The transatlantic slave trade transported over 10 million Africans to the Americas between the 15th and 19th centuries. The majority of slaves were shipped to Brazil, the Caribbean, and Spanish colonies, with less than 5% going to North America. Europeans enslaved Africans as a profitable business to provide cheap labor for plantations growing crops like cotton, sugar, tobacco, and rum. The brutal conditions during capture, transportation in ships, and slave labor had devastating impacts on African populations and hindered Africa's economic development, while slavery contributed to the economic growth and industrial revolutions in Europe.

1. Transatlantic Slave Trade

2. Where did they go?

4. Triangular Slave Trade
15th
– 19th
Centuries
• 10 to 20 millions Africans were transported
to the Americas for over 300 years
• The majority of the slaves were shipped to
Brazil, Caribbean and the Spanish empire
• Less than 5% travelled to N. America
• Slave trading was important to European’s
economic development
• Western and Central Africa’s population was
greatly impacted

5. Europeans enslaved Africans
• Profitable enterprise
• Slaves were cheap source of labor for plantations
• Africans slaves produced the following items on
the plantation:
Cotton
Sugar
Tobacco
Molasses
Rum

6. Africans Enslaved their own people
One African people(chief) raided
another to sell to the Europeans
Traded Guns, clothes, and beads
Cowrie shells (used as money) and
brandy
A few Africans sold themselves into
slavery to escape the hardship and
famine in their home countries

7. Treatment of the Slaves
• Captured Africans were treated brutally
• Given little food or clothing and often beaten
• Slaves traders packed the slaves tightly into ships,
shackled together with chains
• They were left to make the Middle Passage in
deplorable conditions(urine, feces, and vomit)

9. Treatment of the Slaves
•The Middle Passage was
the leg of the trip from
Africa to the Americas
•Many Africans died on
the way to America
•Africans were forced to
lay beside one another
with bodies touching.
•This was a way to strip
slaves of their identity
and self appreciation. It
made it easier for them
to be controlled.

10. How long did the slave trade last?
• About 500 years
• From 15th
– 19th
Century (1401 to 1900)

12. Reasons for Europeans to Abolish
Slave Trade
• Moral opposition (people felt that it was
wrong)
• Partly as a result of Industrial
Revolution
• Industrial Revolution proved trade in
manufactured goods and raw materials
to be more profitable than human
capital

13. Overall Effects of Slavery on Africa and its
development
• Depopulation of African’s labor
base
• Tore apart communities and
families
• Hindered(stalled) economic
development

14. Overall Effects of slavery on European
development
• Slavery was a profitable industry
• Provided labor needed on their
plantations
• Helped build the capital(money)
necessary for Industrial
Revolutions