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We note large numbers of African slave drivers and they were not employees of Europoean slavers. Until nthe second half of the1 9th century, Euuropean control did not extend beyond the coast of Africa and often that only involved tradiung posts. This did not change until the Europeans developed rapid fire weapons as we see in the Zulu War in South Africa and the Scramble for Africa. Throuhghour the African slave trade, the many Africn slave drivers were employees of African chiefs or Arab potentates. By the time of the talktic slve trade, the great African empires had disappeared, local chiefs were often involved although smaller frican kingsoms weere forming. The central figure in the Indian Ocean skave trade was the Sultan of Oman/Zanzibar. The large number of African slave drivers were not agents of any white European power or corporate enterprise. This is commonly ignored by modern authors discussing the slave trade. The Africa political structure spported zbd benefiuted the sklave trade as it was done for centuries. Anbd in the end it was the Europens, primarily Britain, which ended the slave trade, not only the European slave trade, but the Aran slave tradse as well. The Biard paining depicts not only the French captain, but also the African chief who was selling the captive Africans. He seensto be smoking, We are noit sduyre what. We see much less of the chief than the French captain. The chief is covered up by his conical hat and other clothing. But he is cearly in control of all the armed Africans and the costal baracoons.
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