Slave Trade : Issue 3 Flashcards
(17 cards)
Essay Introduction
•The Atlantic slave trade was exploited by British merchants during the 18th century but was eventually threatened by the abolitionist movement. The early progress of abolitionist campaigns was temporarily stalled by events outside Britain.
Issue 3 : Humanitarian Concerns
Knowledge
Capture
• As the demand for African slaves increased slave traders moved further inland to capture Africans. They were marched to the coast often in shackles, chained together and at gun point. When they got to the coast, slaves were held captive in barracoons, little more than dimly lit dungeons, until there were sufficient numbers to fill the next slave ship
Issue 3 : humanitarian concerns
Knowledge
The middle passage
• In The Middle Passage, once boarded onto the slave ships their journey across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and the southern states of America was brutal. Such were the conditions aboard the slave ships that 10% of slaves regularly died on the crossing. Slaves on the Middle Passage (the name given to the journey across the Atlantic) suffered a horrific experience of being held in the hold of the slave ship as it crossed the Atlantic to its destination of the southern states of America or the Caribbean islands of the West Indies.
Issue 3 : Humanitarian concerns
Analysis
• This is important as West Indian plantations were often like small communities and where members of the owner’s family were present, bonds of affection did grow between slaves and their owners. Nevertheless, they were never viewed as equals. Where such personal ties did not exist, there was less moderation of the brutalities of slavery, which makes Humanitarian slightly more important in affecting relationships between slaves and owners.
Issue 3 : Humanitarian concerns
Analysis +
• this didn’t really affect the relationships between slaves and owners as Humanitarian concerns had little impact on the treatment of slaves in Africa, on the Middle Passage or on the plantations of the southern states of America and the Caribbean. Participants who were not in daily close contact with slaves did not get to know them personally
Issue 3 : religious concerns
Knowledge
• the Church of England, which was the highest moral authority in Britain believed slavery to be morally acceptable as the church itself who gave the moral lead for its ’flock’ were themselves plantation and slave owners. At this time there was no recognition of African culture and beliefs by Europeans, and those who captured and owned slaves believed it was their Christian duty to convert these so called ‘uncivilised’ individuals and by so doing would provide them with eternal salvation and a route to heaven.
Issue 3 : religious concerns
Analysis
• This is important as planters used literal and selective translations from the Bible to defend their actions in the treatment of slaves by using beatings and cruelty as a means of forcing those slaves who did not comply with the religious beliefs of those who held them captive to convert to a European version of religion. Thus, Christianity became a key justification in the transportation and enslavement of Africans, using this as a moral explanation for the way they treated slaves
Issue 3 : religious concerns
Analysis +
• some Christian groups, such as the Quakers, were against slavery as they viewed each human being as equal and were amongst the first to campaign against slavery as immoral. They became part of a wider abolitionist movement headed up by William Wilberforce who was also driven by his Christian faith to end what he regarded as an evil
Issue 3 : financial considerations
Knowledge
• the slave trade was commercially based, and financial considerations were paramount as those involved in the slave trade did so as a means of income. Slave ships carried as many slaves as possible in order to make as much profit as possible. In ‘loose’ pack, most slaves would survive the Middle Passage, but the slave ship would transport fewer slaves. Whereas ‘tight’ packing a slave ship meant that the slaves were crammed with as many slaves as possible, but, they were so closely packed together that not all of them would reach their destination. In tight pack up to 10% of the slaves would regularly die from disease before they reached the Caribbean
Issue 3 : financial considerations
Analysis
• This is important as money and profit was at the root of everything, even down to packing slaves on a ship
Issue 3 : Financial considerations
Analysis +
• decisions made by slavers and planters were economic ones as the prime motivation was to make the biggest profit as possible.
Issue 3 : fear of revolt
Knowledge
• On plantations there was also fear of slave resistance. As was the case on board slave ships, slaves on plantations greatly outnumbered their owners and overseers, which meant if slaves rebelled against them they would be easily overcome, and as a result Draconian legal codes were put in place. Despite the threat of severe punishment if caught running away slaves would use African drums and songs to communicate plans for resistance or escape because slave owners would not allow slaves to learn to read and write to prevent any communication between groups of slaves
Issue 3 : fear of revolt
Analysis
• This is important as it shows that fear of revolt was an important reason why slaves were treated so harshly as white slave owners were constantly faced with the fear of their slaves turning against them and so to ensure they complied, plantation owners ruled them through fear. By demonstrating the severe punishments of whipping or cutting off a foot other slaves would be kept in line
Issue 3 : fear of revolt
Analysis +
• slaves continued to rebel and escape. As a result, white plantation owners were forced to enter into a treaty with them which gave them some toleration in return for leaving the slave system alone.
Issue 3 : prejudice and racism
Knowledge
• the harsh treatment of enslaved Africans was often justified by racism, with 18th century values including the belief that Africans were inferior to Europeans. There was ignorance of African culture and achievements, and Africans were regarded by some Europeans as almost another species, which was used as an excuse for extreme brutality, they were also treated not as fellow human beings but as moveable property belonging to traders and then owners
Issue 3 : prejudice and racism
Analysis
• This is important as slave owners could beat and murder slaves with it being completely legal under the eyes of the law as demonstrated by the case of the Liverpool slave ship, the Zong where Captain Collinwood threw live slaves overboard into the Atlantic Ocean. He was not tried for the killing of slaves which was not considered to be murder in the eyes of the law. Rather he was charged with attempting to defraud the insurance company for loss of property.
Issue 3 : prejudice and racism
Analysis +
• On the other hand, Some have argued that slave traders who bought slaves at trading posts on the African coast often believed that African captives would otherwise be executed as prisoners of war or for crimes. This makes prejudice slightly less important as some people believed that they were saving Africans from certain death.
