Slave exports to the Americas began in the 1530s, and by 1550 the majority of the passing trade was destined for the Spanish Caribbean. The trans-Atlantic trade from São Tomé continued until the last quarter of the sixteenth century when it suddenly went into a rapid decline. By the end of the sixteenth century, except for slaves for the island's plantations, São Tomé was used only for ship repairs and provisions.
Economic Downturn
Three events had caused the downturn in São Tomé's prominence: the newly created sugar plantations in the Caribbean were much more productive, the Kingdom of Kongo was invaded twice (by the Tio in 1566-7, and by the Jaga in 1571-73) and had to be bailed out by the Portuguese military, and the Portuguese had come to far more beneficial terms with the Ndogo to the south. In 1576 the Portuguese shifted their attention to the newly formed post of St Paul de Luanda, and this became the primary Portuguese shipping port to the Americas.
Importance of Cash Crops
In the mid-1800s, after a lull of two centuries, the island of São Tomé once again blossomed - sugar-cane was replaced by new crops of cocoa and coffee. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the abolitionist movement succeeded in halting the export of slaves to the Americas. Some European countries, however, successfully circumvented the legislation by 'hiring' contract laborers - the French and Portuguese were the worse offenders.
The Portuguese called these laborers libertos, serviçaes, livres, or ingnéuous, and while the contracts technically ranged from five to seven years, in reality they were bought and sold, and the contracts lengthened without consent. The libertos were, effectively, slaves.
The End of the Slave Trade
The British, who had exported by far the largest number of slaves in the previous century, expressed righteous indignation - but their bluster was not equaled by their ability to catch and prosecute the offenders. Only 10 contract laborers were allowed, by decree, to be transported at a time - the Portuguese regularly transported a hundred each trip. By the 1860s over 1,000 libertos a year were being carried to the islands of São Tomé and Principé. Very few of those transported ever returned to the mainland once their contracts had 'expired'.
Contrary to popular belief, the total number of slaves exported from São Tomé to the Caribbean in the mid-sixteenth century (when the trans-Atlantic trade operated on the island) is almost equal to the total number transported for sale along the Gold Coast in the beginning of the sixteenth century. If you take into account the libertos sent to work on the island in the nineteenth century, less than half the slaves shipped to São Tomé were actually sent on the trans-Atlantic route. The majority of Portuguese slaves shipped to the Americas went direct from continental Africa, and especially from their base at Luanda.
Main Sources:
• Transformations in Slavery by Paul E. Lovejoy, Cambridge University Press, 2000, ISBN 0-521-78430-1.
• Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century, UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, edited by J Ki-Zerbo and D T Niane, James Currey, 1997, ISBN 0-85255-094-4.
• Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century, UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. V, edited by B A Ogot, James Currey, 1999, ISBN 0-85255-095-2.
• The New Atlas of African History by G S P Freeman-Grenville, Simon and Schuster, 1991, ISBN 0-13-612151-9.
Revised from an article first published on 7 December 2001.
Economic Downturn
Three events had caused the downturn in São Tomé's prominence: the newly created sugar plantations in the Caribbean were much more productive, the Kingdom of Kongo was invaded twice (by the Tio in 1566-7, and by the Jaga in 1571-73) and had to be bailed out by the Portuguese military, and the Portuguese had come to far more beneficial terms with the Ndogo to the south. In 1576 the Portuguese shifted their attention to the newly formed post of St Paul de Luanda, and this became the primary Portuguese shipping port to the Americas.
Importance of Cash Crops
In the mid-1800s, after a lull of two centuries, the island of São Tomé once again blossomed - sugar-cane was replaced by new crops of cocoa and coffee. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the abolitionist movement succeeded in halting the export of slaves to the Americas. Some European countries, however, successfully circumvented the legislation by 'hiring' contract laborers - the French and Portuguese were the worse offenders.
The Portuguese called these laborers libertos, serviçaes, livres, or ingnéuous, and while the contracts technically ranged from five to seven years, in reality they were bought and sold, and the contracts lengthened without consent. The libertos were, effectively, slaves.
The End of the Slave Trade
The British, who had exported by far the largest number of slaves in the previous century, expressed righteous indignation - but their bluster was not equaled by their ability to catch and prosecute the offenders. Only 10 contract laborers were allowed, by decree, to be transported at a time - the Portuguese regularly transported a hundred each trip. By the 1860s over 1,000 libertos a year were being carried to the islands of São Tomé and Principé. Very few of those transported ever returned to the mainland once their contracts had 'expired'.
Contrary to popular belief, the total number of slaves exported from São Tomé to the Caribbean in the mid-sixteenth century (when the trans-Atlantic trade operated on the island) is almost equal to the total number transported for sale along the Gold Coast in the beginning of the sixteenth century. If you take into account the libertos sent to work on the island in the nineteenth century, less than half the slaves shipped to São Tomé were actually sent on the trans-Atlantic route. The majority of Portuguese slaves shipped to the Americas went direct from continental Africa, and especially from their base at Luanda.
Main Sources:
• Transformations in Slavery by Paul E. Lovejoy, Cambridge University Press, 2000, ISBN 0-521-78430-1.
• Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century, UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, edited by J Ki-Zerbo and D T Niane, James Currey, 1997, ISBN 0-85255-094-4.
• Africa from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century, UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. V, edited by B A Ogot, James Currey, 1999, ISBN 0-85255-095-2.
• The New Atlas of African History by G S P Freeman-Grenville, Simon and Schuster, 1991, ISBN 0-13-612151-9.
Revised from an article first published on 7 December 2001.