The Triangular Slave Trade
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8th grade US History Background Expanding European empires in the New World lacked one major resource—a work force. In most cases the indigenous peoples had proved unreliable (most of them were dying from diseases brought over from Europe), and Europeans were unsuited to the climate and suffered under tropical diseases. Africans, on the other hand, were excellent workers: They often had experience of agriculture and keeping cattle, they were used to a tropical climate, resistant to tropical diseases, and they could be “worked very hard” on plantations or in mines. Africans had been traded as slaves for centuries – reaching Europe via the Islamic-run, trans-Saharan, trade routes. Slaves obtained from the Muslim dominated North African coast however proved to be too well educated to be trusted and had a tendency to rebellion. Between 1450 and the end of the nineteenth century, slaves were obtained from along the west coast of Africa with the full and active co-operation of African kings and merchants. (There were occasional military campaigns organized by European to capture slaves, especially by the Portuguese in what is now Angola, but this accounts for only a small percentage of the total.) In return, the African kings and merchants received various trade goods including beads, cowrie shells (used as money), textiles, brandy, horses, and perhaps most importantly, guns. The guns were used to help expand empires and obtain more slaves, until they were finally used against the European colonizers. The export of trade goods from Europe to Africa forms the first side of the triangular trade. Even before the first Africans were brought to the shores of Virginia in 1619, the slave trade had become the basis for most aspects of the Atlantic economy. The Middle Passage across the Atlantic became the essential part of a system of trading routes between Europe, Africa, and North America. The exchange of goods along these routes became known collectively as the triangular trade. Developed primarily by sea captains from England and New England, ships in the triangular trade carried goods between Europe, Africa and the new world, although not necessarily in that order. The triangular trade system was highly successful because each region produced goods which were not produced elsewhere, and therefore were considered extremely valuable to the others, hence netting a great profit for the seamen who transported these goods. The Goods The first leg of this triangle of trade was the loading of various goods onto ships in England. These goods consisted of muskets, gunpowder; copper…..These were usually transported by the ships from England to the west coast of Africa. The goods were traded for enslaved Africans who were loaded onto the ships. The ships then took their human cargo to the American mainland or the Caribbean islands where they were sold. The money from the sale was then used to purchase tobacco, sugar or rum which was then transported by the same ships back to their home port in England where they were sold. England produced both textiles and manufactured goods which were not available in either North America or Africa. These products, along with rum obtained from New England would be traded in Africa for slaves and various riches such as gold and silver. Next, England would trade slaves and their domestic goods to the West Indies, where sugar and molasses were available. From there the sugar, molasses, and remainder of the slaves, textiles, and domestic goods would be traded in America for tobacco, fish, lumber, flour, foodstuffs, or perhaps rum which had been distilled in New England. The triangular trade was obviously quite necessary at this time because none of the regions were truly self-sufficient; each depended on the others for goods they could not provide for themselves. Treatment of Slaves on the Middle Passage While the Middle Passage served as a great source of wealth for many whites, it was an inhuman practice and the Africans who were enslaved were subjected to atrocious conditions during the voyage. The Middle Passage was the most infamous route of this triangular trade. Although danger lurked constantly throughout the voyage across the Atlantic, the greatest danger to the slave ships always came when they were loading on the African coast. Once aboard the ships, the Negros realized that they were being sent far away from home, and often there was violence even before the ship set sail. However, most of these uprisings were easily put down. Others jumped overboard and plunged from the ship into the sea, choosing to either drown or be devoured by blood-thirsty sharks rather than be taken from their homeland. Once aboard the ships the blacks would be packed below deck. Captains of slave ships were known as either “loose packers” or “tight packers”, depending upon how many slaves they crammed into the space they had. Most ships, especially those of the later 18th century, were “tight packers”, carrying a huge quantity of slaves who were often forced to lie in spaces smaller than that of a grave, or in some cases stacked spoon-fashion on top on one another. Regardless, life for a slave in the “tween decks”, as they were called, was extremely uncomfortable. In addition to extreme overcrowding, there was also inadequate ventilation, not to mention little or no sanitation. Although some captains would have their crew periodically clean the “tween decks” with hot vinegar, most chose rather to leave them alone, resulting in their atrociously unclean condition. In addition to disease and suffocation below deck, it would not be uncommon to find the body of a slave completely covered by lice. An estimated 15 million Africans were transported the Americas (both continents) between 1540 and 1850. To maximize their profits slave merchants carried as many slaves as was physically possible on their ships. A House of Commons committee in 1788 discovered that one slave-ship, The Brookes, was originally built to carry a maximum of 451 people, but was carrying over 600 slaves from Africa to the Americas. Chained together by their hands and feet, the slaves had little room to move. It has been estimated that only about half of the slaves taken from Africa became effective workers in the Americas. A large number of slaves died on the journey from diseases such as smallpox and dysentery. Others committed