Transcript The African Slave Trade - Richmond County School System

The African Slave Trade
Beginnings
• The African slave trade is believed to have started
in 1441 when a ship sailing for Prince Henry of
Portugal returned with 12 African for sale into
slavery.
• The slave trade would continue for the next 400
years and involved 12 to 15 million Africans.
• Portugal, Spain, France, Great Britain, the
Netherlands, and the United States would all profit
from the trade.
• Slavery had existed since ancient times. The
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Greeks, Romans, and other ancient societies had
practiced slavery.
The African Slavery was different in 3 important
ways.
1. It involved many more people than before
2. Slaves were treated much harsher than before
3. Unlike before, Race and racism will be the
major factor in determining who would be a slave
Capture
• The journey into slavery started when people were
captured by rival tribes in the interior of Africa
• Many African tribes depended on slavery in order
to buy European goods
• Once captured, the people would be forced to
marched to west coast of Africa
• Sometimes the forced march could be as long as 500
miles and take up to 8 months to reach the coast
• If a captive became sick or injured during the march,
they would be left behind to die a sure death
Slave “Castles”
• Upon arrival at the coast, captives would be lock in
a dungeon beneath one of fifty “castles”
constructed by Europeans along the coast until
shipment to America
Slave “Factories”
• Often the people would be sold by the “castle” to a
“factory”.
• They would be worked until a slave ship arrived.
Then the “factory” would sell them to the ship’s
captain
• At the Slave “Factory”
people would often be
branded to show
ownership
The Middle Passage
• After purchase, Africans
would be chained to each
other and placed below
deck
• They would remained
chained below deck for
most of the eight weeks it
took to make to voyage to
America
• There were two ways of
loading the slave ships:
“Tight Pack” and “Loose
Pack”
“Tight Pack”
• Africans were loaded
using every available
space on the ship
• As many as 1000
people would be
chained below deck
• Picture on the bottom
shows a “Tight Pack”
“Loose Pack”
• Europeans also gave the Africans more space
under the “Loose Pack”
• It was done so more people could survive the
voyage and be sold into slavery in the Americas
• Picture on top shows the “loose Pack”
Nightmare
• Conditions in the slave hold was terrible!
• It was poorly ventilated, hot, humid, infested
with filth and diseases
• Africans would be chained in the hold for most
of the day
• The average time to cross the Atlantic was 8
weeks
Death
• Death on the Middle Passage was common
• 20% of the Africans would not survive the
voyage
• Most died of disease but cruel treatment,
mutinies, and suicides were also factors in
the alarming death rate
• Africans, sick with disease, were often thrown
overboard at the first symptom signs
“Dancing” on the Middle Passage
• Sometimes Africans would be brought on the top
deck for fresh air, a salt water bath, and exercise.
• Europeans called the exercise “Dancing the
slaves”
Mutiny!
• There are over 300 documented incidents where
Africans tried to win their freedom by
overpowering their captors
• Most mutinies took place within the sight of land
and were unsuccessful
La Amistad
• The most famous successful mutiny took place in
1839 on board the Spanish slave ship La Amistad
• 53 African captives took control of the ship off the
coast of Cuba
• The La Amistad mutiny was led by Joseph Cinque
who had used a nail to free himself and the others
The Amistad Africans Trial
• After the mutiny, the Africans were arrested and
tried for murder in the United States.
• In 1843 the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court
• The Amistad Africans were represented by former
president John Quincy Adams He was 73 years
old and had not appeared before a court in 30
years
• He would argue for 8 hours in their defense
The Court Rules
• The Supreme Court ruled that the Africans
had not committed a crime and should be
returned to their home in Africa
• This is the ONLY time in the 400 year
history of the slave trade that Africans were
returned to their home
Slave Auctions
• Those Africans who survived the Middle Passage
were offered for sale into slavery at a slave auction.
• Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans were the
main action places
Slavery Images
End of the Nightmare
• In 1807 Great Britain was the first nation to
make the African slave trade illegal
• The United States outlawed the trade in
1808. African continued to be smuggled
into the U.S. until 1862
• The last Middle Passage voyage took place
in 1888 when a Portuguese slave ship sailed
to Brazil
Thirteenth Amendment
• The United States finally abolished the institution
of slavery in 1865 with the ratification of the 13th
Amendment to the Constitution
P. S.
• John Newton who is the author of the famous
gospel hymn Amazing Grace was a captain of a
slave ship for the Royal African Company until he
found religion
• He was ordained a minister and spent his later
years working to outlaw the slave trade
Amazing Grace
• Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
• Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.