Atlantic Slave Trade Need to Know Flashcards
What were the conditions in the Slave Factories?
no toilets, just a gutter down the middle of the room
Small holes in roof for ventilation
Very little light
Fed twice a day
Many died from malnutrition, Disease and Brutality. Bodies would be removed to a room and slaves close to dying would be moved into the same room
What was life like in the slave factories?
Slaves were brought to Slave Factories by African Chiefs or rulers
Examined by a surgeon for strength, age 35 was maximum age for first class slaves, those who were judged fit were bought by the factories owning company, these slaves were branded on the chest.
The purchased slaves were kept locked up before they were transported across the Atlantic.
Slaves who had poor eyes,teeth, hair, limbs or appeared older were second class slaves.
The were allowed out when the weather was good
They were fed bananas and beans and kept chained underground
Life for Europeans was also hard. Many died from tropical diseases like malaria and yellow fever.
Conditions were uncomfortable and often boring
How did the Slave Trade benefit the British Economy?
Banks were set up because of the slave trade; Barclay’s provided loans to merchants, Lloyd’s insured slave ships, The Bank of England provided finance for slave traders.
There were plenty jobs created because of the slave trade; Bankers,Iron Workers,Chain makers , Fisherman.
Ship Building did well
Cotton brought a lot of Industry
Higher taxes which meant more money for stronger military
Ship Building helped to improve military vessel designs
Britain could access tropical plants cheaper because of the involvement in the trade
Cities became rich and more money was spent on architecture
Benefitted Glasgow ( Tobacco Lords)
Individuals became rich i.e Thomas Leyland , Richard Oswald
Population changed as more people moved to the cities especially with ports for trading
People moved for jobs
Describe the Treatment of Slaves on Plantations
Plantation owners saw it as their right to attack their slaves when they felt like it
Sexual abuse of female slaves was considered acceptable
Cruel punishments were carried out for ‘offences’ such as stealing. Loss of hand,limb or ear was common
Punishment for crimes such as murder and rebellion was torture and death
Slaves quarters could often be cramped and unpleasant
good harvest meant a fairly good meal, bad harvest meant that the slaves suffered first
some owners made slaves work everyday
Children could be removed from their parents once they reached the age of economic usefulness
Slaves never really got free time’ as it was full of domestic chores
Describe the living and working conditions on the plantations
Sexual abuse of female slaves
Cruel punishments for ‘stealing’ - Loss of hand,limb or ear
Lived in simple wooden huts with basic furniture
Slaves quarters could be cramped and unpleasant
‘free time’ was full of domestic chores
Whipped if they didn’t work hard enough
Only stopped for lunch and often worked 18 hours day doing difficult work in hot conditions
Describe the methods used to discipline slaves on the plantations
MAKE LIFE MORE DIFFICULT - Common crime punishments - Subjects slaves to uncomfortable condition - Halter on neck, Iron muzzles put on - Food rations reduced LOW LEVEL PHYSICALLY - Whipping/Flogging - Branded - Thumbscrews - Ear Nailed to post HIGH LEVEL PHYSICALLY - Mutilation was common - Maiming places like; limbs, fingers, ear - even as far as castration EMOTIONALLY - Threat of Sale DEATH - used in extreme cases; often on public display as a deterrent - Gibbet - Left to die of exposure, thirst or starvation in a hanging cage - Broken on the wheel - Ripped apart - Wounds from gunshots or dogs- common on runaways
What were some reasons for Abolition
HUMANITARIAN
- The idea that it was causing violence & Harm to people, and this should not be allowed
- The slave trade cause wars & lack of development in Africa making Britain responsible for this
- Evidence of the cruel treatment of Slaves was described in first hand accounts. They argued this was inhumane
RELIGIOUS
- Broke several of the 10 commandments
- Slavery is clearly not christian e.g “love thy neighbour”
- Many feared the anger of god over the sin of slavery
ECONOMIC
- Cheaper sugar could be bought from Brazil,Cuba of India
- People argued that slaves would work harder if they were paid
- Britain was industrialising so they no longer had to sell goods in Africa
What were the methods used by the Abolitionists
- Petitions ( Thousands of people signed petitions to say they wished to see the end of slavery) - Ineffective as people may not care as the slave trade brought them a job. effective as it allows people to have a voice and is brought to the public no chance of “out of sight out of mind”
- Speeches ( people would make speeches to the public in town halls and parks) - Ineffective as people would have to make the effort to go to the speech, could be effective if the speech happened in a highly traversed place e.g speakers corner
- First hand accounts - Effective as speakers have seen the horrors so able to show emotion and make people feel sorry for the slaves
- Articles in newspapers which put pressure on companies
- Used case of the Zong
- Strong visual images
- Message with a logo and catchphrase
- Lobbying members of parliament
- Encouraged supporters to boycott sugar
Wilberforce’s Role in the Abolition of the Slave trade
- Publicity due to his speeches
- He asked Josiah Wedgwood to make a medallion which became a symbol
- Slavery abolished in Britain because of his bill
- Tried to convince Christians about the evils of Slavery
- He used his friendship with the Prime Minister Pitt
- Introduced anti-slavery bills to parliament every year he was an MP
What were some reasons for the eventual success of the abolition of the slave trade?
Religious Reasons
Economic Reason
- Britain didn’t need the slave trade because the European market has grown
- Sugar could be produced cheaper and cotton was more valuable than sugar
Humanitarian Reasons
- People began to see the slaves as humans
Compensation was payed to planters involved in the slave Trade
Abolitionists were an organised resistance
Public Support
- MP’s though they might lose their position
William Wilberforce
- If it wasn’t for his continuous bills it is unlikely the abolition would have taken place in the way that it did
