During the 1500s and 1600s, Britain became a powerful trading nation. Goods such as sugar, cotton and tobacco flooded into the country and items made in Britain were shipped abroad. Many British people became rich as a result. But there was a dark side to this trade — the trade in human beings. ‘This was known as the So how exactly did the slave trade work? How, and why, did it start? And to what extent was Britain involved? fv) jectives ® Examine how the slave trade was organised. © Assess Britain's role in the slave trade. What is ‘trade? Y SOURCE A An image irom 1595 showing ‘Trade’ means to buy and sell ‘goods’. Goods are things ee that can be bought and sold — anything from pots and ees knives, to clothes, horses and homes. And it’s possible a eed for people (traders) to make a fortune from ‘wading. a ae ee ee Sec Trading had been big business across the world for many thousands of years ~ but in the eighteenth century, Britain became the world's leading trading nation. British ships carried British goods (lie wool, com and chains) to other countries and sold them. Then traders loaded their ships with goods that were popular in Britain (ike tea, sugar, tobacco and cotton) and sold them to the British. So what was the ‘slave trade? The slave trade is when human beings are bought and sold, instead of goods. The idea of slavery is a very old one. For thousands of years. people have been captured, treated as someone's property and forced to work. From around 1500 onwards, slavery turned into a profitable international business that earned some people millions, while others were forced to move to the other side of the world and live their lives as slaves. Why were the slaves wanted? In the 1500s, lots of people left Europe to settle in the newly discovered continents of North and South ‘America. Many were farmers who grew crops that were | From around 27ec to an476, Romans forced slaves very popular in Europe — like cotton, tobacco, sugar and | (both male and female) to fight in gladiator arenas coffee — and they sold them for high prices. To begin for entertainment. with, some farmers forced local tribespeople to do the © farming for them, but some ran away, and others died "The slave trade triangle out from disease or cruel treatment (eee AA). When they ran out of local slaves, the Eut oe san went African slaves ended up in North and South America. so bed now ones clsewhene. Africa, and the West Indies as a resuit of a three-legged trading journey known as the slave trade triangle (see B). BET) coasters: rae stave trace America ~ and slavery was a key feature of this empire.¥ Bow the slave trade triangle worked. CS siverace Stage I: A slave trader would lave | Stage 2: The ship would sail to the ‘Stage 3: The ship's captain might ko Europe in a hip. lt might belloaded African coast. The crew might lind and | mest with local African tribesmen and with goods such as pots, alcohol. guns | kidnap local African men, women and | swap the goods for prisoners from and cloth. ~ children. ‘other tribes who had been captured. ‘The ship is full of | goods that are cheap fo buyin Evrope, but highly prized in Africa. Stage 4: The ship would be loaded | Stage 5: Once the slaves arrived, they | Stage 6: The slave traders then bought with the slaves, who were then taken | were cleaned, sold and put to work. a load of sugar, cottan or tobacco and on 2 two-month journey across the | As well as farming. they might work in | loaded it onto their empty ship. These Atlantic Ocean. This second partof houses or mine for gold goods were taken back to Europe and the ship's journey was known as the sold for a huge profit. “Middle Passage’ - Thete goods are to \ popular hackin rope 1. Define the following Ic is estimated that around 12 million people were transported as slaves from Africa to the Americas 8 trade and the West Indies between the 1500s and the b shve carly 1800s © she trade > hy tne ah ‘America and the West Indies want slaves? 1. Why was the slave trade so profitable? 2. Write a clear and organised summary that analyses how and wiy the slave trade ‘triangle operated. Revolution, Industry and Empire: Butain 1868-1901 CE = 3. The slave trade is often referred to as ‘triangular trade’ or the ‘slave trade triangle’. Why do you think it got these names?y What was the slave trade? When did the British get Y SOURCE CA 1901 image of African slaves being involved? brought ashore bby Dutch traders to work on a British colony in America in 1619. British traders first got involved in the stave trade in 1562. That year, John Hawkins became England's first slave trader when he captured 300 slaves from Sierra Leone on the west coast of Africa and sold them in the West Indies. He repeated the journey many times —and other slave traders copied him. These early voyages were the first steps in what would be a highly profitable business for years to come. Slaves on British farms in the Americas and ‘West Indies By the 1600s, thousands of people had left Britain to settle in North and South America and the