LEARNING INTENTIONS

• Explain the reasons that slavery started

• Explain why Slavery is sometimes known as the ‘Triangular Trade’

Millions of people in the Americas and West Indies can trace their roots back to Africa because of slavery. This means that their ancestors were kidnapped and taken

there as slaves.

Sugar was at the heart of the slave trade.

Sugar was increasingly popular but also

expensive and difficult to grow.

When the Spanish first landed in the Americas they grew sugar. Soon other countries did too.

At first, sugar was grown by different groups:

• Arawak natives, who were used as slaves but died out due to European diseases

• Bond servants, who worked for 4-7 years before being free

• Convicts and prisoners

There were not enough workers to keep up with

demand for sugar.

Some European countries had African

colonies. African slaves were taken to grow

sugar in the Americas.

In time, slaves would grow various other

products too.

There were many advantages to using

Africans as slaves.

Slavery already existed in Africa and there were

large numbers of Africans available.

Also, unlike tribes in the Americas, Africans did not

react as badly to European illness and

disease.

The slave trade became known as the Triangular Trade. This is because of the three stages that the

slave journey involved.

Triangular Trade

Stage 1: Trade goods such as guns, etc were taken to Africa

Stage 2: Slaves were taken to the Americas

Stage 3: Goods produced by slaves were taken to Europe to be sold