Should Europe apologise for the North Atlantic Slave Trade?

Question

Between 1450 and 1850 at least 12 million Africans were taken across the notorious Middle Passage of the Atlantic - mainly to colonies in North America, South America, and the West Indies. The Middle Passage was integral to a larger pattern of commerce developed by European countries. European traders would export manufactured goods to the west coast of Africa where they would be exchanged for slaves. The Slave Trade was abolished in 1865.

Do you think that we should aplogise for something that our ancestors did? Should we also keep on aplogising to ethnic groups for things that happened many many years ago. I personally don't think that we should have to. You may feel that my question is contraversial but I feel that it happened and we can't change what happened and people should just accept that and get on with it.

What do you think?

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To anyone who is harping on about racism. This is not a question with regards to racism. I'm asking if we should be accountable for what I ancestors did. Even though we had no control over it. Take the chip off your shoulders and read the question.

Answer 1

I wasn't around at the time so have nothing to personally apologise for. If my country apologises on my behalf as a citizen I would feel let down. If people are still living in hardship as a result of slavery we should try and help them, I think that would be better than any apology.

Also maybe Africa should apologise for slavery too if Europe does, after all it was Africans running round capturing other Africans to see to Europeans.

It's humanity that is at fault, we need to learn from our mistakes and put them behind us. Not single out any one particular nation or continent.

Answer 2

No we shouldn't have to apologize. At that time it was an acceptable practice. Because society has changed their views over time doesn't mean that apologies are owed. Just think of the possitive outcomes of some of these things. If there would not have been a slave trade there also wouldn't have been a migration into other parts of the world that ultimately helped future ethnic generations prosper. Take a look at africa for example. Are the generations as a whole that haven't migrated further ahead than those that have. I think not. Where is the planet's people in the most distress from famine, aids and oppression? The same places these ethnic groups came from. So it would be like apologizing for giving future generations a step up in the world. Granted the generation that actually experienced the slavery paid a terrible price but the end result was a better future for the next generation. Kinda like a janitor sweeping floors his entire life or working in a factory with known dangers so that his children have a chance at being a doctor or teacher. They paid a severe price at the time for a further generations better standing.

Today - I don't think it's about an apology or compassion at all. It's about getting something for nothing or that hasn't been earned. A job that's someone's not qualified for or a special consideration not warranted simply because a hundred or more years ago somebody did something to someone else.

Lets take it away from slavery and see if the theory of something owed still stands up. Whites and blacks migrated westward and conquered the indians in the process. A treaty was signed with this conquered indian nation about a hundred years ago that said half of the fish in washington state area were for indians and they weren't subject to taxation from the government. Today indians enjoy harvesting up to half of the fish in the state and utilize all of the modern conveniences such as roads etc.... without paying tax for them. If we use the same theory and say that all should be held to the same standard, shouldn't we be enforceing the slavery contracts of the past as well? Not being racist, just a different slant on the same history.

Something to think about......

Answer 3

It's really easy to say "get over it" when you're not affected by the residual racism that trickled down due to slavery. It's a little insensitive, to be quite honest.

What's an apology if it doesn't mean anything. I suggest you don't apologize because its false. I think that, since racism against minorities still exists and will for a long time to come, it wouldn't be a BAD THING to at least acknowledge and feel compassion for people's plight. Of course there is reverse racism (before you yell it out).

The problem with people is that they either (a) say that racism no longer exists, (b) that blacks whine for no reason about racism (c) not all people had ancestors who owned slaves, etc. etc. All of this diverts attention away from compassion, which is what more people need, not apologies.

An apology won't do anything so you can keep it. I want people to have compassion and not dismiss people's experiences as whining or delusional.

So, no I don't think Europe should apologize for the slave trade, but maybe they should be a little more concerned about how minorities are treated today.

