The Slave Trade Flashcards
1
Q
What was the Triangular Trade?
A
- Boats left British ports (Bristol, Liverpool and Glasgow)
- Whites traded guns, pots and pans to middle men
- Boats took enslaved Africans across the Atlantic (middle passage, lasting 8-12 weeks)
- Slaves were then sold at auction
- Goods produced by slaves were taken to Britain and sold
2
Q
Why were African slaves needed?
A
- Arawaks (natives of the West Indies) were used but were killed by European diseases
- Bond Servants signed contracts to work on plantations
- Bond Servants died from the heat and heavy workload
- Criminals were used but also died from the heat and workload
- West Africans were used because they were used to the heat and were used for manual labour
3
Q
How were slaves captured?
A
- Kidnapping
- African middlemen
- Prisoners of wars in Africa were traded to whites
- Rival tribes sold others to Europeans
- Criminals were given to Europeans
- Slave raids (towns were destroyed and the ones fleeing were captured)
4
Q
What were slave factories?
A
- West coast
- Doctors inspected slaves
- Conditions were poor (dirty, disease ridden and poor diet)
- Women were raped
- Half of enslaved Africans died in slave factories
- Slaves were branded with hot irons
5
Q
What impact did slavery have on Africa?
A
- Population decreased
- Less fit workers
- European diseases killed many
- Families were split up
- Violence between tribes increased
- New roads were built
- Powerful Africans got rich
6
Q
What was the middle passage?
A
- The voyage from West Africa to the West Indies
- Packed in two different ways (tight and loose)
- Slaves were fed European food
- Slaves lay in their own bodily fluids
- Disease ridden
- Humiliated (made to dance for the crew)
- Female slaves were violated
- Rebellions sometimes took place
7
Q
What were slave auctions?
A
- Slaves were scrubbed and cleaned
- Wounds were filled with hot tar
- Slaves were inspected by potential buyers
- Slaves were sold to the highest bidder
- Ones unsold were placed in a scramble (buyers would pay a fixed price to then go grab the slave that they wanted)
- Unsold slaves were abandoned (some were nursed)
8
Q
What impact did Slavery have on Britain?
A
- Positive impact on finance (many Britons got rich through trade of slaves and goods from plantations)
- British got access to luxury goods from plantations
- More jobs opened up (shipbuilding, steelworks and rope making)
- Small towns such as Liverpool thrived due to the jobs that opened up in them
- The increase in shipbuilding resulted in better war vessels
- Education became better because traders invested money into schools
9
Q
What impact did the slave trade have on the Caribbean?
A
- Arawaks died from European diseases
- Racism towards Africans was implemented
- Landscape was damaged
- Population increase resulted in high demand for water and food
- Mono-crop economies
- Money made was used in Britain and not in the West Indies
10
Q
How were working conditions on the plantations?
A
- Worked long days (18 hours during harvest)
- 6 year old kids worked
- Watched by an overseer
- House slaves (cooked, cleaned and looked after children)
- They received better food and clothing
- They were beaten and raped
11
Q
How were living conditions on plantations?
A
- Lived in huts (wooden with thatched roofs)
- Very cramped conditions
- Grew their own crops
- Sung, played music and told stories
- Sometimes given time off during holidays
12
Q
How were slaves disciplined on plantations?
A
- Treadmill
- Heavy collars (often metal, so they would get hot in the sun)
- Iron masks and mouth restraints
- Whipped
- Burned
- Execution (hanging and decapitated)
13
Q
How did slaves resist on plantations?
A
- Escape
- Poison the master
- Worked slowly
- Broke Tools
- Educated themselves (reading and writing)
- Pretended to be sick
- Theft
14
Q
Why was it difficult to resist on plantations?
A
- Lack of leadership
- Whites were better organised and armed
- Constantly watched (overseer)
- Severe punishments
- Threat of being split from their families
- Weren’t educated
- Didn’t have anywhere to go (islands were small)
- Lack of communication
15
Q
What were arguments against the slave trade?
A
- Against God’s will
- Broke many of the 10 commandments
- Cruel and inhumane (owning another human, splitting families and changing their name)
- The case of the Zong
- Buying more slaves was expensive
- Cheaper sugar from India
- Jobs for Britons were taken by slaves
