in maritime technology; or the demand in African societies for goods such as cloth, beads, gin, and firearms. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions will be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.