Slavery 1500-1800- P3 Flashcards
what was the role of europeans in the origins of slavery?
- countries such as Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, France searched for adventure
- colonialists were able to start using low labour costs to get highest profits
why didn’t europeans use native americans as slaves?
- they knew their land very well and could easily escape
- diseases hurt population and they couldn’t fight off infections as well
- genocide
why did europeans choose West Africa for the slave trade?
greater ability for travel and could control risk for escape, sea ports
were able to travel better due to new ship building techniques, navigational improvements and cartography
europeans knew that african slavery was good for knowledge on plantations
what was the role of portugal in the origins of slavery?
portugeese settlers turned to African coasts to establish links between sugar plantations and African slaves
turned to African slaves to solve their need for labour = caused a massive growth in the slave trade
they repaired and refuelled large ships to trade slaves to sell to Carribean, US and Europe
started to provide workers to Spain and Brazil
what was the asiento system?
european settlers first gained access to enslaved Africans through attacks on portugese ships - when english, dutch or french privateers captured these ships, they sent the slaves back to their own colonies/plantations
Spain and Portugal were temporarily united in 1580, but Spain broke up Portugeese slave trade monopoly (they owned the trading rights to something)
Spain offered direct slave trading contracts to other European merchants
abandoned in 1789
Asiento system became instrument of foreign policy as european powers used this as ower. the access of it was dependent on wars etc.
what was the role of Britain in the origins of slavery?
- selling slaves to Spanish merchants kept Bristol involved in the trade when sugar prices dropped in 1730s- provided economic security for Britain as they had multiple incomes
- Charles II created Royal African Company which created a monopoly to transport enslaved people to English colonies and arrested them without a trial. abolished in 1712 when they were introduced to asiento system. - once this ended, there was competition between merchants, increased in trade.
- by 1760, Britain possessed 23 colonies, and as their colonies grew, the number of British plantation owners and slave traders did
what are some of the factors which caused the slave trade?
- role of plantations: income, cheap labour etc
- demands of sugar producton
- shortage of labour: native americans
- religious factors: in genesis, ‘canan’ was punished and enslaved, and he was black.
when did portugal get involved with the slave trade and when was it abolished
1444 - 1858
when did britain get involved with the slave trade and when did it end?
1562 - 1883
historiography for origins of slavery
James Walvin- The local Indians died out or simply drifted away from the strenuous demands… Both the Spaniards and Portuguese already had experience using African slave labor… so faced with labour shortages in the Americas they again turned to African slaves.- Origin
Herbert Klein - Alternative labor was needed … They found African slaves useful for the very reasons that they were kinless and totally mobile laborers. -Origin
Kenneth Morgan- it would not be unfair to claim that the slave-sugar trading complex strengthened the British economy and played a significant, though not decisive , part in the evolution [of industrialization].’- Impact on British economy
what was the middle passage?
journey between West Africa, Americas, Europe
West African slaves are moved to America to be used on plantations = plantations produce sugar, tobacco and cotton which goes to Europe = Europe turned these to manufactured goods which then goes to Africa
what was the middle passage like for slaves?
15m Africans were transported rom 1540 - 1850 to the Americas. #
= journey took roughly 2 months
- stripped off clothes and possessions
- segregated by gender and age
- disease was very common
- net over the ship to stop suicide
- disobedient = tortured
- women were raped and assualted
what was the zong massacre in the middle passage?
1781
Zong left Ghana for Jamaica where they intended to sell 422 slaves, which was twice the capacity
ship owners had insurance for ‘cargo’ - wouldn’t be able to get insurance if slaves died from illness aboard.
3 options: ration food and water, lock down hatches and so they would die from dehydration and disease or throw overboard. they were thrown overboard
when ship arrived in jamaica, captain shortly died after and the surviving captives were sold.
insurers refused to pay insurance and when taken to court, the English Maritime Insurance said that compensation would be paid for Africans, but no one had ever claimed for the people that were deliberatetly killed to make an insurance claim.
jury ruled in favour for ship owners, insurers appealed.
zong was one of the first cases that signalled changing attitudes and kickstart of abolitionists
what was the amistad rebellion
feb - march 1839
there was 53 Africans on the Amistad, they were stripped naked, punished and inspected.
it had left Havana under nightfall to avoid British ships.
