Chapter 8 Vocabulary

1. Slave Trade
2. Dilemma
3. Middle Passage
4. Triangular Trade
5. Slave Auctions
6. Overseer
7. Spiritual
8. Griot

Lesson 8.1 Facing Slavery

1619 Dutch traders brought first Africans to the English
colonies in North America

Millions of Africans were enslaved during the 18th

century

Enslaved workers were treated as if they were the

owners property

Most slaves worked on plantations in Southern Colonies

Use of slaves made plantations profitable

Laws said babies born to slaves were slaves

1808- became illegal to bring slaves into the US... the

slave population still grew

1860- there were 4 million slaves

Lesson 8.2 West Africa in 1500s

Large area between Sahara Desert and Atlantic Ocean.

Covered by grassland or rain forest

Most people farmed, mined, traded, or made crafts

African society was based on family and ancestors

Small villages vs. Big cities

Spoke many languages

Most people lived in freedom but that would change when

European slave traders came

Lesson 8.3 Dilemma One: Trading Slaves for Guns

West Africans had enslaved workers as servants. Had

some rights could own land and become skilled workers

American plantations needed workers. European slave

traders traded cloth, rum, salt, and guns for slaves

Africans became wealthy by trading slaves

Village that had guns was more powerful. Other villages

needed to trade slaves for guns to protect themselves

Lesson 8.4 Slave Trade: the Choices

Refuse slave trade war. Capture the people and make
them slaves

Wage war, capture and sell prisoners. Capture children

They had to participate or be captured and sold yourself

Should they trade slaves for guns?

Lesson 8.5 Dilemma Two: Surviving the Middle Passage

Slave journey was terrible: chained and marched

hundreds of miles to coast, then loaded on slave ship

Middle Passage second of 3 stage trip across Atlantic

Ocean. It took 21-90 days

Awful Conditions: bugs, lice, rats, chained, sores, serious

illness

10-12 million slaves. 15/100 died

Triangular Trade
o Europe
o West Africa
o Americas

Lesson 8.6 The Middle Passage: The Choices

First time slaves saw white men they thought they were
going to eat them

Kill themselves, refused to eat, jump overboard

Losing slaves meant losing money, so the slave traders

tried to keep the slaves alive

Some slaves tried to revolt and take over the ship

Most slaves tried to keep enough energy to survive

Lesson 8.7 Dilemma Three: Living as a Slave in the Colonies

Sold in Scrambles each slave same price buyers would

run in and grab the slave they wanted

Slave auctions stood on block and people bid on them.

Sold away from family

Got a new name

Overseer shouted orders in unfamiliar language
Unfamiliar tools
Beat, whipped, burned, killed

Work 16 hours a day. Walk an hour to get to the field.

Work. Walk an hour to get home to small cabin with straw
bed and rag blankets

Lesson 8.8 Slave Life: The Choices

Some slaves tried to run away. Those that were captured

were severely punished

Some slaves were difficult: pretended to be sick, broke

tools, set fires, or even hanged themselves

Some slaves tried to work hard so they would be treated

well

House slaves were treated the best on the plantation

Field slaves were treated the worst on the plantation