Chapter 8 Facing Slavery
Life in West Africa- 1500’s How were the people of West Africa alike? -most farmed, some were miners, traders, and craftsmen. -most were free -society was based on family. -owned land together and shared crops. -A common tradition was story telling.
Life in West Africa-1500’s How were people different? -They spoke many different languages. -Some lived in large cities , while others lived in small villages. -Not all, but most lived in freedom. -This would soon change as Europeans arrived to West Africa.
Dilemma #1- European Slave Trade Some Africans were already servants that had been criminals or prisoners of war. The Europeans named these people slaves. Many still had rights and could earn their freedom one day. They could farm, own land, and earn money. Europeans introduced a new kind of slavery. They needed people to work on huge plantations in the Americas. Traders offered rum, guns, tobacco and cloth in exchange for these slaves.
Dilemma #1 Con’t. Some West Africans refused to take part. They resisted the Europeans. Others went to other villages to kidnap/raid people. This was very common. Others traded people who were already slaves. They did not want to be apart of slave trade, but they had little choice.
Dilemma #2- The Middle Passage The Slaves were put in chains and marched hundreds of miles to the coast. They were marked with hot branding irons loaded onto ships headed for the Americas. The Middle Passage took from 5 to 12 weeks, sometimes even longer.
Dilemma # 2 con’t. The trip was a nightmare. Men were chained together at the ankle and wrist. People were packed so closely together, they could barely move. The ships were crawling with rats, fleas, and lice. An estimated 10 to 14 million Africans made the middle passage. Between 10 and 20 percent died along the way.
How did these slaves react to the Middle Passage? Some tried to kill themselves by jumping overboard. Some tried to revolt against the crew. Joseph Cinque tried to kill the captain and take over the ship Amistad. Other slaves decided to save their energy and survive the journey.
Dilemma # 3- Arrival in America Families were separated and herded into large yards. The West Africans were sold to plantation owners in two different ways. At a slave auction buyers bid on slaves, who were sold for the highest price. Other slaves were sold for the same price at a scramble.
The “Breaking in Period” Slaves were given new names. An overseer shouted at slaves in a language they did not understand. They were given tools they had never seen before and if they resisted, they were whipped, burned, or even killed. Slaves often worked 16 hours a day.
Dilemma # 3 con’t. Often 8 or more people shared a small cabin with a dirt floor. Slaves reacted to their new life by trying to run away, but they were often caught and punished severely. Others played dumb and pretending they did not understand what they were asked to do. Slaves also pretended they were too sick or hurt to work.
Advantages of working in “The Big House” Working in the master’s house was better than working the fields. A slave ate leftovers from the master’s table and wore the family’s old clothing. They were taught a trade, and even paid for extra work on weekends and holidays. They hoped to one day buy their freedom, but few slaves would become free this way.
Summary Slaves faced 3 major dilemmas. Slaves reacted differently during the Middle Passage, as well as to their new life in the Americas. How do you think you would feel if you were taken from your home and forced to work in a strange new place? In the next chapter, we will learn more about daily life for these African slaves.