One of the slaves killed the cook in his sleep, and then slashed the captain to death
it stopped on small islands, and dehydration and dysentry took a toll on them. the crew was freed and the Africans was imprisoned.
naval officers who captured the boat wanted rights to the vessel and the cargo, but the crew wanted their property back, but the Spanish and US government requested Africans to be returned to Cuba
1841 - Supreme Court agreed that Africans should be released free
Abolitionists were forced to raise money from scratch for the journey back to Sierra Leonew
what did slave traders do to the slaves when they reached America?
- washed, shaved and rubbed with palm oil or tar to disguise sores and scars.
- older slaves had heads shaved to hide signs of grey hairs
- auctions - auctioneers sold enslaved people individually with people being sold to the highest bidder
- scramble - enslaved people would be kept together in an enclosure, and buyers paid a fixed fee beforehand, then buyers rushed in and grabbed the people they wanted
- many died or committed suicide
historiography for the middle passage
“the shrieks of women, and the groans of the dying” – Olaudah Equiano
“mass murder masquerading as an insurance claim” – James Walvin
Piers Brendon- During the two month voyage. The slaves endured a kind of living death.- the Middle passage
Molly Morgan- The Middle Passage served not only to erase a slave’s sense of human dignity, but the journey also wiped away the collective knowledge and cultural history of those captured. – the middle passage
why were more slaves to going to brazil compared to other countries?
- most slaves going to brazil died quicker, and died before they were able to have children
- labour was more intense
why did slaves live longer in America?
they had strong opinions on ‘breeding’
people tended to live longer and so they were able to have children who then became slaves
they had cotton plantations, so it was a little less labour enriched
what different plantations were there
brazil
- Most slaves resided on sugar plantations
- Work in the fields was gruelling
- Long hours spent in the sun
- Bake in their skin over cauldrons in boiling houses where the raw sugarcane was processed
west indies
- Enslaved labourers work on sugar and coffee plantations
- Worked for long hours
- Child slave labour is common in coffee plantations
- Poisoning with chemicals for coffee plantations
southern colonies
- Tobacco, rice and cotton plantations were common
- Rice plantations: swamp like conditions and would be tough to work in
- Rice plantations considered to be one of the worst
- Standing in water for hours
- Child morality and malaria was high
what were the conditions like on plantations
southern colonies
- Worked in gangs under the control of an overseer
- Wanted slaves to reproduce
- Conditions weren’t as brutal in brazil and west indies
- Intimidation, dehumanisation and brutality
- Long hours
brazil/west indies
Both had sugar plantations
- Unpleasant heat and humidity
- Enslaved Africans were chosen as they were thought to best withstand the heat
- Debt bondage
- High morality rates
“the reduced life expectancy {was due to} the particularly harsh work in the hostile environments of sugar cultivation” according to James Walvin.
what was the treatment of slaves like in different colonies.
west indies
Slave code was passed in 1661 and it saw slaves as “brutes” and described Africans as “nonhumans” and that they should be purchased and be heirs forevwr
brazil
Dehumanising
One of the first countries to introduce slave codes
Racial hierarchy that correlated to working conditions
americas
Slave codes were brought in order to protect slave owners from slave violence
Slaveholders were allowed to whip, brand and imprison them.
Slave codes continuously changed to meet the slaveowners needs
what was the economic impact on plantations for different coloneis
west indies
- Slavery system greatly impacted the economy
- Caribbean land was cheap to buy, but the sugar plantations where the slaves worked were extremely expensive to build and then maintain
- High quality sugar with extremely cheap labour, following the notion that its cheaper to work slaves to death and replace them rather then treating them humanely.
- Economy pulled in more profit due to the growth in numbers meaning the sugar plantation was making even more money
brazil
- Brazil’s relationship with slavery allowed for economic growth within the colony
- Most of the slaves worked on sugar and coffee plantations which were high demand leading to more slaved being used to turn a larger profit
- Brazil gained more economic power and growth that allowed them to industrialise their colony even further
southern colonies
- South was growing 60% of the worlds cotton supply which meant that slavery system had allowed for cheap labour.
