The Past

Over the period of 400 years at least 15 million African were caught up in the midst of slave trade. Many of them died while crossing the Atlantic and the others who survived was perished as tillers of many vast plantations. And yes, it is legal and it is all true, they are the ghost from the past.

Introduction

History is all around in every country and in every people. History is in the ceremonies and songs, in the landscape, buildings and roads, and even in the clothes. History is part of the life that can be handed down across the generations, and events experiences.

History can be recalled through many books, pictures, and even faces. A blurred memory is also part of the history although it is not recorded unlike the other documents that can be physically touched, seen, and shared. The stories behind every history are fascinating. Many children are fond of hearing their ancestors’ adventured and historical family, but no one can prove if it is true. But history books offered something; brought by the past experience and can find ways to learn from it.

History of Africa

Historically, the Africa is a beautiful continent that in the premature time, Africa is one of the places where the dinosaurs lived. The findings of the present historians and archeologists proved it true after the many chances of investigating. It is also included the start of the early civilization.

But the most controversial history that the Africa has is the height of the Slavery and Slave Trades that happened in between the eighteenth and twentieth century. The slavery and slave trade is the act of discrimination brought by the other countries and been practiced throughout the recorded history.

The ghost of their past remains and never want to leave the modern Africans because at some point, history is part of their lives and it sometimes humiliate them. And economically speaking, without the slaves trades, 72% of Africa’s income gap with the rest of the world would not exist today (Nunn, 2007).

Africa’s poor economic performance is one of the largest puzzles in growth and development in economics. The tragedy happened many years ago and it will never be healed back. Historians have documented the detrimental effects that the slave trades on the institutions and structures of African societies and show how the slave trade caused political instability, weakened states, promoted political and social fragmentation, and resulted in a deterioration of domestic legal institutions (Nunn, 2007).

What happened from the past will result to hunt the present and the future because it is part of every individual. During the past, the slave trade does not focus on Africa, but gradually happened all over the world but the Africans are the greatest victim of this kind of business. And until now, the new generations of Africans are affected by the impact created from the past. It can be seen through the people and through the country’s economy.

In terms of economic development, Africa would not look any different from the other developing countries because they are just starting to grow. The explanations for the origins of Africa’s severe underdevelopment provide strong evidence that much of Africa’s poor performance can be tracked through the history (Nunn, 2007).

In addition, the past is the cruelest time for the African because slavery often involved sexual vulnerability on both men and women. Slavery is usually nasty, as the slave typically has extremely limited means of resisting the abuses to which he or she may be subject (Capizzi, 2003).

Conclusion

All of the people have their own history, either in good and bad experiences. The history is another type of entertainment and learning. The historical tracks of one nationality reflect on what kind of people they are. The slavery or slave trade that happened will remain a stigma and can be passed to the next generation of the Africans.

No matter what the other people or nationality tried to influence the Africans, the past will remain in their history. Besides, there’s always a light part on the pages of history books that somehow, can be the start of the brighter future for the Africans.

Many scholars believed that slavery and slave trade still exists. It can be in a simple way of abusing the chambermaids or tillers of the land. People are signed to a slavery contract because of a family debt that started from the ignorance of their ancestors. And slavery is a continuous loop is no one tries to break free from it.

Works Cited:

Capizzi, J., 2003. Slavery in Early Christianity. The Journal of Theological Studies, Vol. 64, No. 4.

Nunn, N., 2007. The Historical Origins of Africa’s Underdevelopment. [Online] Available at: http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2007/12/the-historical.html. [Accessed 30 October 2009].

Other Source:

Story of Africa [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/15contactus.shtml. [Accessed 30 October 2009].