Slavery in the Americas (to 1860)

Question 1

What was were 2 significant Slave Trade routes?

Answer 1

• The transatlantic trade between Britain and the rest of the world.
• West Indies to New York (stimulated a lot of wealth)

Question 2

Just how large was the slave trade?

Answer 2

• David Eltis and David Richardson claimed in ‘Atlas of the Transatlantic Slave Trade’ that an estimated 12.5 million Africans were involved in the transatlantic slave trade.
• However, estimated that only ca. 10 million survived journey, 2 million killed/murdered/diseased along the way.
• More Africans than Europeans crossed the Atlantic between the late 15th and 18th centuries.
• Over 34 thousand slave ship voyages between 16th and 19th centuries.

Question 3

Who were the most significant participants in the slave trade?

Answer 3

• Portugal near monopoly (def. the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service) taking in 46% of total slaves between 1440-1640.
• In 18th century, 3 million on British ships, 1 million on Spanish and 1.4 million on French)

Question 4

When did some of the main participants of slavery abolish slave trade?

Answer 4

• UK/US in 1807

Question 5

When was slavery abolished in countries?

Answer 5

• Abolished in British Empire by 1833

- US in 1865

Question 6

Give details on the mortality rates during transit during the slave trade?

Answer 6

Philip D. Curtin in his book ‘The Atlantic slave trade’ claims that mortality rates during transit were 23%

Question 7

When was the first slave revolt?

Answer 7

• Began in 1791 in Saint-Domingue (Haiti)

Question 8

What are some of the possible explanations for why slavery developed in the Americas?

Answer 8

• Americas appealed to European settlers as offered vast areas of land.
• Exploitation of land requires capital and labour.
• Potential opportunities for obtaining labour included: local populations (but disease rife), free labour (expensive), indentured servants (labour in return for transport and subsistence for fixed period of contract), convict labour and/or slaves.

Question 9

Despite the different ways of obtaining labour, why did methods resort to slavery?

Answer 9

• Other options sufficient when labour demand is low.
• Rising demand for labour = rising no. of options being utilised and more slaves being used.
• Demand for labour and productivity kept increasing esp. for time-sensitive and labour intensive harvests like tobacco and cotton so shifts to indentured European labour and then African Slave (in West Indies and US South).
• Existence of racial ideologies and slavery.

Question 10

What does cash crops refer to?

Answer 10

Crops such as sugar, tobacco and cotton which had a high commercial value.

Question 11

How did slavery grow/expand in the American South?

Answer 11

• Initial growth on US East Coast for tobacco trade.
• Ban on slave trade in 1808 resulted in future growth depending on natural reproduction among slaves, leading to significant growth as eliminated high mortality rate involved in importing/trade. (1760 = 600, 000 slaves, by 1860 = 3.9 million)
• Expansion of cotton (South perfect climate for growing)

Question 12

When did the expansion of slavery become a point of contention between the North and South?

Answer 12

1830s.

Question 13

How did the situation of slavery look by 1850?

Answer 13

• 1.8 million slaves working on cotton fields.
• Over 400, 000 working on sugar and rice farms as well as in manufacturing (e.g. textiles and tobacco).
• Also, some working as domestic servants (main method of employment for black women).
• Hierarchy begins to grow within slave industries.

Question 14

Give an example which shows the importance and growth of cotton agriculture.

Answer 14

From late 18th century, the US supplied 75% of UK cotton.

Question 15

How did slavery function economically?

Answer 15

-Economically supplied a labour force for commercial agriculture.
Slaves being sold to new owners and locations.
- Opened up new frontier lands for cotton.
- Producing cotton as well as corn, pork, vegetables and often distillers.

Question 16

By 1860, how had the slave population grown?

Answer 16

S. Carolina (57.2%) & Mississippi (55.1%) had more slaves than white population.

Question 17

When did the Civil War begin and who were the main provokers?

Answer 17

• Civil War took place between 1861 to 1865.

- Provoked mainly by Virginia, N. Carolina and S. Carolina

Question 18

Give first hand accounts from ex slave and plantation owner which highlights the contrast between them and their life experiences.

Answer 18

• Delia Garlic interviewed in 1937, born into slavery, recalled witnessing the ‘separation of families, the whippings, alcoholic masters and abusive mistresses, poor food and clothing, and long hours of work.’
• Charles Maginault owned several plantations, spent months at a time in Europe whilst supervising business including punishments.

Question 19

What percentage of white southerners owned slaves?

Answer 19

• 25-33% owned slaves.

- 10% owned more than 20 slaves.

Question 20

How did slavery contribute to the South’s wealth?

Answer 20

• Established South as wealthiest part of the country (but wealth very unequal, concentrated in the plantation owners).
• Slaves clearly commercial (e.g. could be used as collateral for loans) and profitable.
• Racism accepted as norm, idea of ‘plantation family’ ideal

Question 21

How do African-American’s and historians reflect on slavery?

Answer 21

• American historian, Stanley Elkins described South as a concentration camp; emphasising the social and physiological effects of slavery = still prevalent.
• Treated as livestock, most suffered abuse but institution of slavery meant this was arbitrary, dependent on owner not the person (had no rights).
• Whole system designed to create powerlessness, based on violence.

Question 22

How were black women often treated?

Answer 22

Subject to:

• rape
• beatings
• mixed race children often disavowed though known = tensions on plantation, emasculation

Question 23

How were African Americans tied to being slaves?

Answer 23

• Threat of punishments (whipping) as incentives to work.
• Insolent/rude slaves would be sold on.
• Literacy suffered due to barriers to education.

Question 24

How did slavery affect African American families?

Answer 24

Sales of slaves served to break up 20% of African American marriages and 50% of their children sold.

Question 25

What is one way that the slaves coped with their subordinate status?

Answer 25

• Develop distinct religion and cultures (Church becomes important way of dealing with the trauma)

Question 26

How did the South gradually differentiate itself from the North?

Answer 26

• Dependent on export-orientates agriculture and transatlantic trade.
• Desire for free trade and no tariffs on manufactures (North wanted high tariffs to protect manufactured goods)
• Belief that slavery would lead to modernity
• Use of local/state governments and law to control slaves.
• Culture revolves around defending, debating and worrying about future of slavery.
• More concerned with economic growth (expansion) than development (change)

Question 27

As well as the horrific conditions imposed on the slaves, what other discrimination did they face politically?

Answer 27

• Considered as 3/5s of a person in the coming clause of Constitution
• Rising abolitionist movements.

Question 28

How does slavery in the US correlate with/impact the British Industrial Revolution

Answer 28

• Slave agriculture was a key source of capital, raw materials and established a market for manufactured goods.
• Trans-Atlantic economy was very valuable providing commercial wealth.
• Slave system provided cheap cotton not possible (yet) anywhere else so sustains growth via cheap raw material supply.