- This aided colonies as it allowed for manufactured goods such as iron and other metals to be sold.
- Acted as a foundation for American economic growth due to the continuous use of slaves on plantations.
what was the role of religion for different colonies plantations
west indies
- Encourages the enslaved to read passages from the Bible that they thought enslaved people to be happy in bondage
- Owners also wanted slaves to take part to take part in forms of Catholicism.
- Many slaves worshipped the stories of Moses as he saved the slaves from bondage
brazil
- Main role of religion was to allow the slaveowners to assume control over the enslaved people as they would make it compulsory for their slaves to convert to the Roman Catholic Church.
- Masters felt this ownership and control would lead to the slave being more obedient
what was the role of rebellions on different colonies plantations
west indies
There was more of an opportunity since working in groups
brazil
Revolts from slaves were less frequent, but overall, more violent than the others
This is due to the isolating conditions that they were under
southern colonies
More of an opportunity since they were working in groups on plantations
Bacon’s Rebellion
Stono’s Rebellion
historiography for life on plantations
James Walvin, stated that “life as a sugar slave was generally tougher” those working on tobacco plantations.
“the reduced life expectancy {was due to} the particularly harsh work in the hostile environments of sugar cultivation” according to James Walvin.
historian Lilia M Schwarcz the enslaved people would “[kill] their masters and plantation owners, [flee] into the forests, and [mount] revolts”
what was the most common type of resistance on plantations?
‘day to day resistance’
breaking tools, faking illness, staging slowdwosn, committing acts of arson and sabotage
running away as most slaves ran short distances to temporarily withold the economic bargaining and negotiating
some people did run away but these consisted of people with more privilege such as boatsmen or coachmen.
when were slave revolts more common?
when slaves outnumbered white people
when masters were absent
during economic distress
when large native born Africans had been brought into one area at a time
historiography for slave resistance
james walvin - “ranging from explosive revolt to quiet, unspoken turbulance and foot-dragging”
james walvin - “they tried to transform or at least shape their lives into something more tolerable”
what was the Stono rebellion in South Carolina in 1739
YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS ONE
reason: an Angolan called Jemmy led it, with twenty slaves organised a rebellion near the Stono river. They broke into a store, armed themselves with guns and alcohol and called for liberty. Overseers were killed and reluctant slaves were forced to join the company.
They went to St.Augustine as Spanish were based here, and Spanish wanted them to revolt/
Security Act - all white men to carry weapons to church and the Rebellion happens 3 weeks before the Act.
joined on the way with 50-100 other slaves
White militia organised and crushed rebellion - 44 black people died
they would kill more than 20 white people on their trail and burn down houses
short term: lawmakers imposed a harsher slave code
: war with Spanish in St. Augustine - british plantation owners and white in the area
long term: Negro Act severely restricted the lives of South Carolina’s enslaved people, they could no longer assemble together, grow their own food, learn to read
what was Gabriel’s revolt in 1800?
reason: plans for a revolt let by Gabriel were leaked and its 25 followers were hanged.
the rebellion was stopped before it could even begin, but it was well known
70 enslaved people were arrested and 26 people were hung
short term: arrested and prosecuted over 70 men, many committed suicide beforehand.
long term: country and state leaders instituted legislations to regulate movements of enslaved people and free black people
who and when founded Quakers?
1657 - George Fox
why did the Quakers start?
George Fox, the founder, encountered slavery when he visited Barbados and he wanted to make them free.
from 1750s, a number of Quakers in American colonies began to oppose enslavement.
by 1761, Quakers had began to view abolition as a christian duty and all Quakers were barred from owning slaves, if they did not conform, they were disowned
what did the quakers do to influence the british parliament?
1783 - ‘London Society of Friends’ presented a petition against the slave trade, signed by nearly 273 Quakers
who was Benjamin Lay?
third generation Quaker
thought every person had something in god of them which is worthy of respect and that slavery was the worst evil
he also saw the atrocities in Barbados
what was the society for effecting the abolition of the slave trade? SEAST
founded in may 1787
9 of the original founders were Quakers and 3 were Angelicals
what were the reasons for the gathering of momentum in the anti-slavery movement?
