Slave Trade

• Why were Africans forced to work on sugar plantations in the Caribbean?

  They could withstand hot humid conditions
• What was the demand for sugar in Britain during the 1700s?

  There was a huge demand for sugar
• Why were bondservants not a reliable workforce for plantations?

  They left after their work period ended
• What happened to prisoners after completing their sentences on plantations?

  They left the plantations for towns
• Why did the Arawaks not work on plantations?

  Most died from European diseases
• What was one reason Europeans wanted to change Africans' ways of life?

  They believed Africans had no culture
• What were the main ports involved in the Triangular Trade?

  • London
  • Bristol
  • Liverpool
  • Greenock
  • Glasgow
• What goods were carried from Britain to West Africa?

  Glass beads, cloth, metals, alcohol
• What were the trading posts established by British slave traders called?

  Slave Factories or Slave Castles
• What was the “middle passage” in the Triangular Trade?

  The journey of slaves to the Caribbean
• How were slaves prepared for sale in the Caribbean?

  Washed and wounds covered up
• How were slaves sold in the Caribbean?

  In auctions or scrambles
• What goods were brought back to Britain from the Caribbean?

  Sugar, cotton, and rum
• How long could the entire Triangular Trade process take?

  Up to eighteen months
• What investments were made in British ports due to the slave trade?

  • Quaysides
  • Warehouses
  • Factories
• What jobs were linked to the slave trade in British ports?

  Carpenters, rope makers, dock workers
• How many Africans were sent into slavery by London-based vessels?

  800,000 Africans
• What was the purpose of the West India Docks in London?

  To provide warehouses for Caribbean trade
• How many slave trading voyages set off from Bristol before 1807?

  2000 voyages
• What percentage of slave trading voyages set off from Bristol?

  80%
• What types of factories in Bristol benefited from the slave trade?

  Copper sheathing, bottles, pots, pans
• What percentage of Bristol's trade value came from slave trading?

  Over 80%
• When did the first slave ship leave Liverpool?

  In 1700
• What percentage of slave trading voyages set off from Liverpool?

  75%
• What proportion of African captives were transported by Liverpool slave ships?

  One in five
• How did Liverpool's population change during the slave trading period?

  It increased rapidly
• What industries in Liverpool supplied slave ships?

  Glass, metal, linen, cloth
• What percentage of Liverpool's income came from the slave trade?

  40%
• How many of Liverpool's mayors were involved in the slave trade?

  All of them
• Why were Britain's slave ports successful?

  • London had a Royal Charter monopoly
  • Bristol had direct access to the Atlantic
  • Liverpool had cheaper crew costs and deep harbor
• Why did African chiefs become involved in the slave trade?

  To charge fees for trading on their land
• How did African leaders profit from the slave trade?

  By charging for food and water supplies
• What opportunity did the slave trade provide for African leaders?

  To acquire guns from European traders
• What was one impact of the slave trade on African society?

  Spread of disease from movement of slaves
• How many people were torn from their homes due to the slave trade?

  12 million people
• What was one agricultural impact of the slave trade?

  Food shortages and famine occurred
• How did the slave trade affect traditional crafts in Africa?

  They died out due to cheaper European goods
• How did the slave trade increase conflict in Africa?

  African chiefs traded prisoners for weapons
• What was one cultural impact of the slave trade on Africa?

  Loss of knowledge in astronomy and medicine
• What was the purpose of slave factories or castles?

  To hold captives until sold