The Transatlantic Slave Trade

1. The Transatlantic Slave Trade Ch 17: Transatlantic Economy

2. FYI’s • Ch 17 ID quiz  tomorrow • Ch 18 Reading Quiz next Monday • Unit 4 test (Ch 17/18) Thurs/Fri before Thanksgiving • Wednesday… Bring books!

4. Origins of the Transatlantic Slave Trade  Began in 15th century when Portuguese kidnapped natives from the West Coast of Africa and took them back to Europe  As the demand for labor in colonial possessions in the Americas grew with increasing demand for production, more and more European countries began to implement slave labor

5. Triangular Trade Trade routes between Europe, Africa, and the Americas • Home country carries manufactured goods to overseas areas (guns, textiles, etc.) • Africa supplies slaves who are then brought to New World for labor • Labor in New World then produces raw materials (sugar, cotton, tobacco, indigo, etc.) • Raw materials and crops brought back to home country for manufacturing (sugar, tobacco, cotton coffee, rice) The Triangular Trade

6. The “Middle Pasage” The passage across the Atlantic Ocean transporting slaves from Africa to the New World • Extremely tight conditions for slaves, who were packed together below deck • Journey could be anywhere from 5 weeks to 3 months • No room to stand and slaves were shackled to ship with little food, little to no exercise and most importantly no light or information on their destination, future, or families • Many died from starvation or infectious diseases

7. Major Exporters and Destinations • Major Exporters: Britain, Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal • Major Destinations: West Indies (The Caribbean: Jamaica, Saint-Domingue, Haiti etc), Brazil, Spanish possessions in South America, Florida, British Colonies

8. European Influence in Africa • There were great empires in West Africa • Little to no resistance against more powerful Europeans with advanced weaponry • Leaders soon made deals with Europeans

9. Important Slave Market “Factory” Regions -Factory: forts on the African coast for defense and organization of slaving enterprises - Europeans did not go far into the African continent due to harsh topography and native resistance - Thus rely on African chiefs to supply slaves in return for goods - This trade and flow of supplies (including slaves) occurred at these factories Major Slave Factory Regions

10. Impact on Africa • Africans are divided after enslaving each other as prisoners and criminals • Human resources exhausted and population in West Africa declines sharply • Africans profited from slave trade economically • Manufactured goods such as firearms, utensils and tools come into their possession • Precious and refined metals circulate through West Africa

11. Impact on Europe • Mercantilism in 16th, 17th, 18th centuries overseas works very well • Imperialistic states profit from triangular trade • Large amounts of raw material such as sugar, cotton, wheat and corn imported into Europe from New World • Capital accumulation helps to finance Industrial Revolution especially in England

12. Impact on New World Population of West Indies is predominantly of African descent • Large number of mulattoes in the region (of partially black descent) • Some slave revolts

13. Totals by European Country