POSTS – Page 17 – Atlantic History

“Profit, Population and the Atlantic”- Week 10: Atlantic Cities

October 26, 2016December 16, 2020Dr. Shrout

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In this week’s readings the articles City Planning: Yoruba City planning (Adelusi-Adeluyi)and Potosi: A Motor of Global Change (Mangan) a common theme is given. A theme that has carried across Atlantic history quite frequently in more than one region, colony, or country. One of slave extortion, economic profit and establishment through population. Both cities saw their diverse populous come together to create a very successful commerce. One that was founded off the not only the local people but the likes of the Spanish and English as well. Potosi became founded on its immense silver deposits and ability to disperse its wealth all throughout the world. Yoruba was able to establish itself on its political oversight in creating diverse cities all throughout the regions (many which still stand today). Yoruba’s ability to adapt and expand its cities through the use of rulers and structured societies is a major reason the city flourished. With such rich natural resources it would only make sense to for slaves to be brought into the mix and labor for the profit of others, and that is exactly what happened in Potosi.

In both articles women had a prominent role within the economy. In Yoruba “women controlled many aspects of the economy” (Adelusi-Adeluyi pg.1318) and in Potosi “women soon dominated urban markets as vendors” (Mangan pg. 4). However it was the aspect of economic exploitation that allowed women to be thrust into this role. With both the regional agricultural exports of silver and cacao leaves, women had a lot more opportunities in these regions, which is similar to the roles seen for the women among Sierra Leone’s communities. So contrary to the surface may reveal, women did play quite the role throughout Atlantic history and these articles are another example and more evidence into exactly how they made an impact.

In conclusion and in agreement with my peers Enrique and Allison, Atlantic cities like Yoruba and Potosi were founded all by the means of profit. Created by profit, Sustained through profit, explored in hopes of profit and lastly and most common to Atlantic history, colonized for profit.

Atlantic Cities

October 26, 2016December 16, 2020Dr. Shrout

In tonight’s readings about Yorùbá City planning and the city of Potosí, we see two different themes that have appeared in past readings and sources throughout this course, intertwined with concept of constructing unique spaces. The Yorùbá City Planning reading in particular brought to light the design of the city itself and how that design allowed for different displays of power. Highlighting the “spoke-and-wheel pattern” of the city, accentuated the ruler’s central authority of the city. This more architectural look at societies and how they developed over time gives us a deeper look into these peoples’ societal organization and hierarchical nature. For example, the way the markets functioned as gendered spaces, showing us that women were active and in control of aspects of the economy in these societies.

In his response on the Mangan reading on the city of Potosí, Matthew Liivoja contrasts the types of space that Yorùbá was to the space the Potosí allowed for, with Potosí being a valuable city for foreign powers. Potosí’s economic interaction with the Spanish is the embodiment of other themes throughout the course: imperial expansion and economic imperatives. The city of Potosí was a space that was “dynamic” as it drew indigenous migration as well as the attention of the Spaniards, who had wanted silver. This created multiple sectors within Potosí, with some speaking Spanish, and some sectors that were filled with non-Spanish Europeans who had migrated in the search for silver. Potosí was described as a “beehive of activity”, and in the description of Yorùbá, we see a connection between the two cities in their dynamism and economic activity.

This land is Yoruba, This land is Myruba

October 26, 2016December 16, 2020Dr. Shrout

The readings discussing Yoruba and the South American city of Potosi illustrate the different (and similar) conditions Atlantic cities developed under, and the impact their development had on local culture and the global economy. Potosi is not situated in an area with traditionally favorable geographic features for an emerging city. The Author writes, “…its barren landscape and high altitude can make it feel like it is in the middle of nowhere.” Potosi also has no significant bodies of water near it, a previously necessary feature for a large thriving city. The discovery of silver and commodification of labor would cause Potosi to become an economic hub in the last half of the sixteenth century. Indigenous people integrated their spiritual and cultural customs into the new colonial influenced market. This accommodation on behalf of natives in the area was met with Spanish regulations that ignored tradition and demanded productivity. A staple of the Atlantic economy was slavery, and by the seventeenth century Potosi’s demand for labor was met with the importation of African slaves. The presence of African slaves changed Potosi’s culture and economy as well as the presence of Spanish and other colonialists. Whether silver, alcohol or labor, colonial regulation was as fluid as native attempts to preserve their culture.

The reading on Yoruba also reflects how indigenous culture was altered, but survived an outside colonial presence. Originating “as far back as the 9^th century” Yoruba, located in modern Benin and Nigeria, experienced cultural changes according to hegemonic rule. Both local oppressive rulers and colonial regimes displaced the Yoruban population, and manipulated means of production and subsistence for their own benefit. Allison Roberts notes the familiar theme when studying Atlantic economies and the area in general. They all emerged in hopes of profit.

