Atlantic Slave Trade Flashcards, test questions and answers
Discover flashcards, test exam answers, and assignments to help you learn more about Atlantic Slave Trade and other subjects. Don’t miss the chance to use them for more effective college education. Use our database of questions and answers on Atlantic Slave Trade and get quick solutions for your test.
What is Atlantic Slave Trade?
The Atlantic Slave Trade was one of the darkest periods in human history. It involved the kidnapping and forcible transportation of millions of Africans to the Americas, where they were sold as slaves and subjected to appalling conditions. The slave trade began in the early 16th century with Portuguese merchants sailing along the west coast of Africa, purchasing natives from African rulers and transporting them across the Atlantic Ocean to be sold as slaves. This horrific trade reached its peak between 1750 and 1860 when over 20 million African people were taken from their homeland and forced into slavery. The demand for slaves was driven by European colonial interests in North America, South America, and the Caribbean islands. Sugar plantations had become immensely profitable in these regions due to increasing demand for sugar-based products such as rum, molasses, tea and chocolate. Sugar plantations required a large number of workers with no access to wages or rights; thus lucrative markets developed for coerced labor. The slave ships taking part in this abhorrent trade were cramped vessels which transported hundreds of enslaved Africans at a time on voyages that often lasted 6 months or more. Conditions on board these ships were catastrophic overcrowded compartments with little ventilation, malnutrition caused by inadequate supplies of food resulting in disease outbreaks like smallpox spreading quickly amongst those aboard; Furthermore psychological trauma caused by being separated from families with no hope for reuniting added to the misery inflicted upon these innocent people as they made their way towards an uncertain future far away from home. The legacy left behind by this period is still felt today throughout many parts of Africa and especially among descendants whose ancestors experienced it first-hand. The economic destruction wrought by this cruel practice can still be seen throughout many African countries who are yet to fully recover from its effects despite centuries having passed since its end. Moreover there is now an increased awareness about how such atrocities must never be allowed to occur again due to lessons learned during this dark chapter in human history .