1. The Atlantic Slave Trade
Chapter 20.3
The Atlantic Slave Trade

2. Causes The Americas Africa
Need for cheap labor source: Sugar and Tobacco
Native Americans (original labor source) die from European diseases
Why didn’t Africans die?
Profitability of industries (sugar, tobacco, mining, coffee, cotton) is a “pull” factor
Africa
Drought and famine in Africa results in selling of children and adults into slavery
Warfare and enslavement: response to European demand
African merchants and rulers willing role to sell its people
Supply and demand (for products and labor)

3. Slavery in Africa Slavery not a new concept
7th century (600s) spread of Islam increases slave trade
Across the Sahara, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean
Justification for
Muslim belief non-Muslim prisoners can be bought and sold
b/t million Africans transported throughout Muslim land in North Africa

4. Slavery in Africa Cont…
African and Muslim Societies allow
Slaves’ rights and upward mobility
Muslim slaves have positions of power and serve in military
African slaves may marry into family of slave owner

5. Africa’s Role Euro traders wait at ports
Local rulers and merchants capture Africans to sell
Exchange humans for gold, guns, and goods
Profits lure more rulers

6. Contributors to Slave Trade
Portugal and Spain lead way
Colonization of Americas kills off native population
African’s Advantage over Native Americans:
Exposure to Euro’s diseases and animals
Experienced farmers
Escape less likely
Skin color (you are a slave!)

7. Contributors by Volume
England:
From 1690 to abolishment leading carrier
1.7 million to colonies in West Indies
400,000 to North American colonies
Portugal:
17th century more than 40% to Brazil
French, Dutch, Spanish
Danish least amount

8. Mapping the Contributors

9. Mapping the Volume

10. Triangular Trade
Triangular Trade crisscrossed northern and southern colonies, West Indies, England, Europe, and Africa
The first stage :
Take manufactured goods from Europe to Africa: cloth, spirit, tobacco, beads, shells, metal goods, and guns.
Guns were used to help expand empires and obtain more slaves. Goods were exchanged for African slaves.
The second stage of the
The Middle Passage involved shipping the slaves to the Americas.
The third stage
Involved returning to Europe with the products of the slave-labor: cotton, sugar, tobacco, molasses and rum.

11. Mapping the Trade

12. The Middle Passage Humans are “cargo” on a slave ship
Theory: majority of deaths occurred during the middle passage –
Result of malnutrition and disease
Survival Rate for the Middle Passage
Estimated death rate of around 13%
Lower than the mortality rate for seamen, officers and passengers on the same voyages

13. Population Shift Result of the slave trade on colony populations:
Five times as many Africans arrived in the Americas than Europeans.
David Eltis 1893:
By 1820: 8.4 million African immigrants to Americas
2.4 million Europeans
Euro population however exceeds African’s by 11 million
Sex ratios: more men then women
Survival and reproduction of Africans dramatically lower
Fertility rates low/mortality rates high
Location, location, location
Geography: most slaves settled in low-lying tropical areas
General mortality rate in areas higher than temperate regions

14. Culture Survives Cultural heritage survives as way of coping
Forms of Resistance
Slow work
Escaping
Revolts: Spanish, Brazilian, North American, and West Indies colonies
Stone Rebellion
South Carolina 1739