2. African Slavery
Essential Questions:
Why do humans sell other human beings?
How do people overcome obstacles/survive
slavery?

3. 1. What is a Slave
(Summarize in your own words)
Legal ownership of another human
being as personal property
Laws permit the sale, purchase, and
return of runaway slaves, just like
animals
In all cultures, this ownership was
demonstrated by brands, tattoos, or
special clothing

4. An
enslaved
African in
Europe in
the
1500s

5. An
enslaved
North
African
Arab in
Europe in
the 1500s

6. 2. When did Slavery Begin?
Where was it Practiced?
Slavery begins with recorded time
Universal – practiced everywhere including
ancient Egypt, China, Rome, Europe, etc.
Slavery was not racial and not permanent until
the 1500s.
Slaves were NOT property until the 1500s.

7. Clay tablet
sale document
for a family of
eight slaves. In
3100 BCE in
modern day IRAQ

8. 3. Slavery in Europe
Roman Empire: up to 100 million were slaves (25%
of population) including Jews and Christians
North African Barbary pirates took 1.25 million
people from southern Europe and sold them as
slaves in North Africa and Turkey.
1-3 million Slavs from Eastern Europe and
Russia/Black Sea were sold into slavery in the
Middle East and the Mediterranean
(#s are on your map activity)

9. 4. What was Slavery like in Africa?
Reasons:
Captured in war, cannot pay debts, committed a
crime like adultery
Conditions:
work to raise crops, as skilled labor, as personal
servants
Length:
can eventually earn freedom,
act independently,
children are NOT slaves

10. 5. Why did Africans cooperate with
Slave Traders?
A. There were no large kingdoms to resist
European/Islamic countries or empires.
B. Gain wealth and better quality of life through
metal tools, cloth, and guns traded for slaves.
C. “Iron – Slave cycle” once you trade slaves for
continuously be obtained or others will make
slaves of you. Britain alone sold 150,000 guns
a year to African ethnic groups.

11. The “Iron – Slave
Cycle”
Asante Warrior
going to capture
slaves or defend
his tribe from
others.

12. 6. African
Slavery
Slave Trade
700s thru
1400s: 11-
18 million
to the
Middle East
and Indian
Ocean
countries

13. 7. How did the
Middle East use
African Slaves?
Arabs traded for
female slaves as
servants. Men were
used for soldiers,
skilled labor, and
irrigation, etc. Islam
preaches an owner
must improve his
slaves’ lives.

14. 8. Why did
European want
African slaves?
TO:
1. mine gold +
silver in the New
World.
2. grow sugar,
tobacco, cotton,
+ rice.
3. clear the land

15. 9. Why African Slavery in the New World
1. Up to 90% or 18 million Amerindians died of
diseases like small pox, measles, and
tuberculosis. They were both overworked and
underfed. They also ran away.
2. Too few Europeans moved/migrated to the
Americas to work for land owners in mines for
gold or on plantations for sugar, tobacco, and
rice.

16. 10. How many Africans were brought
to the New World?
New World Colonies Number of Slaves Percentage
• Brazil (Portugal) 4,000,000 35.4
• Spanish Empire 2,500,000 22.1
• British West Indies 2,000,000 17.7
• French West Indies 1,600,000 14.1
• British North America
• and United States 500,000-600,000 4.4 – 6.0
• Dutch West Indies 500,000 4.4
• Danish West Indies 28,000 0.2
• Europe (and Islands) 200,000 1.8
OVERALL 10-12 million people with 10-20% dying in
crossing the Atlantic Ocean

17. 11. How did Natural resources, agriculture, and
manufactured goods drive the slave trade?
Slaves in the Americas
raised cash crops
and mined for gold
+ silver.
Cash Crops sold to
Europe from the
colonies
Manufactured goods
like guns and steel
tools to Africa for
slaves

18. EXIT SLIP:
Write your reaction
to this painting
using at least
some of your
notes.