Historical perspectives

Historical perspectives of Africans in diaspora.

The migration and settlements of Africans in diaspora can be interrogated from spontaneous historical perspectives.

Historically the presence of Africans in the diaspora could be examined and traced under three(3) distinct historical phases, each phase was marked by it's own distinctive features or characteristics. These phases are; the pre-15th century migration, the 15th to 19th century migration, and lastly the post second world war migration. To understand the migration and settlements of Africans in diaspora is to understand these three historical perspectives.

The pre-15th century migration

This was the first historical phase or the migration and settlements of Africans in the diaspora, this historical phase can also be referred to as the pre-atlantic slave trade. There were some Africans present in southern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East in the pre-15th century period.

The movement of Africans in the diaspora during this period was a voluntary one,which means they migrated on their own free will and desire. In the Roman world for example, Africans distinguished themselves as soldiers, scholars, and servants during this period.

According to Joseph Harris, Africans had entered the middle East, Asia, and even China before the 15th century. In these part of the world, Africans served as workers of plantations in places like Basira, Bandar, and Minab, they served as soldiers in places such as Arabia, Pasia, and even India, they also served as Dock workers in the India ocean island, and also as domestic servants and concubines.

Africans presence in the diaspora was further confirmed by archaeological findings and artefacts in placed like Tuscala,veracruz, this two places can be found in Mexico. The written records of the 15th century Spanish explorers further confirmed the existence of settlements of negriods people in some places like Northern Brazil, Saint Vincent, Venezuela, and florida, in the pre-Atlantic slave trade period. During this period the population of Africans in the diaspora was very few.

The 15th to 19th century migration.

This was the second historical phase of the migration and settlements of Africans in the diaspora. The presence of Africans in the diaspora during this period and in this phase was mainly as a result of the Atlantic slave trade. It was an involuntary migration of Africans into the diaspora unlike the pre-15th century migration. During this period or phase Africans slaves were exported from their homeland into different part of the new world now known as the America. Major part of the new world that attracted Africans slaves were; Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico, Jamaica, barbarous, Virginia colony,Georgia, Newyork, florida, and carabian regions among others.

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to engage in the Atlantic slave trade in Africa. They were later joined by other Europeans like, British, Dorch,Spanish, Italy and many more. Large numbers of Africans,roughly 10 to 12 million were transported across the Atlantic ocean into the new world during the 15th to 19th century. African slaves worked on European plantations producing goods like sugar, indigo, and cotton, they worked on gold mines in the new world during this period.