The Atlantic Slave Trade Section 3

The Atlantic Slave Trade The Causes of African Slavery Slavery had existed in Africa for centuries Muslim societies took prisoners of war and made them slaves In Muslim culture slaves had legal rights and could move up in society Europeans needed a cheap labor source to replace Native Americans in their New World colonies, they turned to African slaves Many had been exposed to Old World diseases and had developed an immunity Africans had experience in farming Less likely to escape and easier to find in unfamiliar New World

The Atlantic Slave Trade Atlantic Slave Trade developed over the next three centuries , turned into a massive enterprise Over that time 9.5 million Africans had been sent to the Americas Spanish imported Africans to their plantations and gold and silver mines Portuguese imported over 40% of the slaves to the Americas Used on their Brazilian sugar plantations

The Atlantic Slave Trade As Europeans established colonies their demand for cheap labor grew From the late 1600’s to 1807 the English were the largest carriers of slaves to the New World 400,000 slaves were brought to Britain's North American colonies African rulers cooperated with European slave traders European traders waited in ports on the coast of Africa and waited for Africans to bring enslaved peoples to them They were exchanged for gold, silver, guns and other manufactured goods Some African rulers were opposed to this slave trade

The Atlantic Slave Trade Triangular Trade Network Africans slaves were part of a trade network that: Europeans transported manufactured goods to the African coast Africans were transported across the Atlantic to the Caribbean Islands, South America or the English colonies Merchants purchased goods (sugar, rice, tobacco, rum, coffee)for slaves and took them back to Europe to be sold

The Atlantic Slave Trade Voyage that brought slaves to the New World called the “middle passage” Cruelty, sickness and death characterized journey Slave traders packed Africans into ships Almost 20% died on the trip across the ocean

The Atlantic Slave Trade Slavery in the Americas Slaves auctioned off to the highest bidder Worked long days and sometimes suffered brutal treatment Developed a way of life based on cultural heritage, kept alive music, stories and religion of ancestors Slaves found ways to resist, did not work as hard or ran away or revolted

The Atlantic Slave Trade Had a profound impact on Americas and Africa Africa Many African culture lost generations of their fittest members (young and able) to the slave trade Families were torn apart The slave trade introduced guns to the continent of Africa The Americas/ New World Slave contributed to the growth of the Americas through their labor and their expertise in agriculture They brought their culture (music, art, food, religion) and it became mixed with the cultures of the New World Many nations today have mixed race populations and significant African- American populations

The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade Section4

The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade Colonization of the Americas caused voluntary and involuntary migration of people and the introduction of goods from each continent Exchange resulted in new business and trade practices in Europe Columbian Exchange- global transfer of foods, plants and animals during the colonization of the Americas Ships brought back items to Europe never seen before, many became food sources for the Europeans Two most important were potatoes and corn Both were inexpensive to grow and supplied nutrition Both played a significant role in boosting the world’s population Europeans introduced: livestock animals to the Americas (cows, sheep, pigs, horses), foods from Africa were introduced (bananas, peas, yams), grains from Europe (wheat, rice) Disease was part of the Columbian exchange

The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade New wealth and overseas trade led to new business practices Growth of capitalism (an economic system based on private ownership and owned to make a profit) No longer were governments the sole owners of great wealth Many merchants gained wealth and used money to invest in other enterprises and businesses flourished Increase in gold and silver from New World led to an increase in the money supply and things began to cost more for average Europeans

The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade Another type of business venture was the joint stock company Investors purchased shares of stock in a company to combine wealth for a common purpose During 1500 and 1600’s common purpose was to colonize the Americas Took large amounts of money to establish and build colonies Colonies were risky investments and if many people invested they only risked a small loss A joint stock company was responsible for establishing Jamestown

The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade The Growth of Mercantilism Mercantilism was a new economic policy adopted by European countries at this time Countries power depended on its wealth, allowed countries to purchase goods and develop strong navies for trade Goal was to attain as much wealth as possible Nation could increase its wealth in two ways: Obtain as much gold and silver as possible Establish a favorable balance of trade by selling more that they purchased Ultimate goal was to not depend on other countries for goods so they had to establish colonies to provide what they did not have Colonies also provided a market for good to be sold

The Columbian Exchange and Global Trade Economic Revolution Changes European Society Spurred the growth of towns Led to the rise of a merchant class who controlled great wealth Led to the creation of national identities and helped expand the power of European monarchs Majority of Europeans remained poor