The African Slave Trade

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The African Slave Trade
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Beginnings

• The African slave trade is believed to have
  started in 1441 when a ship sailing for Prince
  Henry of Portugal returned with 12 African for
  sale into slavery.
• The slave trade would continue for the next 400
  years and involved 12 to 15 million Africans.
• Portugal, Spain, France, Great Britain, the
  Netherlands, and the United States would all
  profit from the trade.

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• Slavery had existed since ancient times. The
  Greeks, Romans, and other ancient societies had
  practiced slavery.
• The African Slavery was different in 3 important
  ways.
• 1. It involved many more people than before
• 2. Slaves were treated much harsher than before
• 3. Unlike before, Race and racism will be the
  major factor in determining who would be a slave

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Capture

• The journey into slavery started when people were
  captured by rival tribes in the interior of
  Africa
• Many African tribes depended on slavery in order
  to buy European goods

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• Once captured, the people would be forced to
  marched to west coast of Africa
• Sometimes the forced march could be as long as
  500 miles and take up to 8 months to reach the
  coast

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• If a captive became sick or injured during the
  march, they would be left behind to die a sure
  death

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Slave Castles

• Upon arrival at the coast, captives would be lock
  in a dungeon beneath one of fifty castles
  constructed by Europeans along the coast until
  shipment to America

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Slave Factories

• Often the people would be sold by the castle to
  a factory.
• They would be worked until a slave ship arrived.
  Then the factory would sell them to the ships
  captain

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• At the Slave Factory people would often be
  branded to show ownership

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The Middle Passage

• After purchase, Africans would be chained to each
  other and placed below deck
• They would remained chained below deck for most
  of the eight weeks it took to make to voyage to
  America
• There were two ways of loading the slave ships
  Tight Pack and Loose Pack

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Tight Pack

• Africans were loaded using every available space
  on the ship
• As many as 1000 people would be chained below
  deck
• Picture on the bottom shows a Tight Pack

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Loose Pack

• Europeans also gave the Africans more space under
  the Loose Pack
• It was done so more people could survive the
  voyage and be sold into slavery in the Americas
• Picture on top shows the loose Pack

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Nightmare

• Conditions in the slave hold was terrible!
• It was poorly ventilated, hot, humid, infested
  with filth and diseases
• Africans would be chained in the hold for most of
  the day
• The average time to cross the Atlantic was 8 weeks

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Death

• Death on the Middle Passage was common
• 20 of the Africans would not survive the voyage
• Most died of disease but cruel treatment,
  mutinies, and suicides were also factors in the
  alarming death rate

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• Africans, sick with disease, were often thrown
  overboard at the first symptom signs

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Dancing on the Middle Passage

• Sometimes Africans would be brought on the top
  deck for fresh air, a salt water bath, and
  exercise.
• Europeans called the exercise Dancing the slaves

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Mutiny!

• There are over 300 documented incidents where
  Africans tried to win their freedom by
  overpowering their captors
• Most mutinies took place within the sight of land
  and were unsuccessful

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La Amistad

• The most famous successful mutiny took place in
  1839 on board the Spanish slave ship La Amistad
• 53 African captives took control of the ship off
  the coast of Cuba

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• The La Amistad mutiny was led by Joseph Cinque
  who had used a nail to free himself and the others

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The Amistad Africans Trial

• After the mutiny, the Africans were arrested and
  tried for murder in the United States.
• In 1843 the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court

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• The Amistad Africans were represented by former
  president John Quincy Adams He was 73 years old
  and had not appeared before a court in 30 years
• He would argue for 8 hours in their defense

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The Court Rules

• The Supreme Court ruled that the Africans had not
  committed a crime and should be returned to their
  home in Africa
• This is the ONLY time in the 400 year history of
  the slave trade that Africans were returned to
  their home

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Slave Auctions

• Those Africans who survived the Middle Passage
  were offered for sale into slavery at a slave
  auction.
• Charleston, Savannah, and New Orleans were the
  main action places

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Slavery Images
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End of the Nightmare

• In 1807 Great Britain was the first nation to
  make the African slave trade illegal
• The United States outlawed the trade in 1808.
  African continued to be smuggled into the U.S.
  until 1862
• The last Middle Passage voyage took place in 1888
  when a Portuguese slave ship sailed to Brazil

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Thirteenth Amendment

• The United States finally abolished the
  institution of slavery in 1865 with the
  ratification of the 13th Amendment to the
  Constitution

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P. S.

• John Newton who is the author of the famous
  gospel hymn Amazing Grace was a captain of a
  slave ship for the Royal African Company until he
  found religion
• He was ordained a minister and spent his later
  years working to outlaw the slave trade

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Amazing Grace

• Amazing grace! How sweet the soundThat saved a
  wretch like me!I once was lost, but now am
  foundWas blind, but now I see.
• Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,And
  grace my fears relievedHow precious did that
  grace appearThe hour I first believed.