Fact or Crap Slave Myths Revealed

US-U1-L4 SSUSH2a&b

SSUSH2 a & b Explain the development of mercantilism and the trans-Atlantic trade. Describe the Middle Passage, growth of the African population, and African-American culture.

Mercantilism Definition: the theory that the state’s [nation’s] power depends on its wealth The British felt that having colonies would increase their wealth because the colonies would provide raw materials, like lumber, coal, iron ore, cotton, tobacco, etc., as well as open markets for buying Britain’s finished goods like cigarettes, clothes, furniture, etc. It was also believed at the time that wealth was limited to natural resources, specifically gold and silver, so the more one country had the less any other country could possess making the host country stronger and all other countries weaker.

Trans-Atlantic Trade

Trans-Atlantic Trade There are multiple examples of triangular trade, here are two: New England, England, and the Caribbean Islands; and New England merchants would trade rum to British merchants in exchange for British goods. British merchants then traded the rum to West Africans in exchange for enslaved Africans, who were then transported across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and traded for sugar.

Navigation Acts The Navigation Acts stated that all goods shipped to or from the British colonies had to be shipped on British ships and any exports not going to Britain had to first stop in Britain to pay a tax. Some goods could ONLY be exported to Britain. These restrictions were meant to keep the colonies from competing against Britain. What would you do if you were told you could not trade with whomever you chose? Hopefully someone will come up with smuggling, or stealing.

Middle Passage The Royal African Company was granted a charter from King Charles that allowed them to engage in slave trade with the colonies. The sea voyage that carried Africans to North America was called the Middle Passage because it was the middle portion of a three-way voyage made by the slave ships. Many people that boarded the ships died before ever making it to North America. Reading from pg. 89 Equiano

Middle Passage Videos http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/30011-assignment-discovery-the-middle-passage-video.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo79PHVI-ck http://videos.howstuffworks.com/discovery/30011-assignment-discovery-the-middle-passage-video.htm

Growth of African American Population in the US Most Europeans coming to America no longer wished to be indentured servants because they wanted to own their own land and make their own money immediately; plus land owners did not like having to set the indentured servants free after about 7 years typically, therefore slavery was a replacement. There was too much work to be done, often times, then one family could do on their own. When the first British settlers arrived in 1607 in Jamestown there were no slaves, but by 1700 there were thousands to support the agricultural society, primarily in the south.

Slavery in the Colonies Some early slaves found ways out of slavery by converting to Christianity, because the slave holders did not have slaves based on race, but the fact that they thought of the slaves as savages that needed to be taken care of. In 1638 Maryland was the first state to recognize “slave” as a legal status, this began slavery based on race instead of religion. Slave codes were later put in place to regulate slaves relationships with white people.

African American Culture in US Slave holders would specifically buy slaves from different regions of West Africa so the slaves could not speak to each other and plot a rebellion. Due to rice planting in South Carolina requiring such a large workforce that was more separated from the white people, the slaves there made their own culture, such as a language called Gullah which is a mixture of African and English words. As more and more slaves were born in America more of them spoke English. Slaves also mixed African religious tradition with Christian to form their own religion, and African music made its way into songs and rhythms. Family names and cultural traditions were often passed down even if the family was separated.

Closing What is mercantilism? Why was the journey from Africa to the Americas called the Middle Passage? Why do you think the Navigation Acts would make the colonists mad?