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The Atlantic World and Slavery

The Atlantic World and Slavery. Chapter 18. Atlantic System. Trade network across the Atlantic 1600s - West Indies very important because of tobacco (early) & sugar plantations (later) Colonies characterized by: Mercantilism & Capitalism Joint-stock companies Chartered companies

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The Atlantic World and Slavery

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  1. The Atlantic Worldand Slavery Chapter 18

  2. Atlantic System • Trade network across the Atlantic • 1600s - West Indies very important because of tobacco (early) & sugar plantations (later) • Colonies characterized by: • Mercantilism & Capitalism • Joint-stock companies • Chartered companies • Slavery

  3. Typical Convoys • 20-60 Spanish ships carrying silver & gold • Annually – 250-300 sugar ships from the West Indies & Brazil • Annually – 300 slave ships

  4. Beginnings of Private Enterprise – Capitalism • Backed by banks, stock exchanges, & chartered companies • Dutch banks most secure • Amsterdam Stock Exchange greatest through 15th century • Dutch East India Company took over Indian Ocean • Dutch West India Company dominated Atlantic until very late 1600s • Royal African Company (British) controlled slave trade from African Gold Coast

  5. Mercantilism Encourages Restrictions • States began creating ways to limit foreigners. • England – Navigation Acts (1660s) • France – Exclusif (1690s) • The Atlantic became Britain, France, and Portugal’s most important overseas trading area!

  6. Sugar Plantations • 1600 – Brazil world’s top sugar producer • Dutch West India Company • Improved efficiency • Controlled 1,000 miles of coast • Took control of slave trade in West Africa for the purpose of bringing them to Brazil • Once Brazil reclaimed by Portugal, still used Dutch methods; then these methods spread to sugar production on the islands too: considered turning point in Atlantic System

  7. Sugar & Slaves • By late 1600s, enslaved Africans outnumbered Europeans 3 to 1 on the islands • Barbados – wealthiest; surpassed Brazil’s production by 1700 • Early 1600s – 10,000 slaves per year • Late 1600s – 20,000 slaves per year • Late 1700s – just under 60,000 slaves per year

  8. Why African Slaves? • Old Theory – more suited • BUT – both Europeans & Africans died in the tropics (same mortality rate for those born there) • Old Theory – prejudice • “Slavery was not born of racism: rather, racism was the consequence of slavery.” Eric Williams • New Theory – lower cost of African labor

  9. Why African Slaves? • Indentured servants cheaper at first • BUT then they leave • Initial investment in slaves more, but in the long run the investment pays off more • Also as land becomes more expensive, freed indentured servants cannot afford to buy it, so they stop indenturing themselves

  10. Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade

  11. Atlantic Circuit (Triangular Trade) • 1. Europe to Africa – manufactured European goods traded for gold & slaves • 2. Africa to Americas (AKA – Middle Passage) • 3. Americas to Europe – plantation goods

  12. Middle Passage • 6-10 weeks • Mortality rate went from 23% to about 11% by the end of slave trade • Most deaths because of disease rather than mistreatment • Dysentery • Small pox

  13. The Fight for Colonies • Profits from sugar drove England & France to establish more colonies • 1655 – English took Jamaica from Spain • 1670s – French took western half of Hispaniola from Spain (Haiti); in 1700s it became the world’s largest sugar producer

  14. Effects of Sugar on the Environment • Soil exhaustion & deforestation • That’s why they would island hop • By 18th century – nearly all domesticated animals and cultivated plants in Caribbean were “Old World” • Essentially all indigenous peoples on islands were wiped out (disease) • Replaced by African population

  15. Lives of Slaves • 90% of pop on islands was slaves • 18 hour work days • 2-3% house servants • 70% field laborers • Children did light labor • Elderly tended toddlers • Punishments included: flogging, confinement, mutilations, & iron muzzles

  16. Lives of Slaves Cont. • Poor nutrition & hard labor lowered fertility • High infant mortality rate • High miscarriage rate • Even with all of this, the main reason for death was DISEASE! –1/3 of new arrivals died

  17. Majority of slaves imported rather than natural born • African religious beliefs, speech, dress, & music • Required slaves to learn colonial languages by deliberately mixing the slaves from different parts of Africa (as a way to curve rebellions) • Enforced Catholicism – combined with African religions • RESULT?

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