The Atlantic Slave Trade

Question 1

Why did 18M people being captured in Africa cause developmental issues and conflict?

Answer 1

• Development: Less people to look after the land, thus much of the land becoming infertile.
• Conflict: Some African tribes began working for the Europeans by capturing and selling Africans, causing war and tension between tribes.

Question 2

List four ways that you could become a slave in Africa.

Answer 2

• Being captured.
• Being sold in by a family member.
• Being a prisoner of war.
• For commiting a crime.

Question 3

Give 4 conditions of slave forts.

Answer 3

• Slaves were kept with hundreds per room, lined up like sardines.
• No ventilation.
• Disease was common.
• They were not given much food.
• They were chained together.
• Heads shaved to stop the spread of lice.

Question 4

Give 4 ways in which slaves resisted on the middle passage.

Answer 4

• Refusing to eat.
• Jumping overboard - commiting suicide.
• Refusing to follow instructions.
• Carried out rebellions to try and get control of the ship.
• Killed or injured members of the crew.

Question 5

Why was resistance difficult on the middle passage - give 4 reasons.

Answer 5

• Lack of food and water.
• Disease.
• Slaves were often shackled.
• The crew had weapons.
• Fear of punishment.
• They did not all speak the same language.

Question 6

Lack of food and water

Answer 6

Slaves were not strong enough to resist.

Question 7

Disease

Answer 7

Too ill to fight back.

Question 8

Slaves were shackled

Answer 8

Could not move easily, making fighting difficult.

Question 9

The crew had weapons.

Answer 9

Slaves could be killed or seriously injured, so this put them off resisting

Question 10

Fear of punishment.

Answer 10

Some slaves did not want to resist due to the concequences.

Question 11

Slaves did not speak the same language.

Answer 11

It was difficult to plan rebellions due to language barriers as they could not understand one another.

Question 12

What were the two methods in which slaves were sold?

Answer 12

Auctions and scrambles.

Question 13

What is the word of a slave that was in charge of other slaves?

Answer 13

A driver.

Question 14

Give 6 conditions of the plantations.

Answer 14

• Worked very long hours (sun up to sun down.)
• They were forced to do chores at their master’s homes after plantation work.
• Whipped if they did not work hard enough.
• Women were often raped.
• Heavy iron hooks round necks, more chains added for punishment.
• Sticky solution would be rubbed on them and they were left outside for mosquitos to stick to them as punishment.
• Sometimes forced to defecate in each other’s mouths.
• Children forced to work as soon as they were physically able.
• Families could be split up and sold to other owners at any time.
• Death rate was high due to the conditions.
• Disease was common.

Question 15

How did slaves resist on plantations - give 4 examples.

Answer 15

• Running away.
• Attacking their master.
• Threatening their master.
• Killing the children of their masters.
• Messing with their master’s property.
• Not waking up on time.
• Not working as hard as they should be.
• Stealing from their master.

Question 16

Why was resistance difficult on plantations?

Answer 16

• Working long hours with little food.
• Little sense of direction and easily got lost.
• Brutal punishments.
• Plantation owners had descriptions of each slave.
• Female slaves were often sexually abused and had children.

Question 17

Working long hours with little food

Answer 17

Slaves were very weak and unable to fight back.

Question 18

Little sense of direction and easily got lost.

Answer 18

Owners could easily find slaves and capture them again.

Question 19

Brutal punishment (plantations)

Answer 19

This would deter many slaves from rebellion.

Question 20

Slave owners had detailed descriptions of slaves.

Answer 20

These were published if slaves ran away, making running away difficult.

Question 21

Female slaves were sexually abused and often had kids.

Answer 21

This deterred female slaves from rebellion out of fear of abuse and being separated from their families.

Question 22

Give 4 impacts on Africa of the trade.

Answer 22

• Bonds between tribes were broken.
• Huge population decrease.
• Lots of Africa now lives in poverty.
• Many wars happened.
• Many families were forced apart.

Question 23

Give 4 impacts on Britain of the trade.

Answer 23

• More jobs -> many people made their life earnings off the trade
• Opening of banks and insurance -> more money and wealth.
• Schools were built -> better education.
• Hospitals were built -> better health.
• Better ships were built -> stronger navy.
• Merchants became wealthier -> led to fine buildings.
• New industries opened in Bristol -> increased trade.

Question 24

How did Thomas Clarkson play part in the abolishment campaign?

Answer 24

He snuck on slave ships and stole evidence of how horrific the trade was -> shocked the public.

Question 25

How did William Wilberforce play part in the abolishment campaign?

Answer 25

He was an MP who would bring bills to end the trade to parliament -> led to abolition itself.

Question 26

How did Olaudah Equiano play part in the abolishment campaign?

Answer 26

• Wrote an autobiography about his time in the trade -> shocked the nation.
• Gave public speeches about the trade -> shocked the nation.

Question 27

How did Granville Sharp play part in the abolishment campaign?

Answer 27

Won the first legal case against slavery -> proved that abolition was possible.

Question 28

How did John Newton play part in the abolishment campaign?

Answer 28

He was a minister/ex-captain of a slave ship -> encouraged his community to be against slavery.

Question 29

How did Josiah Wedgewood play part in the abolishment campaign?

Answer 29

He created ‘The Seal’ -> He got more public attention towards the cause.