Impact on Britain Flashcards
How many African slaves were carried across the Atlantic by British ships between 1700 and 1810?
About 3.4 million African slaves were transported by British ships.
How many slaving voyages were there from British ports between 1699 and 1807?
There were 12,103 slaving voyages.
What is the historical debate about the slave trade’s impact on Britain’s economy?
Some argue it primarily benefited individuals, while others claim it financed the Industrial Revolution.
Which cities grew wealthy due to the triangular trade?
Bristol, Liverpool, and Glasgow grew rich from the slave trade.
What goods did Britain sell to Africa as part of the triangular trade?
Cloth, metals, and guns.
What produce did Britain import from the Americas, and why was it significant?
Sugar, coffee, tobacco, and cotton were imported and often re-exported to Europe for large profits.
How did the slave trade affect Britain’s maritime industry?
More ships were needed, creating thousands of jobs for shipbuilders, sailmakers, and sailors.
By the 1790s, what percentage of the British trade in slaves was controlled by Liverpool?
Liverpool accounted for 60% of the British slave trade.
What transformations occurred in Liverpool due to the slave trade?
Liverpool became one of the largest ports in the world, with new docks, warehouses, and a booming shipbuilding industry.
What was Bristol’s role in the slave trade?
Bristol dominated the trade in sugar imported from slave plantations and transformed from a fishing port into a prosperous city.
What evidence remains in Glasgow of its involvement in the slave trade?
Streets like Buchanan and Ingram commemorate tobacco barons who profited from slavery.
How did the slave trade contribute to Britain’s naval power?
It trained and recruited sailors for the Royal Navy, making Britain the world’s leading sea power.
What financial institutions in Britain grew out of the slave trade?
Lloyds Insurance Market, the Bank of England, and Barclays Bank, among others, grew from slave trade profits.
How did the government benefit financially from the slave trade?
The government earned revenue through customs duties and tightly controlled the trade with licensed slave ships.
How much money did Britain’s slave merchants make between 1630 and 1807?
It is estimated they made billions (in today’s figures) from the 2.5 million African people they traded.
