Important paragraph:
“It is also worth noting that there is a type of false or pseudo integration which is a camouflage for dependence. In contemporary times, it takes the form of free-trade areas in formerly colonized parts of the world. Those free-trade areas are made to order for the penetration of multinational corporations.” (pg. 129)
Why it’s important:
I think this paragraph is the most important because it introduces the injustice that was imposed on the African societies. This paragraph explains how the Europeans fraudulently had African countries believe that their economies were being interlocked in order to transport goods. However, in reality it was really just for the Europeans benefit or sneaking human captives and Ivory through this trade. What appeared to be the Europeans helping these African societies were really just for the benefit of Europe to eventually be the place where other countries had to depend on. West African gold became dependant on Europeans buyers and decreased Africa’s economic independence and social progress. This later builds a large gap between Europe and Africa which is the foundation of the underdevelopment of Africa.
Summary of important arguments:
This chapter explains the how Africans societies were taken advantage of right under their noses. The Dutch West India Company wanted to put and immediate stop to the African trade. Because it didn’t work at first, they commanded that each Axim canoe-man going to Cape Lahou should carry Dutch goods with them. The goods had to be worth 4 ounces of gold at the least. When Europeans became middle men in local trade networks they only did this for their benefit. It made it easier to extract human captives, which decreased their importance to the European slave trade. Again, what seemed like integration took the form of free-trade areas in sections of the world that were colonized prior. This did not cause destruction to the West African gold trade; however, it caused Africa to become dependent on European buyers. These evidently unfair continuous events eventually led to Africa’s underdevelopment.
Questions:
- Why did the servants of the Dutch West India Company try to force people on the Ivory Coast to buy a certain amount of Dutch goods?
- Why did the Portuguese stop canoes from Ivory Coast from traveling east beyond Axim and ban residents from going to Cape Lahou?
