Slavery And Its Abolition Flashcards
How many slaves died altogether in the Middle Passage?
Around 2 million slaves died in this stage of the triangular trade.
How long were Middle Passage journeys? What did this depend on?
They were between six weeks and several months long. This depended on the weather.
What were conditions like for slaves on board the ship from Africa to America?
Ships were often too small to carry the hundreds of slaves on board - slaves were tightly packed into cramped spaces, chained together in pairs by the leg. The terrible conditions on the ship led to many slaves dying from diseases such as scurvy, smallpox and measles.
How many Africans were taken to the Americas between ____ and ____? How many were British ships?
Around 12 million Africans were taken to the Americas between 1532 and 1832, at least a third of them in British ships.
In 1700, how much did a slave cost?
In 1700, a slave cost about £3-worth of traded goods, e.g. cloth, guns, gunpowder, brandy.
What was the upside and what was the downside of the slave trade?
Many people became very rich from it. However, slavery ruined the lives of those captured into it.
When did public opinion begin to turn against the slave trade?
At the end of the 18th century.
Give three examples of resistance of slavery.
- Some African rulers refused to sell slaves to traders and some African villages attacked slave ships to set slaves free.
- There were many slave rebellions.
- Some slaves ran away from their masters.
When was the Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade set up? Who represented it in Parliament?
It was set up in 1787. William Wilberforce represented it.
Why was slavery abolished in the end?
Because of all the resistance and also, there is some evidence that the slave trade was becoming less profitable. They could not improve conditions, so they just had to abolish it.
Who was important in the abolition of slavery and why?
- The white middle class campaigners were very important because they were ones in parliament, and as laws were changed through parliament, they could change laws. These include William Wilberforce, an MP for the abolitionists. Other white middle class campaigners were lawyers, such as Granville Sharp.
- The white working class were important because very many of them signed petitions for the abolition of slavery.
What role did economic factors play in the abolition of slavery?
Economic factors were important in the abolition of slavery. From the 1770s, the demand for slaves lessened because plantations were being closed down and sugar was becoming cheaper.
When was slave trade abolished? How many years after this was slavery altogether abolished?
The slave trade was abolished in 1807 but slavery itself was only abolished 27 years later - in this time, all those who were already enslaved still had to work as slaves!
What is the triangular trade? What happened at each stage?
It was a ‘three-legged’ journey between Britain, Africa and North America/West Indies. First, West African slaves were exchanged for trade goods such as brandy and guns. Then slaves were taken via the ‘Middle Passage’ across the Atlantic for sale in the West Indies and North America. Finally, a cargo of rum and sugar from the colonies was taken back to England to sell.
