Triangle Trade, Mercantilism, and the Impact of SLAVERY ( Unit 1 , Segment 2 of 5 )

1. Triangle Trade, Mercantilism, and the Impact of SLAVERY (Unit 1, Segment 2 of 5)

2. Trans-Atlantic Trade • America became an important part of the trans-Atlantic trade network • The colonies produced profitable raw materials, such as tobacco, wheat, fish, indigo, & whale oil • Britain sold manufactured goods back to the colonists, such as clothing, tea, guns, & tableware • African slaves were brought to America via the Middle Passage

3. Trans-Atlantic Trade Patterns (Before 1660) Colonial raw materials helped drive British manufacturing& the colonies presented a new market for the British to sell their finished goods

4. South What were the top 3 colonial exports? South Middle South New England New England

5. The increased demand for colonial raw materials, increased the demand for African slaves Trans-Atlantic Trade Patterns (Before 1660)

7. This pattern of trade between Europe, the colonies, and Africa became known as the Triangular Trade

8. When the British colonies were first founded, there were few restrictions on who the colonists could trade with Trans-Atlantic Trade Patterns (Before 1660)

9. Mercantilism • By the 1650s, the British gov’t began to embrace the economic policy of mercantilism: • The colonies exist to generate wealth for the mother country • Promoted a balance of trade (more exports than imports) • Meant that colonial trade must be regulated& controlled

10. Mercantilism

11. Slavery in the “Southern” Colonies • Slavery in the Southern colonies was far more common than in the Northern colonies: • Cash-crop agriculture, like tobacco & rice, required workers • By 1660, fewer indentured servants were coming to America • 80-90% of Southern slaves were field workers, most on plantations

13. Slavery in the “Southern” Colonies • Slave culture in the South: • Slaves came from a variety of places in West Africa & had a variety of languages& cultures • Music& dancewere used to maintain their African culture • Families were common, but marriage was not recognized • Slave religion often blended African rituals with Christianity

14. The Slave Population • Slavery led to resistance: • Runaway slaves were common • Sabotaging of field tools & intentionally slowing down the work were common techniques of slave resistance

15. Impact of the Slave Trade • Approx. 1500-1800 (?) • Slave Tradeoutlawed in Denmark (1803), G.B. (1807), U.S. (1808), France (1814), Netherlands (1817), Spain (1845) Slavery itself? • The Numbers: • 15th-16th Centuries – 2,000 Africans exported per year • 17th Century – 20,000 “…” • 18th Century – 55,000 “…” • 1780s – slave exports averaged 85,000 per year, some times exceeding 100,00 per year • TOTAL NUMBER EXPORTED: 10 - 12 million (2 + million died during transport--the middle passage)

16. Impact of the Slave Trade What impact did slave trade have upon African society? • Not all of Africa was affected equally by the trade • The role of Geography: Kingdoms of Rwanda and Burundi were safe because they were interior kingdoms • Some African societies benefited economically and flourished (Ex.) Oyo, Asante, and the Dahomey built powerful states with newly obtained firearms Losses from the Slave trade: • Individual societies drastically impacted (Angola and Senegal—near slave ports) • Distortion of gender ratios (2/3rds of slaves exported were male) • Caused political turmoil among African societies

18. How could this happen? How is one able to justify enslaving another, especially in such a brutal fashion? A. Dehumanization (see reading)

19. The Legacy of Slavery Read ”Why is it important to study the history of slavery? What is its legacy?” • When finished write one complete sentence that summarizes James Horton’s argument. • Do you agree or disagree with James Horton? Explain why.

20. Slavery in the 21st Century Read Newsweek article, “Slavery: Human Bondage is Immoral and Illegal…” • Compare slavery in the 21st Century with what you know about the Triangular trade. • Complete the Venn Diagram

21. Journal ?s • What if you were alive during the triangular trade? What if you knew then what you knew now? • Is ignorance bliss? You can no longer claim ignorance about he modern slave trade. Will this make any practical difference? • 21st Century Slavery claims more lives than the triangular trade. They say knowledge is power. Is it? What power do you have now that you know about this slave trade? • If racism is the legacy of the triangular trade, what is will be the legacy of the 21st Century sex trade?