1. Beginnings of Slavery in the Americas Why did slavery begin? p.58 in your textbook

2. Background European settlers relied greatly on support from their home countries to fun their voyages and protect their colonies with the use of military. Colonies were expected to pay their home countries back with interest. Many colonies were able to pay their home countries back through the use of plantations, mines, etc. In order to run these mines and plantations – the colonists needed a rather large work force.

3. The Need for a New Labor Force Colonists originally turned to the Native Americans to supply this large labor force. However, European disease had a devastating effect on the Native American population. Measles and smallpox were common. The Native Americans lacked immunity to such diseases. Immune – having a natural resistance. Millions of Native Americans died in the years after Columbus arrived in the new world.

4. Plantation Growth Plantations became a staple of colonial economic structure. Sugar and tobacco become large plantation crops that help the plantations to grow.

5. The Slave Trade 1510 – Spanish government legalizes the sale of slaves in the Spanish colonies. 1518 - the first full cargo ship arrives in the Americas full of African slaves. Over the next 100 years, over a million enslaved Africans were brought to the Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and English colonies.

6. Middle Passage Most African slaves were captured in the interior of Africa and sold off often by other fellow Africans. Captives were chained around the neck and then marched to the coast. Journey could be as long as 1,000 miles. Middle Passage: the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean that enslaved Africans were forced to endure. Africans packed like cargo on the lower decks of the slave ships. Chained together into spaces the size of coffins Height between the deck was sometimes as small as 18 inches Due to this confinement (small space) – many died quickly as disease spread. Some starved Some suffocated Some committed suicide Estimated that 1 out of every 6 slaves died during their journey through the Middle Passage.

7. African Diaspora Between 1520s and 1860s over 12 million Africans were sold or captured into slavery and shipped through the Middle Passage. About 10 million actually made it to the Americas. African Diaspora – scattering of people. Africans were scattered all throughout the Americas. More than 1/3 (around 4 million) of all African slaves were sent to Brazil. Nearly 2 million slaves went to the New Spain colonies. More than 3 million slaves went to British and French Colonies in the Caribbean and Latin America. More than 600,000 slaves were sold to British colonies which would later become the United States.

8. Slave Regulation Colonial leaders across North America developed laws that regulated slave treatment and also slave behavior. Slave treatment varied from kind to harsh. Some provided food and adequate shelter (Looked at it as an investment. Wanted to take care of their investment.) However, severe treatment was very common. (Whippings, brandings, etc.)

9. Slave Culture in the Americas Slaves in America came from all different parts of Africa. Spoke different languages and practiced different religion. However, they grouped together to form slave families. Blood line families were often broken apart, so slaves would join together to form non-bloodline families. Developed and used songs to tell tales. Fell on Christian religion.