Triangular Trade Handout Name: Introduction: The origins of the African Slave Trade can be traced back to the Age of Exploration
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Introduction: The origins of the African Slave Trade can be traced back to the Age of Exploration in the 15th Century. Europeans had become addicted to the luxuries of exotic spices, silks and porcelain that could only be found in Asia. Unfortunately for them, Muslim Ottoman Turkish traders had a monopoly [control over an entire industry or trade] over the trade routes to the Far East. Unsuccessful in the attempt to break that monopoly, they started to explore water routes that would enable them to bypass the Ottoman Turks. As a result, Portugal, beginning with Prince Henry the Navigator, began sending voyages down the west coast of Africa in hopes of finding a new route to the source of traded goods. Why did the Slave Trade Begin? Mercantilism [an economic system where a mother country takes advantage of its colonies resources] drove European countries to explore the world, establish an empire of colonies, and obtain raw resources to manufacture into goods to sell back to their colonies for profit. As European empires expanded to the New World, however, they lacked one major resource - a work force. In most cases the indigenous (native) peoples had proved unreliable (most of them were dying from diseases brought over from Europe such as smallpox), and Europeans were unsuited to the climate and suffered under tropical diseases. Africans, on the other hand often had experience of agriculture and keeping cattle, they were used to a tropical climate, and more resistant to European diseases. [While Africans and Europeans did not have a lot of contact prior to the Age of Exploration, they did have indirect contact through trade in ancient and medieval times. This allowed Africans to be exposed to European diseases, unlike Native Americans.] Was Slavery New to Africa? 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. Slavery was also a traditional part of African society - various states and kingdoms in Africa often enslaved war captives of rival tribes, or sold debtors into slavery. What was the Triangular Trade? All three stages of the Triangular Trade proved profitable for merchants [businessmen]. The first stage of the Triangular Trade involved taking manufactured goods from Europe to Africa: cloth, spirit, tobacco, beads, metal goods, and guns. The guns were used to help expand empires and obtain more slaves (until they were finally used against European colonizers). These goods were exchanged for African slaves. The second stage of the Triangular Trade (The Middle Passage) involved shipping the slaves to the Americas. The third, and final, stage of the Triangular Trade involved the return to Europe with the raw resources and/or manufactured products from the slave-labor plantations: cotton, sugar, tobacco, molasses and rum. [Molasses is the by-products of producing rum- a hard liquor- from distilling sugar cane juice.] Who Started the Triangular Trade? For 200 years (1440-1640) at the start of the Age of Exploration, Portugal had a monopoly on the export of slaves from Africa. How Did the Europeans Obtain the Slaves? Between 1450 and the end of the nineteenth century, slaves were mostly obtained from along the west coast of Africa with the full and active co-operation of African kings and merchants. Conditions for the Slaves It is suggested that the majority of deaths on the voyage across the Atlantic - the middle passage - occurred during the first couple of weeks and were a result of malnutrition and disease encountered during the forced marches and subsequent [following] imprisonment at slave forts on the coast. Conditions on the slave ships were terrible; there was a lack of water, food, and basic hygiene. Slaves were shackled in tights spaces, which increased the risk of disease. Disobedient slaves were whipped or tortured to make the others afraid and break their spirits. Arrival in the Americas As a result of the slave trade, 5 times as many Africans arrived in the Americas than Europeans. Slaves were needed on plantations and for mines and the majority was shipped to Brazil, the Caribbean, and the Spanish Empire. Less than 5% traveled to the Northern American States formally held by the British. Questions: 1. Define: Mercantilism, Triangular Trade, Middle Passage 2. Describe each of the 3 stages of the Triangular Trade. 3. What factors led up to and drove the Triangular Trade? 4. How did Triangular Trade change the world? *Write at least a paragraph, and use at least 4 examples of historical evidence to support your answer. Directory: ourpages -> auto -> 2017 2017 -> Senior Division Solutions 2017 -> Avant garde adademy of broward 2017 -> Have you always wanted to go to space camp? 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