history Flashcards
British sailors became involved in the trade inthe 16th century and their involvement increased in the 18th century.
At least 12 million Africans were taken to theAmericas as slaves between 1532 and 1832. At least a third of them were in British ships.
For the British slave traders it was a three-legged journey called the ‘triangular trade’
West African slaves were exchanged for trade goods such as brandy and gun
Slaves were then taken via the ‘Middle Passage’ across the Atlantic for sale in the West Indies and North America.
At North America and the West Indies the slaves were inspected to make sure they were healthy. They were trained and sold in auctions.
They were then loaded on boats bound for America.
In the West Indies the slaves were sold at an auction called a ‘scramble’. Some were sent to ‘seasoning camps’ to be trained to obey, often using brutal methods.
The selling price of a slave in the West Indies in 1700 was £20, so there was a good profit to be had, which made the risks of long journeys and possible harsh weather worthwhile for the slave traders.
1700 was £20, so there was a good profit to be had, which made the risks of long journeys and possible harsh weather worthwhile for the slave traders.
Field hands worked long hours under gruelling conditions on the plantations.
At the end of the 18th century, public opinion began to turn against the slave trade.
Sometimes slaves mutinied on board ships. The most famous case was the Amistad in 1839.
The most famous slave leader was Toussaint l’Ouverture, who led a successful slave revolution in French Saint Domingue in 1791.
In Jamaica, runaway slaves formed ‘Maroon’ communities that fought against the British soldiers.
In 1787, the Committee for the Abolition of the
