Chapter 8 of History Alive!

Dilemmas The southern colonies had enslaved Africans (Africans who worked on the plantations) At one point, West Africans had to make a TOUGH decision: Should they trade their own people for European guns and other goods? What do you think you would do?

Middle Passage This was the voyage that the enslaved Africans had to be on across the Atlantic Ocean. Once they arrived in North America, they has to respond to their new life as slaves.

West Africa in 1500’s West Africa was just south of the Sahara Desert Many cultures lived in West Africa Most were farmers, miners, craftspeople or traders Camels would take gold and ivory from West Africa to the Sahara Desert and trade for salt, cloth and other goods

Family Society was based on family in West Africa Parents, grandparents and children all lived in the same village, worked together and shared crops Worshipped spirits of their ancestors Common tradition was storytelling Although villages were all different, all Africans lived in freedom…until the Slave Trade

Slaves Europeans traders arrived and saw that some people were not as “free” as others (servants, workers, convicted felons) Europeans called these people “slaves.” European traders introduced a new kind of slavery… They had started plantations growing sugar and tobacco, and needed large numbers of workers.

Slaves continued… So…European traders would bring cloth, rum, tobacco, guns and other goods in exchange for slaves. Many AFRICANS even became wealthy by capturing and trading slaves This type of trade changed life in West Africa How do you think?

Horrible Trading Process 1 st : chained together and marched hundreds of miles to the coast (many along the way) 2 nd : Marked with branding irons and loaded on slave ship towards North America Voyage was known as the “Middle Passage” because it was the 2 nd stage of the slave trade (1 st stage was march to the coast and 3 rd stage was the movement from the port to the American Plantations) Middle passage took 5-12 weeks, or longer.

Routes (Triangular Trade)

Middle Passage Trauma Little exercise Chained together at ankle and wrist Little space to sit up or stand Packed so close they could barely move Covered in cores from lying on the rough floorboards Smell and heat was unbearable Lice, fleas and rats Sharks followed ships from feeding on the dead when thrown overboard Between million endured this voyage, and between 10-20% died during the voyage

The Middle Passage Many Africans on the slave ship had never seen white people and reacted in different ways Refuse to eat Jump overboard (crew would jump overboard and bring them back) Revolt against crew Saver their strength to survive the voyage

Arrival in America Some were sold at “scrambles” where the price was the same for each slave Some were sold at auctions where buyers bid against each other 1 st year on plantation was known as “breaking in” or “seasoning” period Given new name and shouted at by an “overseer” in a language they didn’t even understand Most slaves worked in the fields 16+ hours a day Often lived in cabin with 8 or more people with a dirt floor

Reaction to New Life on Plantation Some tried to run away Some resisted work (played “dumb”) Hang themselves Many worked hard and did what they were told to do