THE SLAVE TRADE

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THE SLAVE TRADE
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JOB DESCRIPTION OF A SLAVE
WHAT IS A SLAVE?
Sex -
Male or female
Any age from 4 until death
Age -
Characteristics -
Poor and vulnerable prisoners captured in
tribal wars Africans captured by
European slave traders.
Hours -
Up to 20 a day, sometimes more.
A slave is someone who is forced to work through
violence or the threat of it, they are under the
complete control of their owners.. They are
treated as property and sometimes bought and
sold. They have no rights, no individual freedom.
Days per week -
Up to 7 365 days a year.
None
Holidays -
Sick Leave -
None
Health and safety provision -
None
Pay -
Nothing
Accommodation -
Very basic
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF SLAVERY
THE TRANS ATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE
GROWTH OF ABOLITION MOVEMENT, 18TH CENTURY.
THE STONE AGE
1807 BRITAIN DECLARES SLAVE TRADE ILLEGAL
1808 USA DECLARES SLAVE TRADE ILLEGAL
The Portuguese started the Atlantic slave trade,
soon to be joined by the Spanish. Christopher
Columbus conquest of the Caribbean virtually
wiped out the native Indians. They were to be
replaced by slaves brought from Africa.
Hunter-gatherer societies did not have enough
food to feed extra mouths, so did not have slaves.
1833 SLAVERY DECLARED ILLEGAL ACROSS THE
BRITISH EMPIRE.
1861-65 AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
ANCIENT CIVILISATIONS
MEDIEVAL EUROPE
All Ancient civilisations - whether in Europe,
the Middle East, Asia or the Americas - made use
of slavery.. Western slavery goes back 10,000
years to Mesopatamia (present day Iraq).
Slavery often took place in the name of religion
Christians, Muslims and Jews all took part.
FORCED LABOUR
SLAVE GIRLS
GLADIATORS
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SLAVERY ALREADY EXISTED IN AFRICA BEFORE THE
EUROPEAN ATLANTIC TRADE
Europeans began to dominate the African trade
from the 16th century onwards. A series of
trading forts were built along the African coast
to protect European traders interests.
THE ARAB TRADE Slaves had been transported across
the Sarahan region to the Middle East since
Ancient times.
Slave market in Yemen showing African slaves, 13
century AD.
Slaves were brought to the coastal areas where
they were sold to European slave traders
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Who became slaves?
Tegbesu is shown here entertaining some European
slave traders.
King Tegbesu of Dahomy, made around HK3,000,000
from selling Africans in about 1750.
Sale of Slaves by Tribal chiefs
Prisoners of Tribal Wars.
Potential plotters against the Tribal chief
Kidnappings
Criminals
Royal Wives
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TREK TO THE SLAVE COAST
Captured slaves often had to trek hundreds of
miles from the interior to the slave coast, where
the European slave ships awaited them. They were
linked together in coffles, iron, or shown
here, wooden collars and clinking chains.
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Weak Slaves were abandoned to await their death.
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Arrival at the Slave Coast
PHYSICAL CHECKS
A dealer checks the condition of newly arrived
slaves for bad teeth or grey hair.
BRANDING
Once bought the slave was then branded with the
owners initials or mark. Most brands were of
silver because wounds healed faster than those
made eith iron.
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WAITING FOR THE SLAVE SHIP
Slaves on reaching the coast and awaitingthe
arrival of slave ships were kept in slave
barracks called barracoons. Shown below, are
other methods of detaining slaves.
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CHEAP MANUFACTURED GOODS
THE TRIANGULAR SLAVE TRADE
Trinkets pots, pans, beads, shells, cloth
SLAVES WERE USED ON PLANTATIONS, GROWING SUGAR,
TOBACCO, COTTON.
THIRD STAGE RAW MATERIALS SENT TO EUROPE
Profits from slave sales were used to buy produce
from the plantations eg. sugar, tobacco, cotton,
which were sold for great profit in Europe.
Cheap trinkets exchanged for slaves
FIRST STAGE EUROPE TO AFRICA
U.S.A.
TRIBAL CHIEFS EXCHANGE SLAVES , OR SLAVES ARE
CAPTURED
Mexico
Caribbean Islands
SECOND STAGE - THE MIDDLE PASSAGE
SLAVE TRADERS THEN SOLD THE SLAVES TO PLANTATION
OWNERS
Brazil
THE MIDDLE PASSAGE THE JOURNEY ACROSS THE
ATLANTIC..
THE WORLD AROUND 1750