Rubber Boom Slavery Essay - 702 Words

Rubber Boom Slavery Dating back hundreds of years the indigenous people of South and Central America had discovered the many uses of rubber, taken from what is known as a Hevea brasiliensis or more commonly, a rubber tree. When the latex is extracted from the tree it is hardened and formed into rubber which natives would use for numerous tasks such as making shoes, handles for tools, and even rubber balls for sports (Dean 23). Due to its useful yet uncanny features it created an immediate buzz of curiosity within the European colonies who occupied much of South America during the late 18th century. Word spread and it soon became a resource of high demand back in Europe whose industrialists sought fortune in collecting and selling†¦show more content†¦The financial success in Latin America was evident in cities such as Manaus, which transcended from a muddy Amazonian village to a rich trading city over the course of the Rubber Boom (The End of Slavery). The happening of World War I marked th e peak of the boom as the need for rubber inflated to supply troops who used the rubber for a range of different battle objects. Such a demand required the need for more slaves so the drive expanded as the rubber barons brought more servants over from Africa who were treated just as poorly as the Brazilian natives. Many slaves fled the river side towns where rubber development was common and developed communities deep within the rainforests to avoid being enslaved by the Europeans (The Indigenous Poromonas). Different ethnic groups who once called the banks of the Amazon their home were pushed outside their original habitat as a result of the rubber boom. Many tribes and native colonies were declared lost or hidden after escaping the European colonies but began reappearing after the rush began to die down. As the rubber business thrived the amount of rubber trees began to decrease and the price of rubber skyrocketed due to its scarcity. The high price of rubber stimulated the se arch for alternative sources which began when a British man smuggled rubber tree seeds out of Brazil and planted them in Southeast Asia which remains a prominent rubber supplier to date (TheShow MoreRelatedChristopher Columbus s Discovery Of The America1132 Words   |  5 PagesColumbian Exchange included things like natural rubber (Nunn Qian, 2010). Natural rubber is produced from latex which in return is produced when plants are cut and/or punctured (Nunn Qian, 2010). Most of the rubber came from Central and South America (Nunn Qian, 2010). People used rubber for containers, boots, tents and many other products (Brockway, 1979, pp. 144–45). Rubber became so popular â€Å"that between 1900 and 1908, 4,500 to 6,000 pounds of rubber were exported each year from the Congo FreeRead MoreEurope Is Nothing Without Africa Not The Other Way Around1104 Words   |  5 Pagescatering to religious matters, ending with improving the lives to the natives. 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Industrials needed to investigateRead MoreThe European Colonization Of Africa1855 Words   |  8 Pagesâ€Å"humanitarian† work there forever (Hochschild 1). Morel worked for an English shipping company that was responsible for cargo going between the Congo Free State and Belgium. What Morel noticed was that ships from Africa were filled with rich, exotic goods like rubber and ivory, but the ships headed to Africa from Belgium were filled with military members and various firearms and ammunition (Hochschild 2). Morel made the conclusion that the cause of this odd â€Å"trade† between Europe and Africa was slave labor. EuropeanRead MoreEssay on Room 101 Script1605 Words   |  7 Pages(laughing) Do you here that Jamie!? (Shouting to the end of the stage) (Audience giggle) Paul: So then Haille, what’s first object to banish? Haille: Well it would definitely have to be spiders, I absolutely hate them! 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Among the cultural motives for the New Imperialism was a desire to a. spread Christianity. b. abolish slavery. c. civilize people of the colonies by bringing them Western education, medicine, and customs. d. end oppressive treatment of women, like sati. e. All of these* 7. The colonies offered job opportunities to European women, who often a. served