suicide by refusing to eat. Many of the slaves were crippled for life as a consequence of the way they were chained up on the ship. Reaching Shore Eventually, after the arduous 3,700 mile voyage, the slave ship would reach North America. In order to strengthen them before sale, the slaves were normally fed better in the days directly before their arrival in the new world; however their suffering was far from over. Before they could be sold, the slaved would be oiled to make their skin shiny and any imperfections, such as scars from whippings, would be filled in with hot tar in order to improve their appearance and get the best market price. Most slave ships would not be allowed to dock in the ports which they came to due to their horrible stench and the fear of the spread any diseases which had been spread throughout the ship. Therefore, the slavers would drop anchor a few miles off shore and carry the slaves to land in smaller boats which had been stored aboard the ship. The slaves would then be sold at auction and would live through the rest of their lives in wicked involuntary servitude. Clearly, life on board the slave ships was hellish for the black captives. In America By the 17th century slaves could be purchased in Africa for about $25 and sold in the Americas for about $150. After the slave trade was declared illegal, prices went much higher. Even with a death-rate of 50%, merchants could expect to make tremendous profits from the trade. American settlers soon found tobacco to be a profitable export crop. It was popular in Europe where tobacco-smoking and snuff-taking had become fashionable. In Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, vast areas were given over to tobacco. Plantation owners imported large numbers of slaves to cultivate it, dry its leaves and pack it to be transported to market. When prices fell in the middle of the 17th century, some planters turned to producing rice and sugar cane. In the 17th century Europeans began to establish settlements in the Americas. The division of the land into smaller units under private ownership became known as the plantation system. Starting in Virginia the system spread to the New England colonies. Crops grown on these plantations such as tobacco, rice, sugar, and cotton were labor intensive. Slaves were in the field from sunrise to sunset and at harvest time they did an eighteen hour day. Women worked the same hours as the men and pregnant women were expected to continue until their child was born. European immigrants had gone to America to own their own land and were reluctant to work for others. Convicts were sent over from Britain but there had not been enough to satisfy the tremendous demand for labor. Planters therefore began to purchase slaves. At first these came from the West Indies but by the late 18th century they came directly from Africa and busy slave markets were established in Philadelphia, Richmond, Charleston, and New Orleans. The death-rate amongst slaves was high. To replace their losses, plantation owners encouraged the slaves to have children. Child-bearing started around the age of 13, and by twenty the women slaves would be expected to have four or five children. To encourage child bearing some populations owners promised women slaves their freedom after they had produced fifteen children. A large number of early settlers in America grew cotton. To grow cotton and to pick gin (remove seeds from the white fluff) and bale it took a great deal of work. Therefore large numbers of slaves were purchased to do this work. The industry was given a boost invention Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin in 1793. With the aid of a horse to turn the gin, a man could clean fifty times as much cotton as before. This increased the demand for slaves. For example, in 1803 alone, over 20,000 slaves were being brought into Georgia and South Carolina to work in the cotton fields. Much of this cotton was exported to Britain where the invention of the Spinning Jenny, the Water Frame, and the Power Loom had rapidly increased the demand for raw cotton. By 1850 America was producing 3,000,000 bales of cotton and the industry had become a vital element of the South’s economy. Additional Information of Slave Laws Slave laws varied from one state to another as well as from one plantation to another. Below is a general list of several of the slave laws that were enforced in most of the southern states. Although the laws varied, it really came down to a matter of degree of kindness and generosity in the master of each plantation. No one was allowed to teach slaves how to read or write, nor were they to be given books or pamphlets. Slaves were not allowed to buy or consume liquor without written consent of their masters. Slave owners were required to feed and clothe their slaves and to take care of their sick and elderly slaves. Failure to do so could result in a fine to the master. Slaves were not allowed to preach, except to their masters’ slaves on their own plantation and in the presence of white people. Any child who had one slave parent and one free parent was free only if the mother was his free parent. Slaves could not conduct business without a permit or own any personal property. Slaves were not allowed to own or have in their possession weapons of any kind. The testimony of slaves in court was disallowed except in those cases involving other slaves. It was illegal to mistreat or kill a slave unless the slave resisted punishment. Slaves were never allowed to strike white men or to insult them in any way. Slaves were not allowed to inter into any kind of legal binding contract, including contracts of marriage. A slave who traveled away from his own plantation had to have a pass to show as a means of identification to any white man who challenged him. Slaves were not allowed to swear, smoke or walk with a cane in public. Slaves had to step aside when white passed them on a public street. It was illegal for more than five slaves to gather together away from their own homes unless in the presence of white people. Slaves were not allowed to own their own animals, nor could they grow cotton; however, they could have their own gardens if their masters allowed. It was illegal for a master to work his slaves in the field on Sundays except as punishment or unless he paid them for their work. Download 24.79 Kb. Share with your friends:
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