Chapter 4 Section 3Slavery in the ColoniesPrentice Hall America History of Our NationA. Barnette 2013

The Atlantic Slave Trade About 10,000,000

slaves were brought to the Americas in a 300 year period from 1500-1800.

They were brought first by Spanish and Portuguese, then later by the British, Dutch, and French.

Triangular Trade and the Middle Passage

Raw materials went to Europe.Europeans took manufactured goods to Africa.Then they picked up loads of slaves for their journey to the Americas. This leg is known as the Middle Passage.

*The three legs of the regular trade routes formed a triangle.

Slave Ship “Cargo” in the Middle Passage

“The stench of the hold while we were on the coast was so intolerably loathsome, that it was dangerous to remain there for any time, and some of us had been permitted to stay on the deck for the fresh air; but now that the whole ship’s cargo were confined together, it became absolutely pestilential. The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us.”

Olaudah Equiano Recalls the Middle Passage1789

Slavery in the Colonies Slavery had existed in

some form or fashion even in ancient times, usually taken by the victors in battle or repaying a debt.

In earlier societies, there were often ways for slaves to return to a more normal life at some point, but as slavery took hold in the Americas, it eventually became a life sentence.

Slavery Takes Root Why?

The Plantation system profited from it.

Indentured servants were temporary.

Conditions in England had improved to the point that fewer people would need to be indentured servants here.

Enslaved for Life (By Law)1639-Maryland Becoming a Christian

did not guarantee becoming free.

1663-Virginia Any child of a

slave was a slave.

*Hyperlink added to picture

Resistance to SlaverySeveral revolts broke out,

which caused slaveholding colonies to enact slave codes: Restricted movement Disallowed gun

ownership Murderers of slaves not

charged Made it difficult for a

slave to escape and survive

African Cultural Influences

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/experience/living/

Slave life varied because of geographic area and the size of the farm. Generally, on a smaller farm, the owner might work alongside a slave; but on a large plantation, slaves were not around many whites, thus keeping their own culture intact. Slave descendants in coastal South Carolina who speak Gullah are a good example of this. They also created beautiful crafts and music which have lingered even today.