Slave Trade

Question 1

Name the Negative Effects that the Slave Trade had on Africa.

Answer 1

• The population was reduced because millions of Africa were taken away by the Europeans. This was a problem because there were not enough young people left to have children.
• Most of the muscular, working young people were taken. This was a problem because there were not enough people left to grow food, or do any strong work.
• African Kings became very rich. This was a problem because this lead them to want to enslave more people to get even richer.
• Europeans sols cloth and trinkets to Africans. This was a problem because it undermined the African economy, so they did not keep producing their own goods.

Question 2

Name the Impact the Slave Trade had on Britain.

Answer 2

• Lancashire cotton industry provided jobs. The impact of this was that profits from the slave trade invested in other British industries.
• Importing tobacco was a huge part of the economy in Glasgow. The impact of this was that merchants spent a fortune building civic structures to show the wealth of the city.
• Slave Trade provided work for the banking industry. The impact of this was that loans were given to merchants to be able to fit out ships to complete the Triangular Trade.
• Slave Trade made lots profit for investors in insurance. The impact of this was that Lloyds bank made huge sum of money providing insurance for the ship on the Triangular Trade route.

Question 3

Name the Impact the Triangular Trade had on British Economy.

Answer 3

• Lots of jobs were created in ship building and equipping ships for the Triangular Trade, such as sail and rope making. Therefore, many people were able to feed and clothe their families due to having these jobs.
• Glasgow imported tobacco. This allowed Glasgow to become the second city of the Empire.
• Cities such as Liverpool, Bristol, and London also benefited from the Triangular Trade as it allowed them to become huge ports.
• The Triangular Trade involved exports of British goods from British ports and the import of produce from the Caribbean. This meant that the money made by merchants allowed for increase in investment.

Question 4

Name the Impact the Slave Trade had on the Caribbean.

Answer 4

• The islands became too dependent on the sugar plantations. Due to this, when the Europeans left the island economies collapsed.
• Plantations took over from the native crop. This caused problems as the people could no long feed themselves.
• The native people were killed because of the European settlers. The Europeans brought diseases, which wiped out the population.
• The natural beauty of the island was destroyed. The slave ships and coming and going of slaves was a key factor of this.

Question 5

What was Life like for the Slaves on the Middle Passage?

Answer 5

• The heat and smell were terrible and made the slaves sick. The slaves caught diseases, such as Dropsy, and died due to the closeness to the other slaves and the heat of the ship.
• The slaves were kept in the bottom of the ship, tied to the shelves made for them. They were stored in two ways on the ships; tight packed and loose packed.
• The slaves would be made to dance for the sailor’s entertainment. Many woman were also sexually assaulted.
• The punishments aboard were severe. Slaves would be whipped by the Cat O’ Nine Tails, tortured with thumbscrews, even force fed when they tried to starve themselves.

Question 6

How did Slaves Resist on the Middle Passage?

Answer 6

• Slaves would plot against the crew. They would collect knives, tools, chisels, or stones to use as weapons and try to get out of their irons.
• Slaves would attack the crew whilst on the deck. They would run to the crew and try and overpower them, and use knifes to stab the crew.
• Some slaves would jump overboard and commit suicide. They did this because it would lose the captain money.
• Slave would refuse to eat. The crew would use a Spectrum Oris to force slaves to eat.

Question 7

What was Life like for Slaves on the Plantations?

Answer 7

• Slaves worked for long hours - sometimes 16-18 hours per day. The work was very backbreaking and hard.
• Slaves could be separated from their families at auctions and sold to other plantation owners. Women would be sexually assaulted to produce more children who would become slaves.
• The food was very basic and used as a weapon to control slaves. If they misbehaved they would be starved as a punishment.
• The punishments were horrific. Slaves were flogged, branded, and made to wear an iron collar if they attempted to run away.

Question 8

How did Slaves Resist on the Plantations?

Answer 8

• Slaves would pretend they didn’t speak the same language as their slave owner. They would also fake illnesses to frustrate their owners.
• Slaves would work slowly and produce mediocre work. They would also break the machines and tools.
• Slaves would set fire to the crops. As well as spat and urinated in the food.
• Slaves would run away to escape the cruel treatment, to join a revolt, or to meet with friends and families on nearby plantations. Very little succeeded, others came back malnourished and unable to survive being wanted fugitives, and others were captured and brought back against their will.

Question 9

What did Abolitionists do to End the Slave Trade?

Answer 9

• Abolitionists sent petitions with thousands of signatures to Congress.
• Abolitionists boycotted slave-made products.
• Abolitionists gave innumerable speeches for the slave’s cause.
• Abolitionists also printed mountains of literature against keep slaves.