Why was Africa referred to as a dark continent in the 18th century? Africa in 1600s Skilled craftsmen, diverse, civilised, wealthy, an organised society, religious diversity and tolerance Why was Africa referred to as a dark continent in the 18th century? In the 18th century many Europeans thought of Africa as the ‘dark continent’. To them it was a mysterious place. Because they knew little about it, they often believed the strangest things. Worse than that , many White people looked down on black people. They believed that Africans were not as civilised as white people. They believed that White people were superior to Black people. Experiences of the Middle passage Estimated journey 8012 weeks Approx. 1 in 4 did not survive the journey Conditions poor and disease spread rapidly due to poor conditions Diseased slaves would be thrown over board Treated as ‘cargo’ Only brought above deck when land could no longer be seen Kept below deck in chains Slave auctions Men, women and children were sold by auction at the public auction block to the highest bidder Plantation experiences Field Slave – hard labour outdoors – 18 hour days working on the fields House Slave – worked indoors in the ‘big house’ cooking, cleaning etc. Marriage and having children was encouraged. This was a way of controlling slaves as they were sacred that if they ran away their family would be punished. Housing was very basic on the edge of the planation. Food was very basic – just enough to get by. transatlantic slave trade took place between the 16th and 19th centuries. Some 54,000 trade voyages were recorded. This peaked in the 1780s at 78,000 slaves a year, with half of them being transported on British ships. Knowledge Organiser: Black peoples of America: Why did it take so long to abolish slavery? Slavery A person who is owned by another person and has no personal freedoms Abolish To get rid of something, usually a law. Abolition of slavery meant the end of slavery Slave trade triangle The trade in slaves. Starting in Europe, money, guns and pots and pans were traded in Africa for slaves, who were then taken to work in America on the plantations and then the goods produced on the plantations e.g. sugar, rum, cotton, tobacco were taken by ship back to Europe. Middle Passage The sea voyage that was the second stage of the ‘triangular trade’ from Africa to America Plantation A plantation is a farm that grows only one crop – such as tobacco, sugar or cotton. Resisting fighting back/ opposing those in charge Underground Railroad The network of routes that helped slaves escape. Conductors helped the slaves who were referred to as passengers to escape. Between 40,000 and 100,000 slaves managed to escape to the northern states of America or Canada using the Underground Railroad Day to Day resistance Passive non violent resistance e.g. working slowly, pretending to be mad, spitting in the masters food, burning crops, damaging equipment. Jim Crow Laws Slaves had been banned from reading and writing. Laws said they had to pass a test before they could vote. This stopped them voting. Blacks could not mix freely with whites From 1896 it was legal to keep Black and White people separate. Sharecroppers Free slaves were promised a share of the profits if they stayed working on the plantation. They has houses, clothes and food but they were in debt to the farmer. Ku Klux Klan A group of southern white Americans who attacked black people who stood up for themselves, tried to vote or did well , burning their homes and lynching them. Key events 1787 Abolition Society was formed 1807 Slavery is abolished in England 1831 Slavery is abolished in the British Empire 1865 Slavery is abolished in America 1909 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE (NAACP) Key People Thomas Clarkson Thomas Clarkson devoted his life to trying to stop the slave trade in England. He faced a real challenge as the slave trade had many supporters. Solomon Northup Northup was a black man who was born free in New York. He was kidnapped into slavery and kept for 12 years. His friends and family secured his release Olaudah Equiano A former Black African slave who lived in England and wrote a book as part of the campaign to abolish the slave trade. He was a key figure in the anti-slavery campaign in England which first submitted evidence to the House of Commons in 1790 William Wilberforce The main spokesman for the Abolition Society Harriet Tubman She was born a slave in 1820 in Maryland. She resisted slavery in every way she could. In 1849 she ran away. The Underground Railroad helped her to reach Canada. She became a conductor and made 19 journeys back to Maryland to help slaves escape. She led 300 people to safety.