West. Indies. The settlers were mainly farmers, growing tobacco, cotton and other crops. Historians think that the first slaves to work on the British settlers’ farms in North America arrived from Africa in 1619 ee ©). A royal connection Britain wasn't the only European nation to get involved in slavery, but it made some of the largest profits. All sorts of people were involved. Queen Elizabeth, for example, was a business partner of John Hawkins. Charles Il was a partner in the Royal ‘African Company, a slave trading business that transported 60,000 African slaves between 1680 and 1688. Many of the slaves were Y INTERPRETATION D Adapted from an article by the journalist Mary Murtagh in the newspaper The ‘Liverpool Echo in 2007. branded with the letters ‘DY" when = they were pure after dremanspidenoe of Liverpool's lav rae pasts ll oer the ity “= any, James, tecture, public buildings and street names. Very few of York (Charles II's brother, who ees aan Deemer eae oti pies bawa trace later became King James Il) Ieis estimated that Britain transported 3.1 million Africans to the British colonies in North and South America and the West Indies between 1562 and 1807 (che year when the British slave trade was stopped). BES) coasters: rae stave trace made the city rich and powerful, leaving a permanent mark for generations to come. From the grand houses built using slave money to the street names, there are clues everywhere. During the 18th century Liverpool was Britain's main port and formed one corner of the “slave triangle”. Ships from the Mersey's shores took at least 1.5 million Africans across the Atlantic to work on plantations in the Caribbean and America’s deep South. ‘The city thrived doing ship repairs and importing goods with approximately half of Liverpool's trade linked to slavery. The movers and shakers among slave traders were immortalised with streets named after them.Slave trade profits The British trade in African slaves, between the early 1600s and 1807, generated profits of about £12 million (over £1 billion today). This money helped to make Britain cone of the world's richest and most powerful nations. Many of the fine buildings in Liverpool, Bristol and London were built on the profits of slavery (see D). In 1785, a well- known British actor, George F. Cooke, said, “Every brick in the city of Liverpool is cemented with the blood of a slave.” In faet, 20 of Liverpool's mayors between 1787 and 1807 are thought to have been slave traders. Indeed, many British people played a part in the slave trade — ship owners (who allowed their ships to be used), bankers (who lent them the money), investors (who shared in the profits) and importers (who brought in the goods that slaves farmed). Yet Britain's link to slavery goes even further. For example, the world-famous National Gallery in London received its first major donation of paintings from a man who had built up his art collection with money he made from slave dealing. Several men who ran the Bank of England in the early 1700s were involved in slavery too, and Britain's oldest insurance company (Lloyd's of London) insured some slave ships. Barclays Bank was also started by slave traders. Portugal and Britain were the two most active slave- trading countries. Ic is estimated that between them they accounted for about 70 per cent of all Africans transported to the Americas and West Indies. List ways in which Britain was linked to the slave trade. The links could be through the royal family, British cities, slave traders or bankers, for example: Read Interpretation D. In what way was the city of Liverpool linked to slavery? How did the people of Liverpool make money from the slave trade at the time? Look at Interpretation E. Do you think the statue should be removed? Or do you think its sign should be updated? Or should the statue be left alone? Write an email/letter to a Bristol newspaper ‘explaining your view. Bristol-born Edward Colston was a rich slave trader. When he died he left most of his vast fortune to charity, and many Bristol streets and buildings were named after him. ¥ INTERPRETATION E The vandalised statue of Colston in the centre of Bristol. This statue was erected in 1895 at a time of great unrest among workers in Bristol, as Colston was viewed as a symbol af both unity and good intentions. The sign on the statue does not ‘mention his slavery connection, but many people think it should. There are often protests against the fact that Colston has a statue in his honot ur, Look at Interpretation E 1 Who was Edward Colston? 2. Why is his statue controversial? 