The Atlantic Slave Trade

Need for Labor  Sugar plantations and tobacco farms required a large supply of workers to make them profitable  Millions of Native Americans died from disease, warfare, and brutal treatment  Brazil, Caribbean, and colonies of North America soon turned to Africa for workers

Causes of African Slavery  Slavery had existed in Africa for centuries  Spread of Islam into Africa during the 17 th century caused an increase in slavery  Non-Muslim POW’s could be bought and sold as slaves  Muslims transported about 17 million Africans to the North Africa and Southwest Asia

Causes of African Slavery  Slavery already existed in Africa  It was easy for Europeans to trade goods in exchange for African slaves  Plantation work demanded large amount of hard labor

Timeline : Muslims transport about 17 million Africans to North Africa and Southwest Asia : Portuguese explore Africa : Spain and Portugal colonize the Americas, begin enslaving Africans : Atlantic slave trade grows dramatically under Spain and Portugal. 1690: England increases Atlantic slave trade. 1870: Atlantic slave trade ends.

Advantages of Africans 1. Africans had been exposed to European diseases 2. Many Africans had experience in farming and could be taught plantation work 3. Africans were less likely to escape since they did not know their way around the new land 4. Africans skin color made it easier to catch them if they escaped and tried to live among the others

The Atlantic Slave Trade  The buying, selling, and transporting of Africans for work in the Americas

Slavery: A Massive Enterprise  ,000 Africans transported to Americas  million transported to Americas  1870: end of Atlantic slave trade About 9.5 million Africans to Americas

Spain  Early leader in importing Africans  Imported to Caribbean and American Mainland  1650 Nearly 300,000 Africans labored throughout Spanish America on plantations and in gold and silver mines

Portugal  During the 1600’s  Brazil dominated European sugar market  As the colony’s sugar industry grew, so did the demand for cheap labor  During 17 th century More than 40% of all Africans brought to Americas went to Brazil

England Dominates Slave Trade  million slaves imported to their colonies in the West Indies 400,000 Africans sold to Britain’s North American colonies 1830  Roughly 2 million slave occupied the United states

African Help  Many rulers and merchants traded Africans away for guns, gold, and other goods  Europeans did not want to travel inland so they waited at trading ports along coast of Africa Merchant and rulers captured Africans Traded them to Europeans

Triangular Trade  The transatlantic trading network along which slaves and other goods were carried between Africa, England, Europe, the West Indies, and the colonies in North America

Triangle Trade System p. 134 Europe Rum, Cotton, Tobacco North America Manufactures, Guns Slaves, Gold Africa

Triangular Trade System Europe Manufactures Slaves, Ivory, Gum North America Rum Africa

Triangular Trade System Tobacco Africa South America Slaves

Triangular Trade System North America sugar, molasses, slaves Caribbean

Middle Passage  The voyage that brought Africans to the West Indies and later to North America  Considered the middle leg of triangle trade  Africans were packed in dark holds of ships Endured beatings, whippings, disease 20 percent of Africans died aboard ships

Harsh Life  Auctioned off to highest bidder upon arrival  Worked in mines, fields, or as domestic servants  Suffered beatings and lived in dreary huts with very little food  Worked very long days  Slavery was a lifelong condition and hereditary in North America

Resistance and Rebellion  Kept alive their musical traditions and stories of their ancestors  Break tools, uproot plants, work slowly  Some ran away  There were also slave uprisings Stono Rebellion- group of slave in South Carolina led an uprising Other rebellions in Brazil, West Indies, Spanish colonies

Consequences of Atlantic Slave Trade  Africa Numerous cultures lost whole generations  Fittest members, young and able Families were torn apart  Many never reunited Introduced guns into African continent

Consequences of Atlantic Slave Trade  Americas Contributed greatly to the economic and cultural development of Americas  Brute strength and labor  Backbreaking work caused colonies to survive Brought expertise in Agriculture Culture  Art, music, religion, and food

Population  Many nations from North America to Brazil have substantial African American populations  Many Latin American countries have mixed race populations as well