Fear, Greed, and the Formation of Atlantic Cities

October 26, 2016December 16, 2020Dr. Shrout

Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the formation of Atlantic cities in otherwise rural areas can be attributed to similar factors. In the case of the Yoruba in the Bight of Benin, the ramped up Atlantic slave trade caused people of similar culture to seek inland refuge from European raiders. Because the coast became too dangerous, like-minded peoples, sharing a common enemy, gathered around a central ruling figure further in the interior leading to the creation of an urban environment. More specifically, common language, myths of origin, and shared religious and cultural practices became the center of new urban developments. (Adelusi-Adeluyi, 1) Additionally, intra-tribal warfare exposed masses of refugees in search of safe-havens, far from violence. Again, shared interests provided opportunity for city development in West Africa.

Different motivations based around Atlantic commodities in South America provided the template for the Bolivian city of Potosi. The silver mines brought thousands to the high desert for varying reasons. Economic profit, employment opportunity, forced labor, and slavery all led to the rise in population and the development of a metropolitan environment. By the time the demand for South American silver reached a fever pitch, the population of Potosi rivaled that of London, England. The mix of culture, language, and religion encircling a central theme is what gave Potosi its identity as an Atlantic city.

In closing, I find myself disagreeing with Matt’s interpretation of the Atlantic city. Yoruba settlements and “treasure hunters” fall far short of defining the composition of an Atlantic City. Potosi was created because of the silver mines, yes. However, varying Atlantic cultures converged in Bolivia for many different reasons, some of which are mentioned above. Commodities and Atlantic trade opened the door to Africa causing the widespread subjugation of a race. Out of fear, differing African cultures combined with one another centering around shared themes of emotion and belief. These are but a few of my reasons.

What is an Atlantic City?

October 26, 2016December 16, 2020Dr. Shrout

In “City Planning: Yoruba City Planning,” the reading discusses the Yoruba, who are multiple groups of people such as Egba, Ondo, Awori, and Ijebu that “share a mutually intelligible language, myths of origin, religiou beliefs, cultural practices, experiences of bondage, and Anglo-France colonial heritage” (1314). Historians argued that these multiple groups came together and began this “urbanism” in Africa. The idea of multiple groups coming together, sharing and spreading ideas comes from the Mande Population Movements reading as well as the Saltwater Frontier one. In the Mande reading, it discusses the Mande speaking people as being an empire even though they did not having lasting architectural structures. Evidence shows their culture was spread in various regions. As for the Saltwater Frontier, the article discusses Native Americans and colonists sharing ideas near rivers but then become less friendly when they move away from them as mentioned by Isaias Ortiz. Then, the reading talks about how Western scholars thought about Africa as “overwhelmingly rural” and tied it with “the ‘noble savage’ imagery” (1316). This wording is brought up by James Merrell who talked about how words can change a narrative, making one group more favorable than another. It makes the Yoruba seem like “uncivilized” people when in reality they had sophisticated cities.

In Jane Mangan’s “Potosi,” the reading talks about how the populated urban center in the colonial viceroyalty of Peru quickly became such a popular re due to large deposits of silver attracting a large population to the area. many people such as Native Andeans migrated there duin order to get money from the successful economy. It also said that “the arrival of slaves connected Potosi’s sphere of influence to Africa” (2). This reading continues to show the growth of economy and society due to sharing of ideas and wealth like in City Planning: Yoruba City Planning”. Again the Saltwater Frontier reading can be paralleled to this reading as well.

Week 10 Atlantic Cities

October 26, 2016December 16, 2020Dr. Shrout

In both the work on Yoruba city planning and the piece on the city of Potosi Atlantic cities are portrayed as places meant for congregation and commerce. People in these cities are from different backgrounds and occupations yet they come together for the purpose of working together and turning a profit. This is especially true in the case of Potosi as the Bolivian city is located out in the middle of nowhere thirteen thousand feet above sea level. Despite its subprime location the city attracted people from all over who wanted their piece of the city’s wealth. It is for this reason that I have to agree with my peer Allison that the main motivation behind a lot of Atlantic cities was indeed profit.

Considering the Potosi work’s emphasis of prohibit as a motivation for Atlantic settling there is quite a few pieces we have read this semester that we can draw parallels from. The one that stands out the most is Vieira’s Tropical Babylon which discusses how many of the sugar plantations in the Canaries and Madeira were established solely for the sake of profit. Just like these sugar islands the city of Potosi was established solely for the sake of trade and commerce.

Atlantic Cities: South America and West Africa

October 26, 2016December 16, 2020Dr. Shrout

Potosi, once the place to mine for silver, attracted different cultures from all over the world. What I found interesting was that the idea of another “Potosi” for other Europeans, such as the English and Portuguese, enticed them to further explore America in hopes of becoming successful like the Spanish (Mangan,10-12). There was this idea about Potosi that it could only be imagined, and as Mangan called it, gained “mythological status” in the eyes of Europeans (Mangan, 10). There is no doubt that wealth played a big role in the growth of Potosi and this idea of finding the unexpected, such as silver and other riches, brought different cultures close together.

