1. The Atlantic Slave Trade
Section 3

2. The Atlantic Slave Trade
The Causes of African Slavery
Slavery had existed in Africa for centuries
Muslim societies took prisoners of war and made them slaves
In Muslim culture slaves had legal rights and could move up in society
Europeans needed a cheap labor source to replace Native Americans in their New World colonies, they turned to African slaves
Many had been exposed to Old World diseases and had developed an immunity
Africans had experience in farming
Less likely to escape and easier to find in unfamiliar New World

3. The Atlantic Slave Trade
Atlantic Slave Trade developed over the next three centuries , turned into a massive enterprise
Over that time 9.5 million Africans had been sent to the Americas
Spanish imported Africans to their plantations and gold and silver mines
Portuguese imported over 40% of the slaves to the Americas
Used on their Brazilian sugar plantations

4. The Atlantic Slave Trade
As Europeans established colonies their demand for cheap labor grew
From the late 1600’s to 1807 the English were the largest carriers of slaves to the New World
400,000 slaves were brought to Britain's North American colonies
African rulers cooperated with European slave traders
European traders waited in ports on the coast of Africa and waited for Africans to bring enslaved peoples to them
They were exchanged for gold, silver, guns and other manufactured goods
Some African rulers were opposed to this slave trade

5. The Atlantic Slave Trade
Triangular Trade Network
Africans slaves were part of a trade network that:
Europeans transported manufactured goods to the African coast
Africans were transported across the Atlantic to the Caribbean Islands, South America or the English colonies
Merchants purchased goods (sugar, rice, tobacco, rum, coffee)for slaves and took them back to Europe to be sold

6. The Atlantic Slave Trade
Voyage that brought slaves to the New World called the “middle passage”
Cruelty, sickness and death characterized journey
Slave traders packed Africans into ships
Almost 20% died on the trip across the ocean

7. The Atlantic Slave Trade
Slavery in the Americas
Slaves auctioned off to the highest bidder
Worked long days and sometimes suffered brutal treatment
Developed a way of life based on cultural heritage, kept alive music, stories and religion of ancestors
Slaves found ways to resist, did not work as hard or ran away or revolted

8. The Atlantic Slave Trade
Had a profound impact on Americas and Africa
Africa
Many African culture lost generations of their fittest members (young and able) to the slave trade
Families were torn apart
The slave trade introduced guns to the continent of Africa
The Americas/ New World
Slave contributed to the growth of the Americas through their labor and their expertise in agriculture
They brought their culture (music, art, food, religion) and it became mixed with the cultures of the New World
Many nations today have mixed race populations and significant African- American populations

9. The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade
Section4

10. The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade
Colonization of the Americas caused voluntary and involuntary migration of people and the introduction of goods from each continent
Exchange resulted in new business and trade practices in Europe
Columbian Exchange- global transfer of foods, plants and animals during the colonization of the Americas
Ships brought back items to Europe never seen before, many became food sources for the Europeans
Two most important were potatoes and corn
Both were inexpensive to grow and supplied nutrition
Both played a significant role in boosting the world’s population
Europeans introduced: livestock animals to the Americas (cows, sheep, pigs, horses), foods from Africa were introduced (bananas, peas, yams), grains from Europe (wheat, rice)
Disease was part of the Columbian exchange

12. The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade
New wealth and overseas trade led to new business practices
Growth of capitalism (an economic system based on private ownership and owned to make a profit)
No longer were governments the sole owners of great wealth
Many merchants gained wealth and used money to invest in other enterprises and businesses flourished
Increase in gold and silver from New World led to an increase in the money supply and things began to cost more for average Europeans

13. The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade
Another type of business venture was the joint stock company
Investors purchased shares of stock in a company to combine wealth for a common purpose
During 1500 and 1600’s common purpose was to colonize the Americas
Took large amounts of money to establish and build colonies
Colonies were risky investments and if many people invested they only risked a small loss
A joint stock company was responsible for establishing Jamestown

14. The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade
The Growth of Mercantilism
Mercantilism was a new economic policy adopted by European countries at this time
Countries power depended on its wealth, allowed countries to purchase goods and develop strong navies for trade
Goal was to attain as much wealth as possible
Nation could increase its wealth in two ways:
Obtain as much gold and silver as possible
Establish a favorable balance of trade by selling more that they purchased
Ultimate goal was to not depend on other countries for goods so they had to establish colonies to provide what they did not have
Colonies also provided a market for good to be sold

15. The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade
Economic Revolution Changes European Society
Spurred the growth of towns
Led to the rise of a merchant class who controlled great wealth
Led to the creation of national identities and helped expand the power of European monarchs
Majority of Europeans remained poor