The Slave Trade Mrs. Bond & Mr. McIntyre

The Atlantic Slave Trade When? 1450 - Spanish & Portuguese start slaving in Africa 1865 - still smuggling slaves until the end of the civil war (technically illegal in 1808)

The Atlantic Slave Trade Why? Labor shortage (not enough workers) Ethnocentrism –(feelings of superiority The Mercantile System – (Profit & Greed) New technologies & production methods that made output of crops more efficient

The Atlantic Slave Trade Where from? Where to? 5% 60% 65% 30% 35% 5%

Number of people enslaved 30 million taken from their homes 10 million die during capture phase 10 million die during middle passage 10 million survive to make it over the ocean * Called the Maafa (holocaust) In African scholarly history

Systems of African Slavery fall into two time periods The First Atlantic system: South American colonies of the Portuguese and Spanish empires which started in 1502 and lasts until (ca) 1580. 3 % of all Atlantic slave trade Part of Encomiendo or asiento system merchants (mostly from other countries) the license to trade enslaved people to their colonies.

Systems of African Slavery fall into two time periods The First Atlantic system: South American colonies of the Portuguese and Spanish empires which started in 1502 and lasts until (ca) 1580. 3 % of all Atlantic slave trade Part of Encomiendo or asiento system merchants (mostly from other countries) the license to trade enslaved people to their colonies.

Systems of African Slavery fall into two time periods The Second Atlantic system: Mostly English, Brazilian, French and Dutch traders to the Caribbean colonies, Brazil and North America. Pioneers of this system were Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins 1450-1600: -3% of overall slaves traded 1600s – 17 % of all slaves traded 1700s – More than 50% of trade 1800s – 28 % of trade

Phases of the Slave Trade in both systems Capture: Most captured 50-100 miles inland Tribes often did not have a choice in helping capture neighbors “divide and conquer”

Phases of the Slave Trade in both systems West African expectations about slavery: Slaves were not slaves for life A slave’s child would not be a slave

Phases of the Slave Trade in 2nd system Capture: Cape Coast Castle, Gold Coast, 1727 Christiansborg Castle, Gold Coast, ca. 1750

The Gold Coast of Africa Trading Posts for Slave Trade

Phases of the Slave Trade in Second system 2. The Middle Passage Journey over the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to The Americas: a) Caribbean b) South America c) North America d) Central America Packed 400-500 people in a boat with little air & much disease

Phases of the Slave Trade – second system 2. The Middle Passage - Tight Pack Higher mortality, higher profits

Phases of the Slave Trade in 1st & 2nd 2. The Middle Passage - Loose pack Lower mortality, lower profits

Phases of the Slave Trade in 2nd system 3. “Seasoning” - 33% of all deaths happen in this phase Brutal work camps, 4-5 months in Caribbean Meant to train people to be slaves

Why does the system change? Thinking Question: Given how many people died during the “Capture phase” or on the “Middle passage,” what do you think went on in the minds of the slave catchers and slave traders? Why does the system change?

Triangle Trade North America Rum, weapons The Caribbean Africa Slaves Molasses & Sugar Rum, weapons The Caribbean Africa Slaves

African king to King of Portugal “Each day the traders are kidnapping our people—children of this country, sons of our nobles and vassals, even people of our own family. This corruption and depravity are so widespread that our land is entirely depopulated. We need in this kingdom only priests and schoolteachers, and no merchandise, unless it is wine and flour for Mass. It is our wish that this Kingdom not be a place for the trade or transport of slaves." Many of our subjects eagerly lust after Portuguese merchandise that your subjects have brought into our domains. To satisfy this inordinate appetite, they seize many of our black free subjects.... They sell them. After having taken these prisoners [to the coast] secretly or at night..... As soon as the captives are in the hands of white men they are branded with a red-hot iron.”

Growth of Slavery Why Africans? Colonial Americans business enterprises are desperate for labor Harder for Africans to run away than Native Americans Innate African Strengths - agricultural practices, resistance to diseases, Taken in African wars – therefore justifiable

Sugar Production in the early 1700s Sugar Plantations Changes the model for Slavery Model imported from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean Islands of Barbados, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Haiti 75% of all sugar produced in the plantations came to London to supply the highly lucrative coffee houses there.

Sugar Plantations redefine the system of slavery Sugar production & increases the demand for slaves, many slaves die Expectations of slavery change – slaves for life & slaves become property to be protected at all costs. Hard labor & physical back breaking work of caning and distilling sugar creates tension Insurrections &revolts occur across the Caribbean – especially in Sugar Islands.

Growth of Slavery How did African slaves fight back? Open revolt (rare) Work slowdowns Breaking Tools Poisoning food

Thinking Question: While many slaves resisted, not all of them did. What did they have to lose?

Effects: To African culture, politics, social institutions, and economy. - proliferation of weapons & Rum - Constant support of civil war as economic determiner of success & Power. To European culture, politics, social institutions, and economy. - Plantation economy basis of Industrial Revolution – James Watt funded by caribbean plantation owners. - Racism. "the morally monstrous destruction of human possibility involved redefining African humanity to the world, poisoning past, present and future relations with others who only know us through this stereotyping and thus damaging the truly human relations among peoples." Maulana Karenga