3 This statue and its sign give the view that Colston should be remembered as a charitable person, not as a slave: trader. Explain why not all historians and commentators have agreed with this interpretation. Revolution, Industry and Empize: Britain 1558-1901)) A life of slavery Ithas been estimated that there were around 50,000 slave rade journeys from Africa to North and South America and the West Indies between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Millions of * Examine conditions on a African men, women and children made a trip of around 4000 miles: slave ship. that lasted between 40 and 70 days. Once at their destination, they | * Compare two ways in were gold and then put to work for the rest of their lives. But what which slaves were sold. was the journey like? How were the slaves sold? What work were © Describe life on a slaves expected to do? plantation, A slave ship Any slaves who died on the journey, or were near death, were thrown in the sea. Some died of Slave ships were generally very overcrowded and dysentery (known as ‘the bloody flux’), a nasty form of the men, women and children were kept in appalling, Garthoca. Others died of smallpox or heatstroke, or conditions. They were given food regularly, Butit was Starved chemselves to death by refusing to eat Some usually poor quality. They were also taken up on deck committed suicide by hanging themselves or jumping for exercise ~ remember, slave traders wanted their ver che side of the ship. Around 20 per cent of slaves slaves to be in acceptable physical condition when they rahe ae on the journey - but on some ships half of arrived at their destination, so they could fetch the them ge, highest prices = , ere was approximately Tm beoween the save decks. \Y SOURCE A An carly 1800s plan of a French slave ship, Slaves were given space of |.8m Vigilante, which was: captured by the British. fengeh by O-Am width to He in. This plan shows 345 slaves on board, but slave ships (depending ‘on their size) could carry anything from 250 to 600 slaves. We know 120 much about some slave ships (like the Vigilante) because their owners kept detailed records of their journeys ‘After al, the slave trade made big money and ie was totally legal— so traders treated their jab like any ‘other professional business. erat ities rows, ling either on their backs ship). Boys in the centre, and women and (or on their sides (lite spoons). young girs in the stern (back of the ship). BET) copier 9: este tradeSelling slaves Before any slaves were sold, they were cleaned up. They were washed down with water and given oil to rub into their skin to make them look shinier and healthier. Following this, the slaves were usually sold in one of two ways: auction or scramble. ‘Auction: slaves were paraded in front of buyers and ‘examined like cattle. They were then made to stand on an auction box and buyers would bid for them. They were sold to the person wha paid the most. Unhealthy, unsold slaves were left to die without food or water: Scramble: buyers would pay the slave trader an agreed amount of money. The buyers would be given a ticket for each slave they had bought. Then a bell would sound and the door to the slave cage would be opened. The buyers would rush in and grab the slave or slaves they wanted — and give the tickets back to the trader as they left. °Y SOUROEB An image of a slave auction taking place in Virginia, USA, in the 1800s, ber A There were Africans who took action against being forced into slavery. In 1742, in Sierra Leone, a slave ship called the Jolly Batchelor was attacked by Africans from the shore who killed the crew and freed all the slaves on board. There were more than 500 reported revokts aboard slave ships at sea too. xcxicn scrambl ¥ SOURCE € Written by Harriet Ann Jacobs in her autobiography Jncidents in the Life of a Slave Girl(1861). Jacobs was an African American writer who escaped from slavery and ‘was later freed, “[ saw a mother lead seven children to the wea blocs She nce that some of them ‘would be taken from her; but they took all. The children were sold to a slave trader, and the mother was bought by a man in her own town. Before night, her children weve all far away. She loegged the trader ¢o tll her where fi intsrded to take thems this he refused t0 do. How could fhe when he knew he would sell them, one by cone, wherever he could command the highest price? I met that mother inthe street and her feild, haggard face lives today in my mind, She ‘wrung her hands in anguish and exclaimed, = Gone, all gone! Why don’t God fail me? Why were so many slaves packed aboard the slave ships? Why do you think the slaves were chained together for most of the voyage? How and why were slaves cleaned up before they were sold? Describe the difference between a slave auction and a slave scramble. 1 Look at Source A. Describe what it shows. 2 Read Source C. In your own words, explain what Harriet witnesses. 