the middle passage and the rise of slavery in the colonies the south
TRANSCRIPT
The Middle Passage and the Rise of Slavery in the Colonies
THE SOUTH
Do NowIn a minute, I will ask you to complete a task.
Do so quickly and quietly.FOCUS!!!!!!!!
After the task is complete, you will return to your seats and answer the following questions:1. What sorts of emotions did you feel?2. How would you describe your physical state?3. If you were forced to stay like this for a longer
period of time, how would you react?How long would be too long?
Economics vs. HumanityWhy did slavery begin?
Economic needPlantation wealthUnderstanding of Africans(?)Free!
The South: Plantation EconomyFertile soil allowed for the flourishing
growth of cash crops such as tobacco, rice, and indigo.
Instead of towns and cities, the South was mainly concentrated with plantations.
Planters saw little need for shops, because all of what they produced on their farms could be used to sustain their families.
Indentured ServantsLowest class citizens– white men had no rights as
servantsThose who lived through their harsh years of labor
(many didn’t) saw their lives improve only slightly.Bacon’s Rebellion – What do we remember about indentured
servants’ lives post-servitude?
Between 1/2 and 2/3 of all of the white male population were indentured servantsNumbers declinedReports of hardship reached Europe
Depleted labor force + Growing agricultural economy = ??????
Slavery in the New WorldEnslaving NA’s and indentured servants
was failing – Colonists looked towards AfricansNatives were:
Reluctant to learn English labor techniquesCould easily escape
ECONOMICS:Slaves cost more than servants, but a slave
worked for life.Much larger return for the “investment”
Slavery in the New WorldMost white colonists saw dark skin as a sign of
inferiority.
During the late 1600s, Africans were being used as slaves throughout the English West Indies colonies (Barbados, Jamaica)Imported to work on large, prosperous sugar
plantations
Good deal?Free labor, not humansPROPERTY
The Triangle TradeAfricans had become part of the
transatlantic trading network, the “Triangular Trade”
Rum and other goods went from New England to Africa, received slaves in return
Transported slaves to the West Indies and received sugar in return
Shipped sugar to New England to turn into rum
Where did we buy slaves?Even after Europeans began transporting
black slaves to America, most trade was just that: "trade"
In most instances, the Europeans did not need to use any force to get those slaves. The slaves were sold more or less legally by
their black “neighbors”.About 12,000,000 Africans were sold by
Africans to Europeans before 1776.
How did they get here?The Middle Passage
Considered the “middle leg” of the transatlantic trade route.
Horrors:Branded with hot irons for identificationPACKED into dark holds of shipsDiseaseThrown overboard aliveLack of food/waterBlood, sweat, vomit, urine, feces
20% of Africans perished on the journey.
This is a BUSINESS!!! Needs to be run as efficiently as possible.
StatisticsBy 1690 13,000 slaves in the Southern
coloniesBy 1750 200,000 slaves in the Southern
colonies
Slavery turned into an institution that would use cruelty to keep the Africans from rising against their owners.
80-90% worked in fields10-20% worked in the house or as artisans
OLAUDAH EQUIANO
Make a list of all horrible conditions found in the brief primary document.
Share with the group nearest to you.
ALEXANDER FALCONBRIDGE
Homework
SIGNED permission slip: AMISTAD
oVERY IMPORTANT!!!!