How Was The Slave Trade Organised?

Aim: Examine the development of the Triangular Trade route by the 1700s. Success Criteria: You can correctly draw and label the Triangular trade route on a world map.

Triangular Trade By the 1700s a trade route had grown up between Britain, Africa and the West Indies. People called it the Triangular Trade because it had three sides. The journey over the Atlantic Ocean was known as the Middle Passage. Film Clip

Source A is from the logs of two ships that sailed on the Triangular Trade in the 1750s. The ‘African’ left Liverpool and took 43 days to reach Africa, where she spent 258 days trading. The Middle Passage took 36 days and then 39 days were spent in the West Indies. The home passage to Britain took 49 days. The corresponding times for the ‘Duke of Argyle’ were 69 days on the outward passage, 215 days on the African coast, 42 on the Middle Passage, 41 days in the West Indies and 55 for the homeward passage.

Source B is a letter sent by Thomas Leyland and Company of Liverpool to Captain Caesar Lawson of the slave ship Enterprise on 18 th July 1803 Sir, Our ship the ‘Enterprise’ is now ready for sea. You are to go on board immediately and sail to the Slave Coast of West Africa. You will trade the goods on board for slaves, palm oil and ivory. Carry only male slaves if you can because you will be sailing for the Spanish colonies and females are difficult to sell there. Be carefully when you choose your slaves; only take healthy strong ones.

Take good care of your slaves when they are on board and do not let any of them crew abuse them. Make sure your crew do not drink, but feed them well and make sure they keep a good watch. Take care of any who are sick, crew and cargo. Keep the ship clean and make sure none of the ship’s stores are stolen. Once you have a full load of slaves, stock up with fresh food and water, and proceed as quickly for Barbados as you can. There you will find another letter of instruction for the rest of your voyage.

Triangular Trade The development of the Triangular Trade route provided countries with the opportunity to make huge profits from slavery. One of the countries most involved in the slave trade was Britain. Many people in Britain benefited from the slave trade.