3 How useful are Sources A and C toa historian studying the slave trade? Revolution, Industry and Empize: Britain 1558-1901A life of slavery After the sale Y SOURCE D This is a branding tool The new owner of a slave would bum his initials onto the slave using a tool like this. Once bought, slaves became the personal property of their owner: They were given European names to try to make them forget their past. Then, like eattle, they were branded with their owner's initials on their face, chest or back. After this they were made to work. A life of slavery Slaves were sent to do a variety of jobs in different places ~ but their lives were always hard. Sometimes slaves worked in forests cutting down trees, or on the coast loading and unloading ships or making sails. However, most worked on huge farms, called plantations. Here, they were forced to plant, look after and harvest crops that would sell for lots of money in Europe. Sugar was grown in the West Indies, cotton was grown in North America, tobacco was grown in North and South America, and coffee was grown in South America. Plantation slaves Slaves would be expected to work for most of their ¥ SOURCE E A sugar plantation in the West lives. Some worked in the plantation owner's house eee as cleaners, cooks or servants, but most worked out a a ae in the fields. Three- and four-year-olds would work in ‘on the horse was probably the plantation owner ‘wash gangs’ (weeding) or as water: can carriers. As they got older. chey would work longer and longer hours ‘out in the fields with the adults. Older slaves would often do less physical jobs, such as gardening, horse-and- carriage driving, cleaning or nursing. However, hard work (5 or 16 hours a day), a poor diet, harsh punishments and no proper medical attention meant that few slaves lived to any great age. Shockingly, the average life expectancy of a slave was 26, Slave rights Slaves had no legal rights. They ¥ SOURCE F Adapted from a 1784 hook written by James Ramsay, weren't alowed to learn to read or a British doctor working on the British-controlied Caribbean island sri, marry or ova property. Sone of St Kitts, Ramsay was so shocked by the way slaves were treated slaves tried to run away, but this that he wrote a book that inspired many anti-slavery campaigners. was very risky. Teams of ‘runaway i hhuncers’ scoured the countryside ‘The ordinary punishments of slaves are whipping, beating looking for them. Any runaway slaves wrth a stick ~ sometimes to the breaking of bones = chains, who were caught were severe'y a iron ring around the ned or ankle, or being placed in unished (cce F and G). a dungeon. ‘Thare have been instances of slitting, of ears, breaking of limbs, amputation, and taking, out of cyes.” aeSlave rebellion It was difficult for slaves to protest against what was happening to them, but this didn't stop some slaves starting rebellions against their harsh lives: ‘Antigua 1736 — a plot was discovered to steal gunpowder and blow up most of the British-controlled island's plantation-owning families while they were all at a party. ‘As punishment, 88 slaves were put to death. Jamaica 1760 — rebel slaves seized guns and took over plantations. It took several months for the British to regain control —and around 400 slaves were executed for their role in the rebellion. A few decades earlier, a group of runaway slaves (called ‘Maroons)) had escaped into the mountains where they set up their own settlements. For the next 150 years they fought against the British. Saint-Domingue, 1791 — led by a man called Toussaint LOuverture, slaves took control of this French-controlled Caribbean island. They defeated British and then French troops who were sent to sort out the trouble. In 1804. the free slaves renamed their island Haiti, Barbados 1816 —siaves burned a quarter of the British- controlled island's sugar crop before the rebellion was stopped. SOURGE G An 1863 photograph of a slave named Gordon who escaped from a plantation in Louisiana, USA, toa place where slavery had been banned. The marks on his back are from punishments by whipping. | Key Words Se Slaves sometimes rebelled in less violent ways. For example, they spoke their native language whenever possible, pretended to be il and didn't go to work, or damaged tools or machinery. The slave owners forced the slaves to become Christians ~ but some secretly practised their own religion in private 1. What sorts of jobs woulld slaves do: @ outin the fields? b in the plantation owner's house? Look at Source D. What was the purpose of this tool? Why do you think the slaves were given a new name? Read Source F: Why do you think slave owners treated slaves so brutally, especially when they tried to escape? 5 @ What effect do you think the revolt in Saint-Domingue would have had ‘on slave owners in other countries? Explain your answer carefully. b Why do you think Haiti is a very special island to many Africans, ‘even today? 1 Look at Source E. Describe what it shows. 