Africa, Europe, and the Origins of Uneven Development The.docVIP

Handout on Africa, Europe, and the Origins of Uneven Development: The Role of Slavery By William A. Darity Jr.* Abstract This chapter describes the economic foundations of the Atlantic slave trade and the role of the trade and slavery in generating European and American economic growth and the contemporary prosperity of these countries. Conversely, the devastating effects of the slave trade on Africa and its continuing effects are also discussed. It is suggested that the linkage between historical and contemporary patterns of inequality provides support for the reparations movement. Introdu