- enlightenment movement saw new ideas emerging
- people started moving away from traditional ideas to discussions on liberty, rights and humanity
- most anti slavery leaders were from protestant groups who rejected the old testament and wanted to reinterpret the bible
- wedgewood anti-slavery medallion of an enslaved man that was on his knees - showing that not all men are born equal, but they should be :)
- successful methods, such as stories from Equiano.
what struggles did the abolitionists have?
- often faced violent opposition: had printing presses smashed, books burnt, lives threatened
- people didnt want to lose their labour force and money that they had from slavery
- religious arguments
what methods did the Quakers have to fight abolition?
- petitions with thousands of signatures
- held abolition meetings and conferences
- boycotted products made with slave labour
- printed loads of antislavery literature
- speeches
what impact did the Black community have on the abolition movement?
black abolitionists were the one set of voices that could bring credibility to the debate. This was especially true of those who had experienced slavery”
most effective abolitionist speakers were former slaves
a lot of autobiographies and literature were written by slaves as it would shock English and American audiences
who was William Wilberforce’s role in the abolition of slavery?
- he was persuaded to lobby for the abolition of the slave trade and regularly introduced anti slavery motions in parliament
- every year between 1789 and 1806, he presented a bill for the abolition
- his friend, James Stephen, in 1806 proposed a bill from banning British ships from carrying enslaved people to French colonies, and pro-slavery mp’s didnt see the significance of the bill and let it pass.
- this stopped 2/3 of the slave trade and made it unprofitable, therefore in 1807, parlaiment abolished it.
who opposed the abolitionists?
- british workers who made a living from industries which depended on sugar, tobacco and manufacturing
- some mps were planters or who had buisness interests
- many people’s jobs depended on buisness
why was there a rebellion in St Domingue
the causes of Haitian Revolution included the brutality of slave owners, and inspiration from the French Revolution
Class Disparities - white people had more power, but enslaved black people had extreme brutal discrimination
it started a series of uprisings and this turned into a revolution
why was the government reluctant to abolish the slave trade at this time?
- money and jobs
- source of wealth
- buisness people defended the trade
- plantation owners
- economic consequences
- racial prejudice
how did the rebellion in st domingue impact the abolitionists?
- started conversations about right of slaves, it lead to removing slavery
- shows that everyone should be equal
- scared white people
- many people were scared Indepedent Haiti should be inspired enslaved people in Africa
Society for Effecting for the Abolition of the Slave Trade (SEAST)
- composed of middle-class idealists and some were radical
-aim to campaign specifically for the abolition of the British Slave Trade - established in 1787
- 9 were Quakers and 3 were Anglicans
- wanted to inform the public on the inhumane treatment of enslaved Africans
- antislavery books and posters
what tactics did SEAST use to gain public support?
- tours of Britain to raise public awareness
- Literature - essays and books
- Advertising, public meetings and letters
- Books and Phamplets
- image of kneeling enslaved man
what role did women play in fighting against slavery?
- creative writing, organising campaigns, boycotting slave traded products
- women couldn’t speak or sign in socities
- their money helped campaigning
- ## domestic appeal to other women and mothers
what was significant about sugar boycotts?
- from west indies
- children who were old enough to understand stopped eating sweets
- mass importing it as it was a key product from the plantations
who was Elizabeth Heyrick?
- used to write and produce books and phamplets from issues regarding the poor
- wrote a phamplet on getting rid of slavery which sold thousands across Britain and the USA
- promoted a boycott of West Indian sugar and 1/4 of the town had given up sugar
- William Wilberforce instructed leaders of abolition movements to not speak at the women’s meetings because they fully agreed with Elizabeth’s stance on anti-slavery
what was the role of Black American and Black Europeans in ending the slave trade?
Olaudah Euqiano - wrote a powerful autobiography which showed the horrors of the slave trade and travelled across Britain speaking against slavery.
Black abolitionists were more influential in France and its empire
He also referred to the Bible showing how disciples had clearly stated that slavery conflicted with Christian belief.
what was the role of economic factors in ending the slave trade?
buisnessmen: profits of voyages transporting slaves was declining and so they weren’t making money as they typically would have. They also hoped to make money form different means such as selling goods to Africans, and buying palm oil and resources to use in their factories
working class: slavery was seen as unethical and threat to their own security. It was due to the fact more people were working in factories and they had to compete with plantations and forced labour.
what are the factors for the anti-slavery movement developing rapidly?
