Chapter 2

       As I read Chapter 2, there were things about the West Africans and Europeans socially that I found interesting and questionable. Unlike today where a marriage is joined by love and personal relationships, Africans married to have more people working in the fields. They did not marry for emotional purposes but for the desire to have a growing population. As a result, children were the biggest work force. I then wonder if the Africans ever felt happy with their extended family since they are not tied by any emotions. While West African women were expected to work alongside the men, Europeans had a more specific role for each family member. The husband's main job would be to work and should be the head of the household while the wives were to bore children and all are expected to have total obedience towards their father figure. In both societies, the children must contribute to the work force. I found it interesting that they did not want their child to go to school as an opportunity to move up the social ladder. However, it might be because education would not be an option for peasants and farmers since education was only available for the rich and influential. Moreover, more knowledge for the lower class would be a threat for the upper class.
      Once Europe expanded into the Atlantic World, slave trade also became more important. I was surprised to read that the African kingdoms were once powerful enough for it to decide base on self interest whether or not to trade with Portugal. In the past, I have always thought that Africa was weak to European rule and subjected by default into slavery. However, according to this text, it seems as though African slavery was a gradual expansion of racial justification. When the Europeans colonized into the New World, it was surprising that disease became the number one killer along the Natives. The  Native Americans did not even have the chance to defend their territory against the Europeans. To me, that seemed like the native people were fighting a losing war. To trade with the Natives, the Europeans had to adapt to Native ways to become successful. Europeans practiced reciprocity with the Native. In exchange for magical beads, the Natives had the help of the French to fight off the other native tribes. Their exchange confused me about how the Indians had allies and killed other Indian groups for territory when in Chapter 1, it talked about how the Indians barely killed each other in battles.