Angola's Forgotten Slave Route

The Ovimbundu Caravan Trade: Angola's Forgotten Slave Route On November 15, 1785, Portuguese colonel Francisco José de Lacerda e Almeida arrived in the town of Viye, Angola, where he encountered Ovimbundu traders who had walked over 1,000 miles to sell slaves. Historian Jan Vansina notes that these traders were part of a larger network that spanned the African continent. The scale of this trade was staggering, with thousands of slaves being transported each year.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the transatlantic slave trade was dominated by European powers, with African slaves being forcibly captured and sold to colonizers. The standard story goes that African leaders and traders played a minor role in this trade, with most being coerced or forced into participating. However, this narrative oversimplifies the complex web of trade relationships that existed in Africa during the 18th and 19th centuries.

What History Actually Shows

Historians such as Joseph Miller and David Birmingham have shown that the Ovimbundu people played a significant role in the slave trade, with their caravans traveling vast distances to sell slaves to the Portuguese. On January 10, 1791, the Portuguese signed a treaty with the Ovimbundu king, allowing them to establish trade posts in the region. According to the accounts of Portuguese trader and historian, António da Silva Porto, the Ovimbundu people were skilled traders who controlled the entire slave trade network in Angola, from capture to sale. By 1830, the Ovimbundu had established a robust trade network that stretched from the coast of Angola to the interior of the continent. Historian Linda Heywood notes that the Ovimbundu people were able to maintain their independence and negotiate favorable trade terms with the Portuguese due to their military strength and strategic location. As historian John Thornton points out, the Ovimbundu people were not just passive participants in the slave trade, but rather active agents who shaped the trade to their advantage. On February 20, 1845, the Portuguese attempted to abolish the slave trade, but the Ovimbundu people continued to trade slaves, using clandestine routes and hidden trade posts to evade Portuguese authorities.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians like Jan Vansina and Joseph Miller deliberately omitted the Ovimbundu caravan trade from their accounts of the transatlantic slave trade, focusing instead on the role of European colonizers. The Portuguese government also contributed to the erasure of this history by destroying or hiding documents related to the trade, making it difficult for researchers to reconstruct the events. Specifically, the Portuguese colonial administration in Angola destroyed many records of the slave trade in the late 19th century, citing concerns about "national security" and "public order". This destruction of records, combined with the lack of attention from historians, has meant that the story of the Ovimbundu caravan trade has been largely forgotten. The archives of the Portuguese colonial administration in Angola, for example, contain few references to the trade, and those that do exist are often vague or cryptic. As a result, the story of the Ovimbundu caravan trade has been pushed to the margins of historical discourse.

The Ripple Effect

The Ovimbundu caravan trade had a direct impact on the development of the city of Benguela, which became a major hub for the slave trade in western Africa. The trade also led to the growth of a wealthy elite in Angola, who made their fortunes by supplying slaves to the Portuguese. Today, the city of Benguela is still an important urban center in Angola, and its history as a major slave trading hub is still visible in its architecture and cultural practices. For example, the city's old fort, which was built by the Portuguese in the 17th century, still stands as a reminder of the city's role in the slave trade. The fort is now a museum, and it houses a collection of artifacts and documents related to the trade.

The Line That Says It All

The Ovimbundu caravan trade resulted in the forced migration of hundreds of thousands of people from Angola to Brazil, with many dying along the way or being sold into slavery in the Americas.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the transatlantic slave trade and the history of Angola in the 17th and 18th centuries.