In remembering the Middle Passage, most people begin with the year 1619. In reality, the Portuguese had long studied the science of enslavement by then. The first African slaves were brought to Portugal (from Mauritania) in 1441. By the late 1400’s the industrialization of African enslavement had begun in earnest: Portuguese ship builders created a streamlined, light-weight ship called the Caravel (or carvel), expressly to enhance the speed and decrease the cost incurred by the slave trade. The Nina and the Pinta were Carvels. What does this fact say to you about the ultimate intent of Columbus?
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 19:41:16 +0000
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