The Atlantic Slave Trade: What Schools Never Told You

Summary

This video script delves into the harrowing history of the Atlantic slave trade, detailing the forced migration of 10 to 12 million Africans to the Americas between 1500 and 1880 CE. It exposes the brutal conditions of the 'Middle Passage,' the economic incentives that drove European nations to participate, and the significant role Africans played, both as victims and, in some cases, as facilitators. The script also touches on the lasting impact of this trade on the involved societies and the ongoing quest for recognition and reparations.

Takeaways

• 😔 The Atlantic slave trade involved the forced movement of 10 to 12 million African slaves from Africa to the Americas between 1500 and 1880 CE, with approximately 15% dying during the journey.
• 🌍 Enslaved Africans were taken from six primary regions in Africa, including Senegambia, Sierra Leone, the Windward Coast, the Gold Coast, the Bight of Benin, Biafra, and West Central Africa.
• 📦 An estimated 12.4 million people were loaded onto slave ships and transported through the 'Middle Passage', which had many different destinations in the Americas.
• 🐂 Upon arrival, slaves were sold in markets similar to cattle, and slave owners often branded their new slaves on the cheeks, as they would with cattle.
• 🔗 The transatlantic slave trade was a critical part of the Triangular Trade, which involved Europe, Africa, and the Americas, and significantly contributed to the economic development of the European colonies.
• 🚢 The Middle Passage was the trade route that transported slaves and was known for its brutal conditions, with mortality rates for sailors on slave ships being around 20%.
• 🔗 The transatlantic slave trade was not the only route; Islamic traders also exported slaves from Africa to various regions, totaling 10 million slaves from AD650 to 1900.
• 🗽 The Amistad rebellion in 1839, where slaves took control of the ship and demanded to be returned to Africa, had significant political and legal repercussions and was a notable event in the American abolition movement.
• 🏛️ African elites were also involved in the slave trade, sometimes through intermarriage and political alliances, and in some cases, they had knowledge of the conditions faced by those sold into slavery.
• 🕊️ Despite the atrocities of the slave trade, there have been global apologies and recognitions, including the designation of August 23 as International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition by UNESCO in 1998.

Q & A

How many African slaves were forcibly moved from Africa to the Americas during the Atlantic slave trade?

Between 1500 to 1880 CE, somewhere between 10 and 12 million African slaves were forcibly moved from Africa to the Americas.

What percentage of enslaved Africans died during the Middle Passage?

About 15 percent of the enslaved Africans died during the Middle Passage, which was the journey across the Atlantic.

Which six primary regions were the majority of enslaved Africans taken from?

The majority of enslaved Africans were taken from six primary regions: Senegambia, Sierra Leone, the Windward Coast, the Gold Coast, the Bight of Benin, Biafra, and West Central Africa, also known as Congo and Angola.

What was the purpose of branding slaves on the cheeks?

Slave owners would often brand their new slaves on the cheeks, similar to how they would brand cattle, as a means of identification and ownership.

Why did Europeans look towards Africa for a solution to labor shortages in the colonies?

European diseases and the violence of conquest led to the death of many Indian slaves, creating a labor shortage that Europeans sought to fill by looking towards Africa for slaves.

When was the first slave voyage from Africa to the Americas believed to have sailed?

The first slave voyage from Africa to the Americas is believed to have sailed in 1526.

What was the Triangular Trade route and how did it operate?

The Triangular Trade route was a trade structure that operated across the Atlantic region. It involved moving goods from Europe to Africa, African slaves to the Americas and the West Indies, and raw materials from American plantations back to Europe.

What were the conditions like on the ships used for the Middle Passage?

The conditions on the ships used for the Middle Passage were inhumane. African slaves were locked up below the deck in cramped quarters with limited access to sunlight and fresh air. They were often chained together and faced epidemic diseases, attacks by pirates, and physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.

Why were some African elites initially unaware of the true conditions of the slave trade?

Some African elites were initially unaware of the true conditions of the slave trade because they may have believed rumors that Europeans were cannibals who planned on eating their captives, and they did not fully understand the extent of the suffering involved in the Middle Passage.

What was the significance of the Amistad revolt in 1839?

The Amistad revolt in 1839 was significant because it led to a trial that had political and legal repercussions in the American abolition movement. The court ruled that the Africans were not merchandise but victims of kidnapping, which helped to set a precedent for the rights of enslaved people.

How did the transatlantic slave trade affect the legal codes in Africa?

The presence of European slavers affected how the legal code in Africa worked, with some African societies changing the punishment for certain crimes to enslavement, selling offenders to slave traders.