Atlantic Slave Trade - Slavery and the Caribbean

2. As an imperial power, Britain had colonies all over the world. The
main places that Britain controlled which used slavery were in the
Caribbean, a group of islands in the Americas.

4. Britain controlled various
islands in the Caribbean,
including Jamaica,
Barbados, the Bahamas,
Trinidad and Tobago.
Around 1.6 million
Africans were taken to
work as slaves in British
Caribbean colonies.

5. The Caribbean was very
important to Britain.
It provided popular products
such as sugar, tobacco and coffee.
The sales of these products
made many Britons rich,
and also raised tax money
for Britain too.

6. The slave trade did not only
have a negative impact on
Africa – it had a major effect
on the Caribbean too.
What problems do you
think that slavery
caused for the
Caribbean islands?

7. Arawak natives became slaves
Before African slavery, native
Americans were forced to work
as slaves in the Caribbean.
Loss of native land
Land which had been owned
by Arawak tribes was taken by
European colonists to grow
products for sale in Europe.

8. Arawaks killed by disease
Native Americans’ immune
systems could not cope with
European diseases such as
smallpox.
Racism towards the Caribbean
With more Africans being taken
to the Caribbean, racist
attitudes by British people
existed towards the islands.

9. Local wildlife killed
The destruction of forests and
other habitat meant there was
nowhere for local animals to
live, often wiping them out.
Landscape changed/damaged
European slavers used large
amounts of land, often
destroying vast areas such as
forests to build plantations.

10. Over-reliance on sugar
Huge sugar plantations existed
across the Caribbean. This
meant other important
products were not grown.
Overpopulation
African slaves led to a big
population increase in the
Caribbean, putting pressure on
food and water supplies.

11. Poor slave treatment
Slaves were treated very poorly,
working long hours in hot
conditions. 25% of all slaves
died within 3 years of arrival.
More revolts and danger
Huge amounts of violence took
place on the islands as slaves
fought back against their owners.

12. Changing culture
Africans brought their own
culture and traditions to the
islands, including music.
The voodoo religion was a
created from a mixture of
African religion and French
Catholicism on the island of
Haiti.

13. Many Caribbean islands
are demanding
compensation from
European colonists.
Governments in various
islands believe countries
such as Britain should
apologise for the impact
of the slave trade.