atlantic slave trade

• a slave


  to be owned by another person, not earning pay, considered as property and not human
• a slave has


  no freedom, no money and no choice
• slaves were bought from Africa to work on plantations in America.
• slaves are punished for not following orders, working slowly or trying to run away
• modern slavery


  people who are paid but the pay is very minimal
• religion


  some people thought god approved of slavery, while some thought that it was okay because the Bible talks about slavery
• Belief


  some people thought that slavery made Africans happy, some thought they were not clever and needed telling what to do, some thought they were dangerous or lazy, some thought they were not humans
• Money


  People could earn a lot of money by bringing Africans over. Plantation owners could earn a lot of money because they didn't need to pay the Africans. People also liked having free labour inside the house. Slavery was not against the law either.
• atlantic slave trade


  began in late 1400s
• african kings saw slaves as a chance to enrich their realms
• some captains cut off slaves' ears as proof of being sold
• white people thought they were improving Africans' lives and they also thought they were mentally unstable
• West Africa sent slaves to North America
• North America sent raw materials to Britain such as sugar, cotton tobacco
• Britain sent manufactured goods such as guns, rum and textiles to Africa
• Middle Passage


  the voyage the slaves took across the Atlantic Ocean
• Homeward Passage


  carries raw materials to Britain
• Outward Passage


  Brought manufactured goods from Britain to Africa
• slaves were taken to auctions and once sold they were sent to the plantations
• they faced tough working conditions and poor living conditions
• slaves work sunrise to sunset without breaks
• children had the same workload as adults
• house servants have better working conditions as they get to live in the house
• work included labour intensive crops
• Who benefitted?


  owners of sugar plantations, African tribe leaders, British businessmen
• owners of sugar plantations


  Sugar was very profitable. Owners of plantations owned a lot of land and had good trade links. With constant supply of 'free' labour, plantation owners lived very lavish lifestyles.
• African tribe leaders


  They captured slaves from rival tribes and traded captives for gunpowder and weapons. This increased their power, wealth and expanded national trade. They became very rich.
• British businessmen


  The slaves were extremely profitable. Selling them increased the wealth of areas. It also helped their industrial revolution.