SLAVES: A POPULAR ITEM OF TRADE African slaves brought annually to Portugal 1500sEarliest sugar plantations in the Americas 1518First boatload of slaves brought directly to Africa on a Spanish ship 16th c.275,000 slaves exported from Africa, 2000/year to Americas alone. 17th c. > 1 million slaves taken from Africa 18th c.6 million 19th c.2 million (despite British laws like the Abolition of Slave Trade Act, 1807, and Slavery Abolition Act, 1833)

100-day voyage across Atlantic 10% mortality rate Causes of death: Unsanitary conditions Rebellions “Disposal” in case of lack of food Disease DEHUMANIZING AFRICANS: THE MIDDLE PASSAGE

BIG PROFITS From the early 16th to the 19th centuries, a total of 10 million slaves were brought to the Americas from Africa. About one half of all slave trade was carried out by Britain. The rest of the slaves were brought in by French, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish, and American ships.

DEHUMANIZING AFRICANS: THE LANGUAGE OF COMMODIFICATION

In the 1770s, Quakers were among the earliest opponents of slavery In the 1790s, Revolutionary France briefly abolished slavery

Slavery continued in Americas until the late nineteenth century. The US had laws to prevent slaves from running away. By an 1850 law, American officials who failed to arrest an alleged runaway would be fined $1000. So would anyone helping a runaway slave Slavery abolished in the US 1888 Slavery finally ended in the Americas, with abolition in Brazil PERSISTENCE OF SLAVERY