Africa Chapter 2

Why did the British want to take over the slave trade in the late 17th century?

They needed labor for tobacco cultivation in Virginia and Maryland.

How did the early Europeans usually obtain their supply of slaves?

They obtained their slaves through trade with native African tribes.

Since slave rebellions were not uncommon to experience on slave ships, how did slaves rebel or resist their imprisonment?

By refusing to eat. By drowning them selves. Organizing and carrying out bloody, violent rebellions.

What happened to many Africans once they became slaves in Muslim society?

Many were freed or merged into Arab society.

How did the slave trade affect worldwide trading systems?

A triangular trade system developed, involving British manufactured goods, slaves, sugar, and rum.

How did African women's experiences differ from African men's on board slave ships?

African women experienced sexual violence by the ships' crews. This high level of violence, and its psychological effects may have led to lessened sex drives once in the Caribbean and Latin America.

What steps did the European take to reduce the risk of rebellion at the slave factories in Africa?

Families and ethnic groups were separated.

What can be said that is true about the path a slave - once captured - took to the market in Africa?

Generally, the captured slaves thought they would be treated fairly and submitted to the long stages of travel.

The Spanish and Portuguese dominated the early slave trade with the Africans. Which nation ousted them from this status in the early 17th century?

Holland

How was work divided among the slaves during seasoning in the West Indies?

Masters generally split the slaves up into several gangs, with the strongest men doing the heaviest work, the older slaves and women doing weeding, and children assisting in light tasks.

Why did disease spread so rapidly on slave ships?

Physicians had not developed the theories relating the spread of germs to disease, but thought that illnesses were spread by imbalances in bodily fluids. Slavers forced their captives to eat using common spoons and bowls. Slave ships had inadequate and highly unsanitary ways of disposing of human waste.

Which European country took the lead in exploration and colonization in the early 1400s?

Portugal

Who was the first known Portuguese merchant to begin to formally trade for slaves with the Africans?

Ruy do Siqueira

What did not characterize ships' doctors of slave ships at the time?

Since slavers wanted to keep as many slaves alive as possible, ship's doctors had a usually sophisticated knowledge of medicine at the time.

Many slaves were sold once they reached the West Indies. What was typical of the sale process?

Slavers allowed the slaves some time to rest and recuperate before sale.

What are characteristics of a typical slave ship?

Slaves were separated by gender to prevent rebellion. Slave captains packed their ships as tightly as possible to maximize profit. Mortality rates were very high, due to unsanitary conditions and the rapid spread of disease.

What diseases took the lives of most slaves while on board the slave ships?

Smallpox and dysentery.

What about the nature of the Islamic slave trade prior to European entry

The Islamic slave trade was not based primarily on race.

Europeans found native populations in the areas of North and South America. Why did they need labor from Africa?

The Native Americans quickly began to die in huge numbers from diseases imported by the British.

What can be said that best describes "seasoning" for the newly arrived slaves?

The process of becoming accustomed to and learning new skills for their lives in the Americas.

How did a planter decide if a slave had been "seasoned"?

The slave seemed psychologically stable, and did not participate in armed rebellion or suicide attempts.

How did an African become a slave?

Their own town or village was conquered by another African army