Chapter 20 Section 3 The Atlantic Slave Trade

Chapter 20, Section 3 “The Atlantic Slave Trade”

The Causes of African Slavery in Africa O increased with spread of Islam during 7 th century O had some legal rights O leave bondage, like marrying into family they served

Slavery in Africa O Not a new concept O 7 th century spread of Islam increases slave trade O Across the Sahara, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean O Justification O Muslim belief non-Muslim prisoners can be bought and sold O b/t 650 -1600 17 million Africans transported throughout Muslim land in North Africa

The Demand for Africans O Europeans saw advantages in using Africans O immunity to diseases O experience in farming O less likely to escape, didn’t know their way O skin color made them easier to catch O Atlantic slave trade – buying, transporting, and selling of Africans for work in the Americas

Spain and Portugal Lead the Way O Spanish first to import African slaves O Plantations O Gold and silver mines O Portuguese surpassed Spanish O Brazil – more than 40% of all slaves sent to work on plantations

Slavery Spreads Throughout the Americas England Dominates the Slave Trade O leading carrier of enslaved Africans from 1690 -1807 O transported nearly 1. 7 million to the West Indies O 400, 000 to North American colonies

African Cooperation and Resistance O African merchants and some rulers participated O traded slaves for gold, guns, and other goods O some rulers voiced opposition

A Forced Journey The Triangular Trade – O transatlantic trading network along which slaves and other goods were carried between Africa, England, Europe, the West Indies, and the colonies in the Americas

The Middle Passage O middle leg of transatlantic trade triangle O slaves packed into ships O whippings and disease O many committed suicide

O Most ships provided slaves with enough room to sit upright, but not enough to stand O Others forced slaves to lie in chains with barely 20 inches space between them

Slavery in the Americas A Harsh Life O auctioned off to highest bidder O worked in mines, fields, or as domestic servants O many lived on little food in small huts O worked long days and suffered beatings O mostly a lifelong condition and hereditary

Resistance and Rebellion O developed a way of life based on cultural heritage O musical traditions O stories of their ancestors O made themselves less productive O broke tools, uprooted plants, worked slowly O thousands ran away O uprising in Hispaniola, Brazil, W. Indies, N. America

Consequences of the Slave Trade Africa O lost fittest members – the young and able O families were torn apart O introduced guns into the continent

The Americas O without labor, some colonies wouldn’t have survived O expertise in agriculture O culture – art, music, religion, and food O substantial African-American population

Daily Essential Questions 1. What factors led European colonists to use Africans to resupply their labor force? 2. How did African slaves contribute to the development of the Americas?