The Atlantic Slave Trade Section 4-3

Slavery in Africa before Europeans When Europeans arrived in Africa, Africans had be enslaving other Africans for centuries (usually prisoners of war) Slaves could gain freedom and rise to positions of power in society

The Advantages of African Slaves They had been introduced to European diseases Many Africans had experience in farming and could be taught plantation work They did not know the land and couldn’t escape easily Their skin color made it easier to catch them if they escaped

The Atlantic Slave Trade The buying and selling of Africans for work in the Americas Spain and Portugal took and early lead in the slave trade By the end of the 17th Century England exported more slaves than any other nation.

The Slave Trade (cont.) Many African leaders sold Africans into slavery in order to make money (it was very profitable) Most Africans worked on huge plantations when they arrived to the Americas

The Triangular Trade The exchange of goods between the Americas, Africa, and Europe.

The Middle Passage The voyage that brought captured Africans to the Americas Was the middle leg of the transatlantic trade Conditions were very harsh and many Africans died before they reached the Americas

Conditions in the Americas Africans were bought and sold like property to the highest bidders Conditions on the plantations were very poor, many Africans were stuffed into small huts, fed very little, and forced to work very long hours

Resistance and Rebellion Many Africans clung to traditions in order to remind themselves of life before slavery They told stories of ancestors and sang African songs Some of them did things to sabotage their work (purposely breaking tools, working slowly, or running away)

Consequences of slavery for Africans Many cultures lost generations of their fittest members Many families were torn apart Guns were introduced into Africa They introduced their culture to the Americas

Consequences of Slavery for the Americas Many nations today have sizable African populations There are large populations of mixed peoples in the Americas And the development of several places in the Americas would not have been possible without the labor of Africans (Southern US and the Caribbean)