Atlantic Slave Trade - the Triangular Trade

2. LEARNING INTENTIONS
• Describe the stages of the ‘Triangular Trade’

3. The slave trade became known as the Triangular Trade. This is
because of the three stages that the slave journey involved.

4. Triangular Trade
Stage 1: Trade goods such as
guns, etc were taken to Africa
Stage 2: Slaves were taken to
the Americas
Stage 3: Goods produced by
slaves were taken to Europe
to be sold

5. Stage 1
Slave ships would leave
Europe to travel to Africa.
They carried with them items
which could be traded or sold
(such as guns, alcohol and
cloth) to Africans or other
Europeans.

6. Stage 1
Once in Africa, Europeans
would collect Africans to be
taken to the Americas.
Sometimes Europeans
kidnapped the Africans, other
times the Africans were sold
by Africans from different
tribes.

7. Stage 1
Kidnapped Africans were
taken to the coast to wait to be
taken to the Americas.
When on the coast, the
Africans were kept in slave
forts (similar to prisons).
Conditions were poor in these
forts.

8. Stage 2
The Africans were then
transported across the
Atlantic.
This journey was known as
the Middle Passage.
Conditions were very poor on
board the ships and many
Africans died.

9. Stage 2
When the Africans arrived in
the Americas, they were sold
into slavery.
Before they were sold, slaves
were prepared for sale. This
included being cleaned and
also attempts were made to
cover up scars or grey hair.

10. Stage 2
After being sold, the Africans
were taken to their new
homes to become slaves.
Most Africans worked on
plantations, growing
products such as cotton,
coffee, sugar and tobacco.

11. Stage 3
The products that slaves grew
were then put on ships and
taken back to Europe.
Once in Europe these goods
were prepared for sale and
sold all around Europe and
elsewhere in the world.