20 Questions
Where were African slaves transported from during the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
West Africa
What was the stage of the Atlantic slave trade in which enslaved Africans were transported to the Americas?
Middle Passage
What happened to the slaves once they boarded the ship?
They were stripped of their belongings, branded, and chained
What was the duration of the journey to the New World?
Months
What was the process of branding involved?
Tying the slave to a pole, laying bare their back, and applying a red-hot iron
What was the triangular shape referring to in the Transatlantic Slave Trade?
The trade route between Europe, Africa, and the Americas
Who delivered a speech in England in 1846?
Frederick Douglass
What was the emotional state of the slaves during the journey to the New World?
Freshly separated from their families
What was the treatment of slaves like during the journey to the New World?
With cruelty and brutality
What was the purpose of taking the slaves to the New World?
To use them as forced labor
What was the primary goal of the slave traders in designing the slave ships?
To carry as many captives as possible
What was the main cause of death for many slaves on board the slave ships?
Suffocation and malnutrition
What was the term used by Portuguese sailors to describe the slave ships?
Tumbeiros
What was the purpose of smearing tar on slaves in the slave markets?
To make them look healthier and stronger
What was the largest slave market in the United States?
New Orleans
How many Africans were shipped to the New World between 1525 and 1866?
12.5 million
What was the primary crop harvested by slaves in the American South?
All of the above
What happened to the raw goods produced by slaves in the American South?
They were sold to Western Europe
Who benefited financially from the sale of raw goods produced by slaves?
Both the plantation owners and the countries that bought the raw goods
What was the experience of the slaves on the Middle Passage like?
A nightmare of suffocation, malnutrition, and disease
Study Notes
The Middle Passage
- The Middle Passage was the stage of the Atlantic slave trade where enslaved Africans were transported to the Americas.
- The voyage was a passage of unimaginable horror for the slaves, who were taken away from their families and forced to adapt to an unknown world.
Treatment on Slave Ships
- Slaves were stripped of their belongings, branded, chained, and sent below decks, where they would remain for most of the months-long journey.
- They were packed tightly together, with little room to move, and were subjected to suffocation, malnutrition, and disease.
- Torture and murder by the crew were common, and many slaves were driven to madness and attempted suicide.
Slave Markets
- Slaves who survived the Middle Passage were placed in slave cages and transported to slave markets, where they were sold.
- They were smeared with tar to appear healthy and strong, and were branded with a hot iron to identify them.
- Slave markets were like animal markets, with bigger, stronger, and healthier slaves being sold for higher prices.
Number of Slaves
- Between 1525 and 1866, 12.5 million Africans were shipped to the New World, with 10.7 million surviving the Middle Passage.
- The majority of Africans were brought to the New World and disembarked at British-American ports (29%) and Brazil (41%).
Economic Impact of Slavery
- The American South made huge profits from slavery, with plantation owners forcing slaves to work hard to harvest raw goods such as tobacco, rice, cotton, and sugar.
- These goods were sold to Western Europe, where they were processed into finished products such as cloth and clothing.
- The sale of these raw products made plantation owners extremely wealthy, while the countries that bought the raw materials also benefited from processing and selling the products.
Explore the history of the transatlantic slave trade, including the transportation of slaves from West Africa, the Middle Passage, and the triangular slave trade.
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