- economic factors
- activities of SEAST
- key indidividuals - wilberforce
- actions of african americans
- moral factors - enlightenment
what was the relationship between britain and the slave trade following abolition?
- britian still profited from slavery and ships reguarly fitted into British ports which was carrying slaving equipment
- people evaded the law by operating under a spanish or portugese flag
- britain supported an anti-slaving squadron which aimed to catch slave owners, but many ships were confiscated and resold to slave owners
- british emancipation act of 1834 and only ended slavery in the west indies and not the rest of the British Empire
when was the transatlantic slave trade was abolished in America
1807 - prevented any new slaves coming into America
1794 - prohibited American ships being used in transporting slaves
1800 - prohibiting American involvement in shipping human cargo.
who was Elizabeth Freeman
approached an abolitionist lawyer and asked them to help her sue her freedom
endured mistreatment due to her masters wife
she cited the constitution which states ‘born free and equal’
first time that an enslaved person successfully won emanicipation
who is moses brown
he owned several slaves but began to question this after his family ship lost 200 slaves to disease in the 1760s.
he converted to Quakerism and renounced slavery in 1774
he assisted in court cases involving harm and against black people
he distributed pamphlets and donated land
historiography for abolition
New forms of religious dissent, a more literate populace, the impact of democratic ideals, all and more laid the basis for popular abolitionism
“black abolitionists were the one set of voices that could bring credibility to the debate. This was especially true of those who had experienced slavery”
together a large number of articulate and influential people to support a cause – Ditchfield
Historian Eric Williams in his book Capitalism and Slavery written in 1944 argued that the abolition of the slave trade had very little to do with the enlightenment ideas and the humanitarian mission of the ‘saints’ who argued the moral case for ending slavery, and everything to do with economics
how did the US benefit from slavery?
north:
nothern merchants organised shipment of cotton into global markets
nothern manufacturers supplied plantatons in the south with tools, textiles, and other good
south:
new york and boston merchants trade in slave grown goods
textile industrialists processed vast quantites of slave grown cotton
bankers benefitted as they financed from the expansion of plantations
what was the impact on British economy
- profits could be made by exporting manufactured goods to Africa
financial, commerical, legal and insurance - companies all benefitted as they supported the activities of the slave trade
- supplied factory goods in exchange enslaved people
- estimated by 1800, 15% of British ships were built for slave trade
- affected culture
what was the social impact from the plantations
- loss of identity
- decrease in population
- social divisions between races
- racist attitudes
what were the differences within social impact of slavery?
in West Indies. after slavery was abolished, they were still made to do an apprenticehip scheme which forced them to do work
implications of the atlantic slave trade for Africa
- re-allocation of the resources of African economies towards raiding
- constrained the economic development of African states
- encouraged ethnic and social division
- provoked a culture of political violence
- created widespread attitudes of racism
what were the implications of the slave trade on African socities
- european goods that were brought to Africa: goods were exchanged for people such as cloth, iron, guns, glasswear
- impact of gun trade: significant technological innovation and African rulers exchanged captives for guns, which provided an edge. changed conduct of warfare.
- process of enslaving:’factores’ were created on coast to control slave trade and these were holding places for enslaved people
- destruction of socities: atlantic slave trade removed at least 12.5 million individuals from Africa. large areas of Africa were devaststaed
impact of kings and warloards from african slavery
They became wealthy by selling captives to European traders on the coat and at that time, identity and loyalty was based on kinship or membership of a specific kingdom or society, rather than to African continent. African rulers largely maintained and dictated the control and supply of captives to the Atlantic Slave trade.
impact on middlesmen, traders and merchants on african slavery
kings and warlords needed points of sale and Europeans needed access to sources of enslaved people. They were often sons of Afro-European parents and commanded large groups of armed men. Thousands found employment as porters, guards and soldiers.
historiography for economic and social impact of slavery
By 1840, the South grew 60 percent of the world’s cotton and provided some 70 percent of the cotton consumed by the British textile industry - Steven Mintz
