"Africans...were skilled farmers; they had some immunity to both tropical and European diseases; they were not Christians; they were, relatively speaking, close at hand; and they were readily available." (p. 689,690)
This paragraph makes me cringe and laugh a little at the same time. In it Strayer explains why African slaves were the most logical choice.
Sugar production required massive amounts of man power to grow harvest and create a usable product. As the demand for sugar grew and new territories capable of growing sugarcane became available the need for a strong workforce grew along with it. Simultaneously, the previous supply of slaves available in the Mediterranean dried up. This in conjunction with the popes decree that all non Christians should be enslaved perpetually really created the situation in which Africans were the most logical choice.
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