Atlantic Slave Trade

[3rd Savanna]

Atlantic Slave Trade The new world is referred to as Colonial America in this period. The old world is referred to as most of Europe, especially England, in this period. Slave Background • Slavery had been going on for a very long time. • It can be dated back to the time period of ancient Egypt • One of the biggest roles that slavery had in a civilization would have been in Rome. They were very important in growing food in the latifundias. • Also in Colonial America it was not just the African that was used as slaves, Natives were also tried but the colonists had better luck with the Africans. Atlantic Slavery Trade • Many historians compare this event to the Holocaust • Started in the mid-16th century and continued up until the 19th century • Current estimate of the number of slaves that were actually shipped across the Atlantic were about 12 million even though historians think it was more than that. Triangular Trade • It was a trading network that was established in the late 16th century to the early 19th century. • It trade network consisted of the New World, Old World, and Africa. • Some of the best exports: o Africa – Slaves o Old World – manufactured goods o New World – cash crops Middle Passage • Term used to refer to the event of sending the slaves across the Atlantic to Colonial America. • The conditions were terrible. There were no bathroom and things. • Some slaves often would even commit suicide by either not eating or jumping off the ship and generally would drown. • If a slave would starve to death the captain of the ship would make friends or family eat the slave’s heart and liver. • Around 15% of the slaves that were shipped over the Atlantic died on the journey there. • Dead slaves would be thrown overboard to help avoid disease even though there were man diseases already being spread on the ships. How They Were Captured • Many of the slaves were actually sold into slavery by other Africans. The reason for this is because that the European explorers would bribe the Africans with manufactured goods like alcohol and guns. • Generally the Europeans would conduct the coast raids but if they went too much inland the Europeans wanted nothing to do with that. Slaves: Captured: • Once captured, they would walk to the coast and wait for ships, This would sometimes take months for the European ships to appear. • They would be restrained so they couldn’t escape usually by chain. • Also the Europeans would take a variety of slaves from different villages. The reason for this is that Africa has many different languages so it was impossible for some of them to communicate. Columbian Exchange • Focuses more the trade network for the Old World to the New World. • Named after Christopher Columbus. • Many different foods from each side were exchanged which benefitted both sides. • For the most part it was a pretty positive experience except for the disease that it brought both sides. Causes and Effects • The biggest cause for slavery is that Colonial America was expanding very quickly and the colonists did not have the man power to keep up. • Effects: o African villages would struggle because they were losing many of their hunters and gatherers. o Spread of disease. o Racial superiority. o Colonists became lazy o The economy boomed in the South. Growth of Mercantilism • The more advanced countries in Europe used this economic policy during Colonial America. • It is really a policy that states a country’s wealth is tied to its power. • Stating that money was needed to purchase some goods that are vital to the country. • Bottom Line: More money, more better. • Example of Mercantilism: o England wants gold o So England establishes colonies in America o America does not have much gold but can produce cotton o England buys cotton cheap and does not allow America to produce cloth o England sells the finished cloth to America and to England’s rival, France. o England gets gold and depletes part of France’s gold reserve.