Themes

• West African History
• Triangular Trade
• Middle Passage
• Slavery
• Resistance & Rebellion
• Abolition
• Emancipation
• Legacy
• Diaspora
  • Background information

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View 'A Negro Festival... in the Island of St. Vincent'

The impact of slavery on modern societies

The transatlantic slave trade was the largest forced migration of people in history. The arrival of African people to the Americas resulted in the formulation of new cultural practices as people brought long and rich cultural traditions from their homelands. These traditions were passed from generation to generation as a means of maintaining and transforming cultural identities.

The background information provides an overview of the African diaspora, the integration of European and African cultures and how this inevitably resulted in new forms of political, religious, linguistic and artistic expression such as the Pan African Movement, Creole, Gullah, Santeria, Vodou, carnival, capoeira, jazz and reggae.

Read more background information