AF-AM Slavery: Intro Flashcards
By the time colonial America started buying and selling captured Africans, black slavery had become an institution in the _____ of ______ and the ______ islands.
Institution in the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in South America and the Caribbean islands.
Was slavery a product of the New World?
If yes, how fast did it grow?
If no, how long before had it been developing?
No.
Before slavery reached the New World at all, it had been developing and expanding for centuries.
Who perpetuated slavery and what was slavery (slave picks) originally based on? When & Why did the criteria change?
Arabs did, and it was more-so based on strength and legal status.
After the 9th century though, it became based on race and ethnic groups, because the expansion the Muslim Empire resulted in Africans being classed inferior, mainly cause of skin-color.
Why did Africans initially adapt the slave trade practice? What two African kings (of what) were of particular note?
Because of a spread of Islamic faith and tradition in their homeland.
King Umme June of Kanem-Bornu and Idris Alooma of Kanemite.
What sparked a desire of slave growth in Europe?
The decline of feudalism and new and vigorous economic growth.
When did Portuguese slavers master African Waters? What did this result in?
15th century. This resulted in slavers raiding Guinea and taking black captives for their sugar plantations.
What sudden expansion, or “boom”, resulted in future prominence in North American slavery? What are the details?
The Caribbean Sugar Boom of the 17th century. The sugar industry suddenly expanded in size, scope, and profitability, causing several powers to rush for slave labor.
Before slavery (and during early slavery), what did the North American colonies rely on for labor? Describe what these are.
Indentured servants. They were fellow Europeans of lower class who signed work contracts for a period of years, for which then they’ll be released.
What factors led to a labor shortage, leading to an expansion of African slaves in America? What years were these?
Several economic and geographic factors in 1660. From the mid 1660s-1690s, Africans began to flood into the colonies.
List the four advantages slaves held over alternative labor in the eyes of the colonists?
Reliable labor, easy identification for recapture, no official liberty for blacks, and cheaper labor.
Africans sold fellow blacks to the Europeans because ___.
Were both sides positively or negatively mutual with one another?
Africans sold fellow blacks to the Europeans because African tribal leaders and European slavers grew rich from dealing in human traffic.
Each side was careful to maintain good relations with the other.
Was was the process/journey of taking slaves from the mainland to the colonies called?
The Middle Passage.
What was the first phase of the journey from Africa to America for the slaves?
Forced physical examinations.
How long did the trip from Africa to America last on average? What were the conditions.
List the 2 primary reasons for these conditions and the results of them.
9-12 weeks on average. The conditions were described torturous because…
- Compacted Transport | 2. Forced Exercise/Humiliations top deck.
Suicide attempts through lunging or food refusal was common. Disassociations into “fixed melancholy” was common too.
Middle Passage:
What two fatal unplanned events would sometimes occur on board? How many slaves on average didn’t make the trip?
Riots and any type ship or natural Disaster. 15-20 percent on average.
How were relations between whites and blacks during the period of indentured servitude & slave crossover? Why?
They were not hostile, but at most slightly distrusting. They were like this because the two rces were foreign to one another. Ultimately, whites did not yet see blacks as inferior.
What unexpected privilege’s were blacks given during the indentured servitude & slave crossover period? What did this lead to?
The same as indentured servants, including freedom from labor after a mass of work was done or the master saw their amount of labor as fit.
This led to the early population of free blacks in the colonies.
What was the potential alternative to prevalent African slavery? Why did this not fall through?
If the whites were able to capture and enslave Native American’s, it was likely that black slavery would not had been all too prevalent in America. However, the natives originated in these lands, and used them to their advantage to avoid the capture of the white men who invaded.
What two events would take the forefront and diminish relationships between the whites and slaves toward racial prejudices? List why or how these events affected racial relations.
The plantation boom and issues with tax law exemptions.
- The plantation boom resulted in a demand for more labor. With the convenience of slavery, it became the favored choice. To alleviate a guilty conscious and optimize their workers, slavers diminished slaves to inhumane.
- Women, whether white or free black, were exempt from taxes. Whites began to feel that black women were not the same as white women, therefore they should have to pay taxes aswell.
