The African Trade Musket,It was very common in Europe for old and obsolete muskets, or parts of musk

The African Trade Musket,It was very common in Europe for old and obsolete muskets, or parts of muskets, to be sold at a large discount to traders, who would in turn trade them to people in parts of the world where firearms were not very common.  Africa was no different.  During the 18th and 19th century there was a prolific arms trade between Europe and Africa, especially from Belgium and France.  Sometimes old muskets would be rebuilt and refurbished from parts, made with a cheap but sturdy stock and simple iron bands, trigger guards, and buttplates.  Some firms even made a lucrative business out of building special “trade guns” to be traded in Africa.  Such weapons were often built to be cheap, using substandard materials and sloppy workmanship.  Despite the lower quality of trade guns, firearms of any kind were highly prized by the many tribes living in Africa.  A supply of muskets and ammunition was an incredible advantage for a tribe that was at war with another tribe who lacked firearms.  Some tribes, such as the Dohomey, Benin, and Ashante were able to carve out powerful kingdoms along the West African Coast.  By the mid 1700’s around 400,000 muskets and 20,000 tons of gunpowder were being exported annually to Africa.  So what did the people of Africa trade for firearms?  In the 18th century there was only one thing that was valuable for trade with the Europeans; slaves.  While many slaves were abducted by white slavers, it was also not uncommon for African tribes to sell people into slavery themselves.  Often those who met such a terrible fate were typically prisoners of war from rival tribes.  These slaves would be traded for rum from the Caribbean, metal goods, as well as weapons and ammunition.  Thus African trade guns became a cornerstone of the Triangle Slave Trade.  By the 19th century most nations had outlawed the international slave trade, however arms trading continued in full force.  Instead of slaves goods such as gold, gems, and ivory were traded for muskets.  By the mid 19th century the African/European trade in muskets dwindled as European nations became less interested in trading with Africa and more interested in conquering it.  By 1900 all of Africa, with the exception of Ethiopia and Liberia, had been colonized by European powers. -- source link

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