The Slave Trade

KWL Fill in your KWLS. What did we learn in yesterday’s lesson?

Taking Notes Bullet Style Headline (subject, for example: Slave Trade). Facts in bullets. Like this! Do you see?

Notes Continued Two Column Notes. Subject Slave Trade Explanation Trade involving enslavement (forced) and movement of peoples.

Key Words Chattel Slavery: People are treated like property. They have no rights and are expected to perform labor at command of the person who “owns” them. Often their children are born into slavery. Indentured Servitude: People are expected to work towards freedom to pay a debt. Sometimes can be applied to someone who was captured in war. Diaspora: A group of people who live outside the area in which they had lived for a long time or in which their ancestors lived Colonialism: Control by one country over another area and its people.

West Africa Known for… The spread of African Slavery. Gold Trade Ivory Trade Vodou (or voodoo). The only indigenous African religion to survive the trans-Atlantic slave trade to be practiced in the Americas.

Slavery before Europeans West African precolonial empires (empires before colonialism). Oyo (located in Nigeria). Dahomey (located in Benin). Asante (located in Ghana). Societies did not show wealth through property. Societies showed wealth by number of dependent people (kin, clients, or slaves). Enslavement was a result of local warfare, and kidnapping. Most often, slaves were indentured servants who could be freed. Linked to North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Link to Europeans Powerful African Nations used slave trade with Europeans and Westerners to gain more power. As European powers began to move to the new world, they began to look for cheap labor. Mid 15 th century. (So this would be 1450, not 1550). Foreign nations needed the help of the nations to enslave people.

WHY? In the mid 15 th century, European nations did not have enough military advancements to force African empires to do their bidding. Changes in the 19 th century. Europeans could not go in the interior of the west without risking catching deadly illnesses such as malaria, dysentery, and yellow fever. Area called “white man’s grave.” West Africa lacked Natural Harbors so ships had to anchor far away from land. Was just easier to have people bring slaves to them.

Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

Trans-Atlantic Slavery vs. African Slavery Chattel Slavery All rights taken away. Children of slaves became slaves. Conditions very harsh and inhumane. Indentured Servitude. Children usually born free. Slaves could be released and join a family clan.

Trans-Atlantic Slavery Conditions

Effects of Slavery Millions of people were enslaved and moved across the Atlantic. Huge population loss to Africa. Could not expand because of it. Could not industrialize. Caused internal conflict between African nations. Left Africa weak, which made land an easy target during colonialism. The African Diaspora: as slaves moved to the new world, they brought pieces of their culture to the new world. Which is why we are all familiar with vodou (although most people don’t know what it actually is).