The Transatlantic Slave Trade and Colonial Slavery

African-American History

3 Distinct Features of American Slavery:

Slaves not accepted into society & had no legal rightsSlave status inherent and passed on to childrenMostly unskilled, manual laborers

The Transatlantic Slave TradePortuguese controlled trade in 1500s, Dutch in 1600s, English in 1700s10-11 million slaves crossed the Atlantic

3.65 million to S. America

3.32 million to Caribbean

1.5 million to Mexico & Central America

600,000 to N. America

Angola & Loango = biggest source overall

Slave Coast dominated after 1740

East Africa not tapped until late 1700s

More men than women

A Typical Slave ShipDimensions: 80’ – 90’ by 25’Held 300 – 450 slavesVoyage lasted 90 – 100 days10 – 20% average mortality rateOutlawed by U.S. & U.K. in 1808

British abolition movement led by William WilberforceFrance 1831; Spain 1835Last known slave ship crossed Atlantic in 1867Cuba ended slavery in 1888

The Spanish EmpireViceroys ruled New Spain & Peru on King’s behalf

Each divided into provincesGovernors & audencias (courts) ruled provinces

Haciendas = large plantations growing cash crops (sugar, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, etc.)Mines were principle source of wealth for Spain

16 million kg. entered Spain between 1503-1650Crown kept 1/5 (quinto)Flowed primarily to Spanish Netherlands

Slave Labor in New Spain

Encomienda = grant of Indian labor to mine & hacienda ownersRepartimiento = requirement that Indians work so many days for SpanishModeled on feudalism, but no protection for workersWhen Indians died off, replaced by Africans

Why Africans Were Enslaved

Eric Williams argues slavery was based on economics, not racism

Indians enslaved first, then white indentured servants usedBlack slaves cheaper because held for life & less likely to escape

Winthrop Jordan argues slavery & racism developed dialectically

“black” associated with dirt, death & sin

David Brion Davis argues sugar/slave system moved from Mediterranean to Atlantic islands, & thence to Americas