Answer 4

They should move. Of course you're making a generalization (to appease the peanut gallery here). But the fact is, there are immigrants in all countries who disdain their new country. It's shameful and they should move. They are a huge reason why a country's natives begin to hate immigrants. The good immigrants should be angry at their fellow immigrants who cause the bad taste in the natives' mouths. They should stop being angry at the natives. Be angry at the root of the problem--rotten immigrants.

Answer 5

I'll let you off the hook if you give back all the wealth your forebears made, all profits and interest, all buildings still standing built out of slave blood and sweat, all cities still standing built out of slave blood and sweat, all wealth and riches still earning your countries money to this day built out of slave blood and sweat, and anything else your countries still benefit from because of slavery.

And as long as you agree to train all your people to accept that the dehumanising slurs told to them for centuries about Africans (until it became an indellible part of the world's psyche) were and still are unjust. Teach your rottweillers to respect that which they destroyed and all the hundreds of racist rednecks to personally repair the hundreds of years of arrested and stunted development caused by all the above.

Then when YOUR attitudes have changed (not looking too peachy for you these days is it), give us an equal playing field with equal rights and tarrifs to trade in Europe and America, the way you do presently for the state of Israel which has preferential European categorisation for purposes of trade. Just equal not better. With your newfound attitude of respect and equality to the African (by which I include the Diaspora) we will have no problems doing without financial reparations, apart from which we will already have a head start using our forefathers' hard worked for rewards as capital, and especially since now you'll be prepared to take the same non-racist trading risks you take with non-African run countries; and we'll all trade together.

Did I miss anything?

In other words keep your money if you can put things right, give us our inheritance and you keep that which your forebears justly and humanely earned, but no more.

You have no idea financially speaking, the vastness of the wealth accumulated out of 400 years of slavery, followed by a few more of colonial exploitation, followed by apartheid dimunition, followed by racism, racism, racism. Will it ever end?

Take a look at the other replies if you doubt the venom in your brothers' veins. It is sad that the human race makes no progress and learns nothing from history. It used to be we were getting better, improving, 'we didn't know', well now who has the excuse of not knowing, and if you don't what cave are you hiding your head in? What excuse now? None.

What lessons learned? America evangelises two main ideas to the world:
The first commandment: If you can, do, with no questions asked, no thinking done, and get away with it if you can.

The second commandment : WE KNOW AND WE DON'T CARE! Blatant and in your face.

I wish I was around in a few hundred years to hear what everyone has to say about this new commandment. If they survive.

Answer 6

It is usually not the apology that people are looking for, but money that might come with it (reparations).

Everyone's ancestors were sh*t on by someone else's ancestors at one time or another. Mine were from Germany, and the Romans did a number on the Huns (and others), so should I seek reparations and apologies from the Italians?

I actually met an Irish person who went all purple with rage because he claimed the the Brits caused the Irish Potato famine, and left them to die because the Brits wanted the land. Remember, this happened 1845-1849!!!

Answer 7

When the Black Africans apologize for selling their cousins into slavery, THEN the White Europeans can apologize for buying the merchandise.

Answer 8

This generation have nothing to appologise for. If our ancestors were slave traders we would all be in the House of Lords now.
Also remember that the slave traders in Africa were themselves black, mainly tribal chiefs, who sold their own kind to white men.

Answer 9

It's pointless apologising and anyway to whom would you apologise?

I'm reasonably certain that if you were to ask the decendents of the African people who were made into slaves if they want to return to their ancestral home they would say no.

So if they don't want to return, regardless of the reason, and the current African peoples don't want them back, as I'm reasonably certain is the case, what is it that us nasty white slavers decendants are meant to feel remorse about and for what therefore need we apologise?

I wonder if in 200 years time the decendants of todays Arabic families will offer apologies to the West for the terrorist attacks carried out by the fundamentalist terrorists?

It's only liberal thinking do-gooders who seem to think up this idea of apologising for the actions of the past, I can only assume they think it's politically correct to do so.

Answer 10

I think such an apology would be a hollow gesture and only be used by contemporary politicians to improve their own ratings. It would be far better to concentrate on abolishing current slavery, sweatshops etc. and really put our money where are mouths are.

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