Overview of Slavery Flashcards
Why did the English prefer to use slaves from Africa rather than Native American people?
The Indians who survived refused to work and frequently fled to the land they knew so well. European colonists solved their labour shortage by importing enslaved people from Africa.
Why did slavery become a vital part of the American economy?
Basically - it was just so profitable.
How did slave traders take advantage of rivalry between different African tribes?
They took advantage of rivalry by making the rival African tribes help them convert their rivals into slaves.
Why were slaves branded after they were bought?
Slave masters employed harsh penalties to prevent slaves from fleeing or escaping. With a branding iron, they would frequently brand the slaves’ hands, shoulders, buttocks, or cheeks. To help communities identify recaptured runaway slaves, branding was occasionally done to mark them.
Why is the African slave trade referred to as the Triangular Trade?
The triangular trade was so-called as it was formed by the three legs of the travel. The first travel was from Europe to Africa, where things were traded for slaves. The transfer of slaves to the Americas was the second, or middle, phase of the journey.
Outline the two types of slave sale that took place.
Auction - An auctioneer sold enslaved persons individually or in lots (as a group), with the highest bidder winning.
Scramble - The enslaved individuals were kept together in an inclosure at Scramble. Buyers pre-paid the captain a set amount.
Suggest why slaves were given new names by their owners after they were bought
To reaffirm the owners authority over them.
- Explain why it is difficult to gain accurate figures of the numbers of slaves bought and sold in the Triangular Trade.
It was not recorded.
