The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade Forced Migration of Millions 1575 - 1888

The Demand: Labor in the New World Conquistadors, work, and disease Up to 85% of the total native American population is killed #1 Cause: disease following disease, execution & overwork caused massive numbers of deaths

Smallpox & Native Americans

A Lonely Voice in the Wilderness 1474-1556 Bartolome de las Casas Catholic Priest Champion of native American causes Argued for the equality of treatment of native Americans Claims they are as complex and intelligent as Europeans

The Labor Supply: Indentured Servants from Europe

The Labor Supply: Africa Africans live in an area of low productivity, which encourages business, rather than agriculture, as the basis of existence Africans naturally resistant to both smallpox & malaria Africans used to hard work Africans, like Europeans, have participated in a slave trade throughout history

Arab Slave Traders

Dutch Map of Africa: 1663

Slave Trade Map: West Africa

11-year old Olaudah Equiano of Nigeria - 1750’s One day, when all our people were gone out to their works as usual, and only I and my dear sister were left to mind the house, two men and a woman got over our walls, and in a moment seized us both; and, without giving us time to cry out, or make resistance, they stopped our mouths, and ran off with us into the nearest wood. Here they tied our hands, and continued to carry us as far as they could, till night came on. . .(http://vi.uh.edu/pages/mintz/3.htm) 11-year old Olaudah Equiano of Nigeria - 1750’s

Slave Coffle: The Inland Passage

The Middle Passage, Part I The branded slaves, after this, are returned to their former booth, where the factor is to subsist them at his own charge, which amounts to about two- pence a day for each of them, with bread and water, which is all their allowance. There they continue sometimes ten or fifteen days, till the sea is still enough to send them aboard; for very often it continues too boisterous for so long a time, unless in January, February and March, which is commonly the calmest season: and when it is so, the slaves are carried off by parcels, in bar- canoes, and put aboard the ships in the road. Before they enter the canoes, or come out of the booth, their former Black masters strip them of every rag they have, without distinction of men or women; to supply which, in orderly ships, each of them as they come aboard is allowed a piece of canvas, to wrap around their waist, which is very acceptable to those poor wretches....

Slave Market on the Gambia River

Body Positions on board the Aurore, 1784

The Middle Passage Experience This produced copious perspirations so that the air became unfit for respiration from a variety of loathsome smells, and brought on a sickness among the slaves, of which many died- - thus falling victims of the improvident avarice, as I may call it, of their purchasers. This wretched situation was again aggravated by the galling of the chains, which now became insupportable, and the filth of the necessary tubs [toilets] into which the children often fell and were almost suffocated. The shrieks of the women and the groans of the dying rendered the whole a scene of horror almost inconceivable. (http://vi.uh.edu/pages/mintz/6.htm ) The Middle Passage Experience

Slave sales

Slave conditions

Punishments

British Abolition, 1807 & 1838

Slavery in the United States

Slavery today