The Atlantic Slave Trade

1. The Atlantic Slave Trade Mr. Morris World History

2. Key Terms Ch. 20.3 pg. 566 Atlantic slave trade Triangular trade Middle passage

3. Setting the Stage • In order for those who owned sugar and cotton plantations to make money, they needed labor • Planned on using Native Americans but many died due to disease • Decided to get cheap labor from Africa to fill their need

4. Slavery in Africa • Slavery had been present in Africa for hundreds of years • Muslims acquired 17 million African slaves between 650 and 1600 • Muslims allowed slaves rights and some positions of power • In Africa, if a slave married into the family that owned them, they were no longer slaves

5. The Demand for Africans • Portuguese explorers in Africa realized the value in selling slaves to the American settlers • Several advantages to using Africans as slaves • Already exposed to European disease, so they had some immunity • Had experience in farming, easy transition to plantation work • No knowledge of the American lands; couldn’t escape • Looked different, easy to detect escapees • Slave trade became big business

6. Spain and Portugal Lead the Way • Spain’s large amounts of land in North America needed lots of labor • First to import large numbers of African slaves as a cheap labor force in gold and silver mines • Portuguese needed slaves on sugar plantations • As demand for sugar went higher, so did demand for cheap labor in Brazil • 40% of all Africans brought to the Americas ended up in Brazil during the 1600s

7. England Dominates the Slave Trade • Over time, England became the main player in the Atlantic slave trade • Most Africans went to the Caribbean colonies • A small amount of slaves went to the United States • Eventually grew to 2 million

8. African Cooperation and Resistance • African merchants captured other Africans and sold them into slavery • Received gold, guns, and other goods in return • As more African rulers spoke out against the slave trade, merchants found new trade routes • Business grew steadily because of great profits

9. The Triangular Trade • Three main stops in the slave trade • Africa • Received manufactured goods from Europe • Sent captured slaves to the West Indies • West Indies (America) • Received slaves from Africa • Sent sugar, coffee, tobacco to Europe • Europe • Received sugar, coffee, tobacco from the West Indies • Sent manufactured goods to Africa

10. The Middle Passage • Route that brought slaves to Americas was known as the middle passage • Slaves were packed tightly into ships • Whipped and beaten by merchants during this time • Diseases also affected slaves during the trip • Many committed suicide by drowning themselves • Estimated that 20% of the slaves on every ship died before they reached the Americas

11. A Harsh Life • After arriving, slaves were sold at an auction • Either worked in mines, fields, or as servants • Very little food and poor housing conditions • Beaten regularly and had very long workdays • No hope of gaining freedom, all children were automatically slaves as well

12. Resistance and Rebellion • Developed their own culture to cope with the harsh life • Musical traditions and stories from ancestors were kept alive • Resisted by working slowly and breaking tools • Some escaped • Several revolts broke out and some slaveholders were killed

13. Consequences of the Slave Trade • Most fit Africans gone to the Americas • Families torn apart, never reunited • Guns introduced in Africa • Slaves contributed greatly to the economic development of the Americas • Influenced culture also with their heritage • Changed the population of these places, still seen today