1. Beginnings of Slavery in the Americas
Chapter 2, Section 4

2. The Origins of American Slavery
Slavery was not new, went back to ancient civilizations
Slavery took many forms
Domestic servants in wealthy households
Laborers in mines and fields
War prisoners
Sold to pay off debt

3. Origins of American Slavery
Some slaves were treated with respect
Allowed to marry
Own property
Children of slaves often were free
Slavery changed with the rise of sugar plantations – why?

4. Slavery and Sugar Spanish and Portuguese colonies in North America
Brought the plantation system with them
Tried to enslave Native Americans
What happened?
They look to other sources – Spanish slaves, black Christian slaves, and Asian slaves
Why was this not a solution?

5. Slavery and Sugar
Four basic reasons Spanish and Portuguese enslaved Africans
1. Africans were immune to most European diseases
2. Africans had no friends or family in the Americas
3. Enslaved Africans provided a permanent source of cheap labor
4. Many Africans had worked on farms in their native lands

6. The Slave Trade
Spanish governor of Hispaniola, Diego Colon, wrote to King Ferdinand
Complains of labor shortage
Who is Diego’s famous father?
Slave trade grew with the demand; colonies became dependent on slave labor

7. The Slave Trade
Role of European slave traders and the rulers of West African kingdoms?
Where did the coastal, local kings get the captives?
What did the African kings get in exchange for captives?
What effect did the slave trade have on inland African societies?

8. The Middle Passage African Diaspora Middle Passage
Diaspora – the scattering of people outside their homeland
Middle Passage
It was the middle leg of the triangular trade
Triangular trade – refers to the movement of trade ships between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

9. The Middle Passage What were conditions like on the slave ships?
Who was Olaudah Equiano?
Why would slave traders pack so many captives onto slave ships?

10. Slavery in the Americas
What happened to the slaves who survived the journey?
Sold at auction
Some taken to large homes to be servants
Most forced to do hard labor
Fed and housed poorly
How did slaves resist?
How did the Spanish government respond?
Slave codes
What was the purpose of these laws?

11. Slavery in the Americas
Slave trade lasted for nearly 400 years (1500s-1800s)
Contributed to the Columbian Exchange
Africans brought knowledge of farming and animals
American crops like sweet potatoes, peanuts, and chilies went to Africa
Exchange of African cultures

12. By the end of the slave trade in the late 1800s, 12 million Africans had been enslaved and sent to the Western hemisphere. Of these, perhaps two million died during the voyage.

13. Key Terms
Slavery – the practice of holding a person in bondage for labor
African Diaspora – the forced removal of Africans from their homelands to serve as slave labor in the Americas
Middle Passage – the middle leg of the triangular trade route (the voyage from Africa to the Americas) that brought captured Africans into slavery
Slave codes – a law passed to regulate the treatment of slaves
Racism – the belief that some people are inferior because of their race