CH 1: Atlantic Origins Flashcards Preview

HIST 300: African American History (Slavery) > CH 1: Atlantic Origins > Flashcards

Flashcards in CH 1: Atlantic Origins Deck (22)
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1
Q

What is the significance of Sullivan Island?

A

where more enslaved Africans arrived first in North America than any other place

2
Q

Where would slaves stay when they first arrived at Sullivan Island?

A

“pest houses”

  • stayed there for quarantine period before being taken to Charleston for sale
3
Q

Why were slaves being quarantined when they first arrived on Sullivan Island?

A

farmers didn’t want to contract potential diseases from Africa/the bacteria infested boats they traveled on

4
Q

How long did the Trans-Atlantic slave trade last?

A
  1. 5 centuries

- along Atlantic side of Americas down to European colonies in Caribbean + Central/South America

5
Q

What did the Trans-Atlantic slave trade rely on?

A

European management/capital/shipping

US production of cash crops (mostly sugar) to feed Euro demand
EU

6
Q

Which civilization popularized the use of slavery?

A

the Romans

  • 40% of Italian peninsula pop. made of slaves
  • system run for over 200 yrs.
  • would dec. as economic institution in Europe after Roman empire collapse
  • still widely adopted by Mediterranean pop. + much of continental Europe
    (FSWS)
7
Q

What was the Roman legal status of slaves adopted by continental Europe after the Empire’s fall?

A

classified slaves as “chattel” (property of another)

  • provided legal basis for Crusaders to enslave enemies + sell them off to agricultural enterprises
  • Crusaders = using same logic as Muslim conquerors before them who’d enslaved Christians
  • agriculture began to grow rapidly in Mediterranean post 11th century
    (PCA)
8
Q

How had Europe changed by the end of the 13th century?

A

plantation system established

  • centered on island of Cyprus + focused on providing sugar to Euro market
  • some who worked in cane field were free + some were serfs
  • sugar production inc. identified w/ slave labor
    (CSS)
9
Q

Where did Mediterranean shippers get their sugar plantation workers from?

A

Balkans + Southern Russia + Asia Minor + North Africa

  • people who spoke Slavic languages
  • those from N Africa marched across Sahara from Sudan
    (PT)
10
Q

How did slavery by the end of the 13th century spread over the next 200 years?

A
  • first to Crete + Sicily
  • then to coastal Spain + Portugal
  • by 1450 = slave sugar plantations existed in all western Mediterranean + nearby Atlantic islands
    (FTB)
11
Q

How were the motives of the European explorers from the middle of the 15th century on different than their predecessors?

A

not about spreading Christianity + seeking geographical knowledge

  • Euro rulers sponsored missions to garner wealth for state
  • most individuals had eye on gaining personal fortune
    (EM)
12
Q

What was the result of many of these post 15th century missions in the Atlantic?

A

some wealth found in Africa/Americas but not many Atlantic border lands possessed obvious riches

  • forced colonies to turn towards agriculture exportation (sugar the main focus)
13
Q

How did the colonial agricultural economy of the 16th century develop?

A

went alone tropical Atlantic rim

  • first off islands of West Africa (Sao Tome became leading sugar producer by 16th century)
  • northeastern Brazil becomes leading sugar producer by 17th century
  • 1640 = export economy had spread to Lesser Antilles + English tobacco growing North American colonies
    (FN)
14
Q

How did the plantation model change as the Atlantic economy expanded?

A

became accepted way to make profits from great expanses of land

15
Q

What was the catch in establishing plantations overseas?

A

finding adequate # of workers very difficult

  • native Americans never lived up to Euro expectations as field workers
  • natives died rapidly from Euro diseases
  • those that survived resisted pressures to adapt to work culture of Euros (since they could run away pretty easily)
  • close family + had greater knowledge of the land than Euros
    (NNTC)
16
Q

Why didn’t Europeans find other Europeans to work the plantations?

A

Euros refused to enslave other Euros

  • “bonded” persons (Euro criminals on worker contract) not much better at work than natives
  • white laborers fell victim to tropical diseases
  • if they ran away could easily pass as members of ruling class
17
Q

What was another factor that limited the amount of European workers willing to work in the sugar plantations?

A

growing domestic Euro economies made it difficult to attract Euro workers

  • military jobs + high paying trades much better options
  • ocean journey very arduous + less wage
    (MO)
18
Q

How did Africans perform on the sugar plantations?

A

very effective (best ROI)

  • Euro diseases already endemic to Africans since they’d been in close contact historically
  • Africans has acquired immunity by the time of adolescence
  • Africans lived much longer in harsh plantation climates than white workers
  • could not run home/be mistaken for ruling class
    (EAAC)
19
Q

What was the first route that African slaves arrived in North American colonies?

A

from West Indies

  • involved merchant shippers who topped off cargo w/ slaves
  • ships brought relatively few slaves compared to second route
    (IS)
20
Q

What was the second route that African slaves arrived in North American colonies?

A

directly from Africa/West Indian island (most common)

  • first slaves unacculturated + raw + frightened (deemed “outlandish” by whites)
  • resembled same cultural characteristics as those back in Africa
    (FR)
21
Q

Where did most African slaves come from?

A

coast + interior of West/West Central Africa

  • Euro merchants purchased slaves from over 3000 miles of African coastline
  • conflicts in Europe affected when/where slavers sought cargoes
  • particular market captain visited may depend on relationships w/ local merchant community
    (ECP)
22
Q

Where did the majority of slaves that went to the British mainland come from?

A

Senegambia + West Central Africa

  • Senegambia = cyclical drought + warfare across region + Islamic conflict
  • WCA = ecological crises
  • reasons for steady supply of slaves
    (SR)