The Transatlantic Slave Trade and Colonial Slavery

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The Transatlantic Slave Trade and Colonial Slavery

• African-American History

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3 Distinct Features of American Slavery

• Slaves not accepted into society had no legal
  rights
• Slave status inherent and passed on to children
• Mostly unskilled, manual laborers

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The Transatlantic Slave Trade

• Portuguese controlled trade in 1500s, Dutch in
  1600s, English in 1700s
• 10-11 million slaves crossed the Atlantic
• 3.65 million to S. America
• 3.32 million to Caribbean
• 1.5 million to Mexico Central America
• 600,000 to N. America
• Angola Loango biggest source overall
• Slave Coast dominated after 1740
• East Africa not tapped until late 1700s
• More men than women

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A Typical Slave Ship

• Dimensions 80 90 by 25
• Held 300 450 slaves
• Voyage lasted 90 100 days
• 10 20 average mortality rate
• Outlawed by U.S. U.K. in 1808
• British abolition movement led by William
  Wilberforce
• France 1831 Spain 1835
• Last known slave ship crossed Atlantic in 1867
• Cuba ended slavery in 1888

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The Spanish Empire

• Viceroys ruled New Spain Peru on Kings behalf
• Each divided into provinces
• Governors audencias (courts) ruled provinces
• Haciendas large plantations growing cash crops
  (sugar, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, etc.)
• Mines were principle source of wealth for Spain
• 16 million kg. entered Spain between 1503-1650
• Crown kept 1/5 (quinto)
• Flowed primarily to Spanish Netherlands

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Slave Labor in New Spain

• Encomienda grant of Indian labor to mine
  hacienda owners
• Repartimiento requirement that Indians work so
  many days for Spanish
• Modeled on feudalism, but no protection for
  workers
• When Indians died off, replaced by Africans

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Why Africans Were Enslaved

• Eric Williams argues slavery was based on
  economics, not racism
• Indians enslaved first, then white indentured
  servants used
• Black slaves cheaper because held for life less
  likely to escape
• Winthrop Jordan argues slavery racism developed
  dialectically
• black associated with dirt, death sin
• David Brion Davis argues sugar/slave system moved
  from Mediterranean to Atlantic islands, thence
  to Americas