Slave Trade Routes

Atlantic Slave Trade

Warm Up Questions Describe, in your own words, what slavery means to you. Where do you think slavery began? Throughout history, where did slaves come from? Particular regions, countries, ethnicities etc.. What is racism?

What is slavery?What is a slave? Slavery: holding someone against their will, and forcing them to do your bidding Slaves: one who is held against their will, and forced to do another’s bidding: PROPERTY--slaves have no human value, they may be bought, sold, or traded Does it still exist in today’s world?

Slavery does still exist!! Mauritania--20% of the population slaves India--if you owe debt, you and your children forced to work in brutal conditions until debt is paid off Sudan--raiders force people into government “peace camps”. Mainly northern people known as the Dinka are taken. Human trafficking-mostly women are taken and sold as sex slaves

Slavery in America Slaves took the place of indentured servants In exchange for their transportation across the Atlantic, the servants committed to work for the landowner for 4 to 7 years Europeans stopped signing on as indentured servants The need for labor grew as plantations grew Tobacco, cotton, and sugar plantations

Slave Trade Routes

Slavery in Americas African slaves were transported to Spanish and Portuguese colonies in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central & South America, starting very early in the 16th century Portugal Transported over 4.5 million slaves from 1440-1640 This equals 20% of all salves Spain Responsible for slavery in the Americas Society looked down upon those who were poor, and had different skin colors---RACISM Needed slaves to work plantations Britain Transported 2.5 million of the estimated 6 million slaves during the 18th century (1700-1799)

Slave Revolts 1730s - 1760s: 1760s - 1800s: 1800s - 1840s: Sudden, violent attacks 1760s - 1800s: More conservative revolts led by plantation slaves 1800s - 1840s: Better organized attacks, organized by assimilated blacks, many of whom were tradesmen. Absorbed into a culture

Spanish Needed to End Revolts and Runaways Enforced Slave Codes Laws passed by the Spanish government, regulating the treatment of slaves Slaves were forbidden to carry guns, take food, strike their masters, or run away If codes were broken, a slave may be flogged or killed Slaves were tagged, or branded to indicated who their masters were from carrying guns, taking food, striking their masters, and running away

Life of a Slave Slaves were treated as property, to be freely bought and sold The owner was free to split up a couple or family at any time simply by selling some of his/her slaves Some slave owners allowed their slaves to marry Others forced marriages on them Slave children were sent into the fields at about 12 years of age where they worked from sun up to sun down Slaves were brutally punished and tortured

Slave Torture Devices

Branding Tools

Torture Devices

Punishment

Marching of Slaves

Selling of People In 1638, "the price tag for an African male was around $27.00 while the salary of a European laborer was about 70 cents per day.” A slave was worth less than 40 days work by an European laborer The price of slaves will dramatically rise as the need for them increases Supply and demand

Where Slaves Came From

African Kingdoms

Middle Passage The journey of slave trading ships from the west coast of Africa, where the slaves were obtained, across the Atlantic, where they were sold or, traded for goods The longest, hardest, most dangerous, and most horrific part of the journey of the slave ships Ships were packed with human cargo--tightly packed Disease, death, and unimaginable odors Voyage across the Atlantic could last from 5 weeks to 3 months!! 50% mortality rate during the passage from Africa Slaves who were too ill to survive the trip were sometimes thrown overboard and drowned

Triangular Trade Route

Life Aboard a Slave Ship Two meals a day--one in the morning, one in the late afternoon Second meal was the same as what the horses would eat If it was a nice day, the slaves were allowed topside Men: shackled together Women and children allowed to run free Forced exercise--Why?? Jump up and down while shackled at the ankle: kept in shape, sort of Very painful Tore flesh away from the bone Refused to jump (or physically couldn’t)= punishment Whipped with whip called: cat o’ nine tails Bad weather days were the worst for slaves: held below deck or “tween deck” Below deck was dark, filthy, slimy, and stank of death. The "tween decks" were often full not only with slaves, both living and dead, but also with blood, vomit, urine, and human waste. Were not fed during storms

Life Aboard a Slave Ship cont.. Many slaves died during the journey due to the unsanitary conditions aboard the ship, diseases such as scurvy, dysentery, starvation or malnutrition, suffocation, and general homesickness. Captains were afraid that slaves would rebel against the crew, so they often separated slaves from the same tribes and punished them for talking or singing on the ship.

Slave Ship Sleeping Quarters

Slave Ship

Slave Ship

Cat O’ Nine Tails

Aboard a Slave Ship

Topside of Slave Ship

Slave Boy

Slave Boys

Slave

“Am I Not a Man and a Brother”

What Happened When the Slave Ships Reached Their Destinations?