Transatlantic Slavery

Students will examine what the slave triangle is and why transatlantic slavery is essentially very different from slavery that had existed in Africa before. For many years slaves had been taken when different African kingdoms had been to war. They were often taken as hostages or simply prisoners. They were kept for a fixed length of time and once paid for could be returned. 

Whilst kept as slaves they were not degraded or abused. Slaves for sale to Europeans and taken to the Americas would never see their homes again and would not get freedom again for the rest of their lives. What many students find very hard to understand is the fact that white slave traders did not actually go out and catch slaves, they bought them from Africans who were prepared to catch them.

The Slave Triangle

This is a very simple pattern of trade. Finished good would be taken from Europe and sold to African traders. In return these traders would sell slaves to the Europeans. Loaded to ships in inhumane conditions these prisoners were taken on a 3-4 month journey across the Atlantic. This was known as the MIDDLE PASSAGE. Once in the Americas the slaves were sold to work on plantations.

There lives on these plantations is the subject for our studies. So look for the next lessons on the year 9 page.