How do we know that the slave trade was so terrible ?
The transatlantic slave trade was also known as the triangular trade. Huge profits were made by trading different commodities at each point of the triangle.
Click on the pictures to find out the roles of the different people involved in the transatlantic slave trade. Then click to place them on one of the 6 circles on the triangle.
The Merchant
British merchants invested in slave ships. They worked closely with the ships' captains. They paid for the ships to be equipped for a voyage and for the goods that were taken from Britain to be exchanged for slaves in Africa. The slave ships carried a wide range of cargoes including: cotton, guns, brass, cutlery, beer, beads and glass. African leaders and merchants wanted these goods and were prepared to trade for them.
African and European traders
Trade in Africa relied on local dealing. No matter what the cargo, from slaves to palm oil, traders and merchants set prices and values during long meetings. The transatlantic slave trade was dependent on African rulers and merchants who supplied slaves to European ships. The slave trade had a devastating impact on many parts of West Africa. Malembo, for example, was estimated to have sold some 27,000 slaves between 1817 and 1843.
Slaves on ship
After the British goods had been exchanged for slaves, the slaves were taken across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, the east coast of America or South America. The conditions suffered by slaves on board were cruel and inhuman. Olaudah Equiano, a former slave, described what happened to him: 'I was soon put down under the decks, where with the loathsomeness of the stench, and crying together, I became so sick and low that I was not able to eat.'
Sailor on a slave ship
John Newton was captain of the Liverpool slave ship the Duke of Argyle. When he retired he added his voice to the calls for abolition. He published his Thoughts on the African Slave Trade during the political campaigns of the 1780s. In addition to the inhumane treatment of the slaves, Newton also highlighted the harmful effects slavery had on the seamen taking part in it. He feared they would become brutalized by such cruelty and evil.
Plantation owner
Successful plantations gave owners a life of wealth, luxury and freedom very different that of the slaves who were forced to work in the fierce heat of the fields. Even so, many plantation owners did not feel privileged. Alexander Grant, a plantation owner and trader, reported that despite such successful production, business in Jamaica was 'slow and dilatory' and required much 'perseverance and patience'.
Slave ship returning to Britain
The slave ships returned to Britain having exchanged the slaves for goods from the colonies such as sugar, tobacco and rum. Upon the ships' return, the goods would be sold for a large sum ensuring a big profit for the merchant. The British public also benefited from this system. As the plantations grew, and the numbers of slaves increased, production costs dropped. Instead of being a luxury, sugar soon became part of Europe's staple diet.
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| YOU ARE IN ACTIVITY 5 |
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Now click on the correct circle on the map
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