In the Yoruba City article, what caught my eye was how there was a social structure in place that had not been recognized by the West. I agree with Allison’s post that the Yoruba cities had a stable social, political, and trade structures. The king was the center of Yoruba life so naturally, the king’s palace would sit in the center of town with the rest of the town built around him and his palace (Adelusi-Adeluyi, 1316). It is sad that Yoruba cities were not recognized for its urban living, and thus debated for many years on whether or not they should be called cities (Adelusi-Adeluyi, 1316). Both of the articles included a similar theme in which Africans were very influential wherever they lived. In the Potosi article, Africans were sent to Potosi as part of the Atlantic slave trade and years later, were immersed in Potosi society, selling food on the streets, refining silver, and even becoming property owners (Mangan, 9-10). In the Yoruba City article, ex-slaves who had been sent to Brazil made the trip back to Yoruba and brought with them masonry skills that later altered Yoruba architecture (Adelusi-Andeluyi, 1319).

Atlantic City Response

October 25, 2016December 16, 2020Dr. Shrout

The Atlantic has always served as a model for exploration and discovery. One thing that motivates explorers of all kinds was a Spanish word for great wealth: Potosi. Cities were built to fuel the trade networks. Often, a myriad of cultures intermingled within these cities because wealth attracted more than just the European explorers. Yoruba speaking people were actually an blend of West African cultures like the Egba, Ondo, Awori, brought together based on similar language, mythology, and religion. They ranged from SW Nigeria to the Benin Republic to Ghana and Togo. It resembles the Mande-Speaking people in Brooks’ “Ecological Perspectives” because it was about African tribes that had striking similarities with each other. Yoruba settlements like Oyo had boundaries and a layout that divided certain tribes into certain areas for them to live and congregate.

In contrast, Potosi was like a melting pot for the Atlantic treasure seekers because trade linked countries together. I agree with Andre’s Post on trade and culture because the hunt for wealth created hotbeds for civilization and intermingling like Potosi because everyone wanted a piece of Potosi for their own gain. Mining precious minerals was at an all time high and the mines were exploited. So much so, mine collapses became common. In fact, mines symbolized “the dark heart of exploitation (Mangan, 5).” It’s unfortunate that greed drove some people to their death but shows the immense draw that gold had on them. So, precious resources and similar cultures came together to fulfill their goals of wealth and unity.

After reading both articles, I came to the conclusion that an Atlantic city is a city built upon a series of networks intertwined with the rest of the Atlantic world because it connects one area with another in terms of various cultures and trade. Yoruba speaking people came together in settlements and Potosi brought treasure hunters together. Either way, people from all walks of life came and settled for whatever it is they wanted most. Uniting people was a component in the growth of the Atlantic cities and world.

Atlantic Cities

October 25, 2016December 16, 2020Dr. Shrout

In reading the articles for this week I noticed familiar trends from past weeks of the course. Starting with the article on Potsi, I noticed that atlantic cities were largely started for the same reason. For profit. Potosi was made into a city because of the silver mines near by the Europeans saw potential and for that reason created a city. It is similar to the sugar islands or even some of the colonies in America. Set up happened where money could be made on a large scale.

However, what stuck out to me the most was the Yoruba City Planning article. I thought it was interesting how this city was largely disregarded as anything special for so long by historians. Simply because it wasn’t a western city it couldn’t be considered fully urban. When in fact they had really stable political, social, and trade structures. They were definitely a stable city. It reminded me of the mende people and our ideas of imperialism. Often times people or in this case cities are disregarded as not as good or as right because they are not western. This is similar to what Danny said about historians says that they are “semi-urban”. They couldn’t give full credit to this city for all that it accomplished because it is not technically a western city.

Yoruba City Planning in West Africa

October 25, 2016December 16, 2020Dr. Shrout

Concentrated mainly in Benin and Nigeria, the Yoruba were able to maintain a militant sociopolitical network of alliances through rituals and trade along the West African coast. What scholars try to reach in the article City Planning: Yorùbá City Planning is how the Yoruba men came to personify the “noble savage” axiom that grew in the minds of those who paid more attention to the theory of evolution. This is done by comparing how urbanization was installed by the local Africans in their subscription to Westernization, mixed with both indigenous and Islamic ideologies that supplemented daily urban life for the locals. These vicinities were defined in the 1960s as “semi-urban”, where the majority of residences are made of temporary building material. The people were held more closely by traditional notions of community and social hierarchy, with the king right in the center as their head spatial architect.

In classical Western sense, it becomes easy to depict the Yoruba as practical subjects of “medieval-style” peoples (i.e. peasants, serfs, kings) in terms of socio-political relations with outside commercial prospectors. What interested me the most was the article’s description of ex-slaves from Brazil who specialized in the way houses and structures were built in West Africa. It took a fair amount of indigenous West Africans to sail straight across the other side of the ocean and then return later and perfect what they learned on the other side as a beneficial mark of their efforts to make it back to their ancestral land. Much of this can be reminiscent to what my colleague Robert Deleon described in Exchanging Our Country’s Marks about the conservation of ancestral ideologies by transatlantic Africans.