2. The working conditions in the painting don't appear to be that bad. What could ‘explain this? 3. Give two things you can infer from ‘Source E about slavery in the early nineteenth century. ‘Revolution, Industry and Empire: Britain 1558-1901In 1807, the British Parliament abolished the slave trade in the British Empire. In other words, it made it legal to buy and sell slaves — but people were still allowed to keep the slaves they already owned. In 1833, Parliament banned slave ownership too. So why did Parliament do this? Why was slavery - which made so much money for so many people— banned? And what were the most __ important factors that played a part in ending slavery? Objectives ® Discover when both slave trading and slave ownership ended in Britain. = Outline the different factors that contributed to the abolition of slavery. = Assess the different factors that led to- the abolition of slavery. The beginning of the end > sounce a in 2007, Britain had been involved in the slave trade since a £2 coin was made to the mid-I500s. It was originally legal to make money from it and all sorts of people — including “ members of the royal family — were involved. But some people felt slavery was wrong —and by the late 1700s a campaign had begun to ban the slave trade. This anti-slavery group was very important — but was slavery banned just because of this group, or were there other reasons why it ended? Your challenge is to look through the following factors very carefully and try to form your own thoughts on what might answer the question ‘Why was slavery abolished” Factor No.1: Slavery wasn't making as much money as it used to ‘Some people have argued that the decision to get rid of slavery was made easier for Parliament because the slave trade was making less money than it used to. In the 1770s, tthe price of sugar dropped. Many British plantations in the ‘West Indies couldn't make a profit and closed down. And with fewer plantations, fewer slaves were needed. In 1771, plantation owners in Barbados bought 2728 slaves from Arica. The following year they bought none. So with fewer people making enormous profits, there were fewer people to ‘argue in favour of keeping the slave trade. Also, some people claimed that slaves didn't work as hard as people who got Paid for their work. They said slaves had no reason to work as hard as possible because they didn’t get any rewards or bonuses (see B). BE) coasters: rae stave trace YY SOURCE B Adapted from what the famous Scottish economist Adam Smith ‘wrote about slavery in 1776 in his book The Wealth of Nations. “The work done by slaves, though it appears to cost only their maintenance [food and shelter], is in the end the most expensive of any. A person who can gain no property can have no other ineerest but to eat as much and to work 2s little as possible. Whatever ‘work he docs can be squeczed out of him by violence only.”Factor No.2: Slaves helped end slavery Other people have argued that it was the actions of the slaves themselves that led to the end of slavery. In 1791, the slaves on the French colony Saint-Domingue (in the Caribbean) rebelled, killed many of the plantation owners and set fire to the sugar- cane fields. Led by the inspirational former slave Toussaint Ouverture, they kept control of the island despite attacks from both French and British soldiers. In 1804, the island was renamed Haiti, and the people there declared independence and outlawed slavery. Plantation owners throughout the West Indies were terrified that the rebellion ‘would spread and that their crops would soon be in flames. ‘Acommon racist view at the time was that Africans were inferior to Europeans and that their natural position was to be following orders and doing simple, manual work. What had happened in Haiti had proved to many people that this ‘argument was wrong. YY source An ilustration of Toussaint LOuversre, by ‘French artist Louis Bombled (1862-1927). ‘Revolution, Industry and Empire: Britain 1558-1901 a abolish anti-slavery economist racist Later on... To guarantee against another invasion by the French army, and to compensate the French slave owners, in 1825 the government in Haiti agreed to pay $21 billion (in today’s money) to the French government. It took Haiti 122 years (until 1947) to pay it all 1 Write a sentence explaining what the word ‘abolish’ means. 2 What's the difference between the anti-slavery law passed in 1807 and the one passed in 18332 3. Look at Source C. @ Who was Toussaint Ouverture? b Choose three words or phrases from this list that you might use to describe Toussaint [Ouverture in this image: leader weak strong powerless in control disorganised powerful threatening Explain why you have chosen these words. How might the plantation ‘owners in Saint-Domingue and other places react if they saw this image?CF te wae savory anainen? ue Factor No.3: The racists were proved wrong All sorts of people — doctors, businessmen, lawyers — SSS ee = a Destselling 1789 autobiography. He toured. But slaves who lived in Britain, brought here by slave Britain raising awareness of the slave traders, gota chance to prove these attitudes wrong. In trade, and his tales of crueity changed. Britain, there were originally no laws that said slavery was many people's attitudes. With another illegal, but there were no laws to say it was legal.either.So _-—_‘former slave, Ottobah Cugoano, he formed some slaves, helped by anti-slavery lawyers, went to court group called the ‘Sons of Africa’ and met to claim their freedom. More and more judges, impressed MPs to persuade them to abolish slavery. by the slaves’ arguments, allowed them to go free. One former slave, Olaudah