British Empire + Slave Trade and Abolishment Flashcards
What was the triangle trade?
- The UK would send cheap manufactured goods such as, guns, rum and textiles to North Africa.
- In North Africa they would trade these goods for enslaved people.
- The slaves would be put onto a ship which would take them to the Caribbean Islands, Southern States of the USA or to the West Indies to work on plantations.
- When in those places the ship would collect goods such as sugar and tobacco from the plantations.
- The ship would sail back to the UK where these goods would be sold expensively.
Why did people think that the slave trade was a good thing?
- It took minimal effort from the British
- Continuos and simple cycle which generated a large profit
- 323,770 slaves taken on only 1099 ships in 9 years during the slave trade. Britain did not need a lot of ships for it to work.
- Money generated from the Slave Trade was 4x greater than the money generated from British Trade.
What were the bad things about life in slavery?
- Hard work (16 hours in field)
- Dangerous jobs that could result in burns (sugar)
- Master has complete control of your life
- Sometimes you would get fed
- Rape and assault of women
- Work from 3 years of age
- Cost a lot to buy your freedom
How did slaves make life tolerable?
- They would have most Sunday’s off
- They would have secret religious services in the woods with singing, dancing and music
- Some drivers got to see different things
- They told stories from Africa
- They could be promoted
What did people in the West Indies do to provoke the abolition of slavery?
- About 10% of slaves ran away
- Slaves rebelled against their masters
- Runaway slaves were welcomed in St Dominique
- Freed slaves set up villages called Maroons in forests land which the British troops could not get through
- In Jamaica there was a rebellion called The Baptist War, lead by Sam Sharp
What was the point of the British Empire? (9 points)
- Power and Land
- Trade
- Troops for war
- Money
- Materials
- Workforce and People
- War
- Access to new products
- Food when in need (WW1)
Who would be most effected by the abolition of slavery?
- Plantation owners
- British slave traders
- British slave ship owners (who would make up to 50% profit on some voyages)
Who would be quite effected by the abolition of slavery?
- Bankers (who did well lending money to slave traders)
- African War Lords (who captured other Africans and sold them to the British)
Who would be a tiny bit effect by the abolition of slavery?
- Ordinary people ( ST provided jobs in Britain)
- Capitalists ( benefitted from the profits of the slave trade being invested in factories and mines)
- Factory owners (send cheap goods to Africa)
What was the main reason why black people were mistreated? Give an example.
Racism
- White people often asked “Can the blacks become civilised?”. They had no hope or belief that they would ever be as respectable as the white people
When was the slave trade abolished?
1807
When was slavery abolished?
1833
What did exslaves do in Britain to promote the abolition of slavery?
They wrote autobiographies about their time being enslaved.
E.g. Olaudah Equino’s autobiography made people notice the horror of enslavement and encouraged them to fight against it
What did non slaves do to help abolish slavery?
- They encouraged people to sign petitions against slavery
- Granville Sharp brought slavery to court to protect slaves from being sent back to the West Indies
- William Wilberforce was a MP who thought that slave trade was sinful and often spoke about it in parliament
- Thomas Clarkson gathered information about slaves ships and shared it with the public
