Chapter 20, Section 3 “The Atlantic Slave Trade”

The Causes of African Slavery

Slavery in Africa Oincreased with spread of Islam during 7th century Ohad some legal rights Oleave bondage, like marrying into family they served

Slavery in AfricaO Not a new conceptO 7th century spread of

Islam increases slave tradeO Across the Sahara, the

Red Sea and the Indian Ocean

O JustificationO Muslim belief non-Muslim

prisoners can be bought and sold

O b/t 650 -1600 17 million Africans transported throughout Muslim land in North Africa

The Demand for Africans OEuropeans saw advantages in using Africans

O immunity to diseases O experience in farming O less likely to escape, didn’t know their way O skin color made them easier to catch

OAtlantic slave trade – buying, transporting, and selling of Africans for work in the Americas

Spain and Portugal Lead the Way OSpanish first to import African slaves

O PlantationsO Gold and silver mines

OPortuguese surpassed Spanish O Brazil – more than 40% of all slaves

sent to work on plantations

Slavery Spreads Throughout the Americas

England Dominates the Slave Trade Oleading carrier of enslaved Africans from 1690-1807Otransported nearly 1.7 million to the West Indies O400,000 to North American colonies

African Cooperation and Resistance

OAfrican merchants and some rulers participated

O traded slaves for gold, guns, and other goods

Osome rulers voiced opposition

A Forced Journey

The Triangular Trade – O transatlantic trading network

along which slaves and other goods were carried between Africa, England, Europe, the West Indies, and the colonies in the Americas

The Middle Passage O middle leg of transatlantic

trade triangle O slaves packed into ships O whippings and disease O many committed suicide

O Most ships provided slaves with enough room to sit upright, but not enough to stand

O Others forced slaves to lie in chains with barely 20 inches space between them

Slavery in the Americas

A Harsh Life Oauctioned off to highest bidder Oworked in mines, fields, or as domestic servants Omany lived on little food in small huts Oworked long days and suffered beatings Omostly a lifelong condition and hereditary

Resistance and Rebellion O developed a way of life based on

cultural heritage O musical traditions O stories of their ancestors

O made themselves less productive O broke tools, uprooted plants, worked slowly O thousands ran away

O uprising in Hispaniola, Brazil, W. Indies, N. America

Consequences of the Slave Trade

Africa Olost fittest members – the young and able Ofamilies were torn apart Ointroduced guns into the continent

The Americas Owithout labor, some colonies wouldn’t have survived Oexpertise in agriculture Oculture – art, music, religion, and food Osubstantial African-American population

Daily Essential Questions

1.What factors led European colonists to use Africans to resupply their labor force?

2.How did African slaves contribute to the development of the Americas?