Trans-Atlantic TRADE [APUSH Unit 2 Topic 4] 2.4

Summary

This video from the AP US History curriculum explores the transatlantic trade from 1607 to 1754, focusing on the triangular trade system. It explains how merchant ships traveled from New England to West Africa with rum, exchanged it for enslaved laborers, and then sailed to the Americas. The video discusses the brutal conditions of the middle passage and how the British Parliament's Slave Trade Act of 1788 attempted to reform these conditions. It also delves into mercantilism, the economic system driving this trade, emphasizing the importance of a favorable balance of trade and the establishment of colonies. The video concludes by highlighting how this trade system led to wealth accumulation, urban development, and the consumer revolution, which transformed societal structures and values.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The video discusses the transatlantic trade from 1607 to 1754, focusing on its causes and effects.
• 🔺 The 'triangular trade' was a three-part journey involving New England, West Africa, and the British West Indies, facilitating the exchange of goods and enslaved laborers.
• 📉 The 'Middle Passage' was the leg of the triangular trade known for its brutal conditions, which were later 'reformed' by the British Parliament's Slave Trade Act of 1788.
• 💰 Mercantilism was the dominant economic system during this period, emphasizing the accumulation of gold and silver and a favorable balance of trade.
• 🏛️ Colonies were established to provide access to raw materials and as markets for manufactured goods, supporting the mercantilist economic model.
• 🚢 The Navigation Acts were laws passed to regulate trade, ensuring that it was conducted in English ships and through British ports for taxation purposes.
• 💵 The transatlantic trade generated massive wealth for the elite, including merchants, investors, and plantation owners.
• 🌆 The trade transformed American seaports into thriving urban centers, contributing to the growth of colonial societies.
• 🛍️ The 'Consumer Revolution' in North America changed societal status, making it more about financial success and a refined lifestyle rather than family pedigree.
• 🌟 The transatlantic trade network, fueled by mercantilism, had a profound impact on societies across Europe, Africa, and America.

Q & A

What is the time period covered in Unit 2 of the AP US History curriculum?

Unit 2 of the AP US History curriculum covers the time period from 1607 to 1754.

What does 'transatlantic trade' refer to in the context of the video?

Transatlantic trade refers to the global economy that developed across the Atlantic Ocean, involving trade between Europe, Africa, and the Americas.

What is the triangular trade?

The triangular trade is a term used to describe the three-part journey of merchant ships that started in Europe, went to Africa to trade goods for enslaved laborers, then to the Americas to trade those laborers for goods like sugar, and finally back to Europe to trade the goods for more European products.

Why was the British Parliament's Slave Trade Act of 1788 significant?

The Slave Trade Act of 1788 was significant because it limited the number of enslaved people that could be transported on ships, leading to a reduction in the overcrowded and brutal conditions they faced during the Middle Passage.

What economic system was dominant in Europe during the late 17th and early 18th centuries?

Mercantilism was the dominant economic system in Europe during the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

How did mercantilism influence the establishment of colonies?

Mercantilism influenced the establishment of colonies by providing European powers with access to raw materials and new markets for their manufactured goods, which was essential for maintaining a favorable balance of trade.

What were the Navigation Acts, and how did they relate to mercantilism?

The Navigation Acts were a series of laws passed by the British government that required trade with English colonies to be conducted exclusively in English ships and certain valuable trade items to pass through British ports for taxation, ensuring maximum gold and silver flow into Britain.

How did the transatlantic trade impact colonial societies economically?

The transatlantic trade generated massive wealth for the elites of society, including merchants, investors, and plantation owners, and transformed America's seaports into thriving urban centers.

What was the Consumer Revolution in North America, and how did it change societal status?

The Consumer Revolution in North America was a period where affluent families began to buy more goods, leading to a shift in societal status from being tied to family pedigree to being associated with financial success and a refined lifestyle.

How did the transatlantic trade fundamentally alter societies across Europe, Africa, and America?

The transatlantic trade created a global trade network fueled by mercantilism, which fundamentally altered societies by introducing new economic opportunities, changing social structures, and increasing the flow of goods and wealth across continents.