Equiano, campaigned tirelessly to convince British people that the slave trade was wrong, He had been taken from his home in Africa to Barbados aged II. He worked as a servant to a ship's captain, travelled widely. and learned to read and write: while in England. He was then taken to North America and sold once more but. through incredible hard work and patience, he bought his freedom and moved back to Britain, where he wrote his life story. This was widely read and turned many people in Britain against stavery. ‘The fact that he was clearly intelligent and articulate made a nonsense out of the claims that Africans were inferior and only suited to manual work. \Y SOURCE D Adapted from a lotter published in Gentleman's ‘Magazine, April 1789, a popular monthly magazine founded in London in 1731_At this time, articles in the magazine were often in favour of slavery. “The negroes of Africa, when they are in Africa, are useless. They never improve themselves or learn about art or scionce. The only way to improve them is to make them useful and happy by making them work hard! \Y INTERPRETATION E Adapted from historian Paul Turner, waiting in The Changing Face of Britain and its Empire (2009). “So why did many people believe that slave trading was seen i Soume sine traders actually befiewed that the slaves eptable’ had s better standard of lfc than in their own country 25 Slaves could earn small free person. Traders at the time simply did not have the same amounts of money in some mon standards as today. They saw nothing wrong with trading areas of America. If they in people. In fact, being a slave trader was a “respectable saved enough, they could buy “occupation, not one that was looked down on. their freedom from their owners. BE) cer 9: me stave tradeFactor No4: The anti-slavery campaigners Some people believe it was the actions of some Europeans that had most impact on the ending of slavery. Granwille Sharp, for example, helped former slaves in court cases against their old masters and helped bring the injustice of slavery to public attention. In 1787, a group of strict Christians formed the Society for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. This group, including Sharp and a man named Thomas Clarkson, collected evidence of the horrors of the slave trade and the treatment that slaves faced. ‘The campaigners, who believed that slavery went against Christ's teachings, used this evidence to ¥ SOURCE G Adapted from a spooch made to Parliament by William Wilberforce in 1796. “The grand object of my parliamentary existence is the abolition of the slave trade. Reefore this great cause all others dwindle in my eyes. Ifit pleases God to honour me so far, may I be the instrument of stopping such a course of wickedness and cruelty as never before disgraced a Christian country.” collect signatures from the public som con huge petitions. They also. > SOURCE H The pottery manufacturer Lay convinced the politician William Josiah Wedgwood was an anti ¥ o Wilberforce to make speeches slavery supporter In 1787, he began | = % against slavery in Parliament. Producing medallions toconvince = | = = Between 1789 and 1806, people that slavery was wrong. Over | © = Wilberforce made many long 200,000 were made and the logo"Am | = & speeches in Parliament calling for Tot aman and a brother?’ appeared \ = ee} ASS Se on plates, bracelets and brooches. ? \ J The end of slavery ar Eventually, after years of campaigning, Partiament abolished the slave trade in the British Empire in 1807. But this didn't mean owning slaves was banned. So, the campaign to:end slavery completely continued. Famous campaigners at this time included Mary Prince, a former slave who became the first black woman to write an autobiography. and Elizabeth Heyrick, who encouraged other women to set up anti-slavery groups around Britain (there were over 70 women's groups in the 1820s). Finally, in 1833, Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act, giving all slaves in the British Empire their freedom. When slave ownership ended in the British Empire in 1833, the government paid out £20 million to former slave owners for their “loss of property’. The Bishop of Exeter, for example, received over £12,000 for the loss of 665 slaves he owned with his business partners in the West Indies. 1. Read Source D and Interpretation E. Do they help explain the slave trade and the way slaves, were treated? Explain your answer. 2. Look at Source H. Design your own medallion that campaigns for the abolition of slavery. Remember to include an eye-catching image and slogan. 1. Write down three reasons why slavery was abolished. Under each, write down all the evidence you can find on pages 180-183 to ‘support the reason. 2 ‘The main reason for the abolition of slavery was that slavery wasn't making money any more.’ How far do you agree with this statement? Hint: You don’t have to agree with the statement, as long as you can explain why you think another reason is more important. ‘Revolution, Industry and Empire: Britain 1558-1901