Capture, Sale & Transport

How Did Slavery Begin in Africa?

According to Coupland (2017), the transatlantic slave trade began when European traders arrived on the West African coast looking for people to enslave. But they didn’t capture people alone they often worked with African middlemen (local leaders and traders) who helped kidnap or sell prisoners of war from rival tribes. In exchange, European traders gave guns, alcohol, cloth, and beads.

The Slave Markets

Once captured, enslaved people were held in coastal forts where they were separated from their families, chained, and sold to the highest bidder. These sales happened at slave markets run by Europeans, where the enslaved were inspected like animals (Coupland, 2017).

The Middle Passage (Coupland, 2017).

Enslaved Africans were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas on crowded, dirty slave ships. This journey was called the Middle Passage, the second part of the Triangular Trade Route.

• It lasted 6–12 weeks.

• People were chained, starved, and beaten.

• Many died of disease or were thrown overboard.

Triangular Trade Route Map (Coupland, 2017).

• Europe → Africa: traded goods (guns, rum, cloth)

• Africa → Americas: enslaved people (Middle Passage)

• Americas → Europe: sugar, cotton, tobacco

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/fa/7a/6b/fa7a6bc7ea7bfd2c2d7eb6a19104a80a--routes-triangles.jpg 

Activity 3 

Instructions to Learners: Then answer these short questions

1.    What is the Middle Passage?

2.    What were two conditions on slave ships?

3.    Name one item traded by Europeans to African leaders.

4.    Why did some African leaders cooperate with European traders?

5.    How long did the journey across the Atlantic usually take? 

Memo (Answers)

1. The Middle Passage was the journey enslaved Africans took across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas.

2. Slaves were chained together, had little food, poor hygiene, disease, and were often beaten.

3. Guns / rum / cloth / alcohol / beads (anyone).

4. They wanted goods like weapons and wealth or sold prisoners of war.

5. About 6–12 weeks.