The New Childrens Encyclopedia

202

The slave trade

Slavery has been a feature of many societies, such as

ancient Egypt and Rome. But it was the Atlantic slave

trade that made slavery a worldwide issue. It had its

roots in the Portuguese transportation of workers from

Africa to Madeira, in 1470. By the time slavery was

abolished 400 years later, around 12 million slaves

had been taken from Africa to the New World.

HISTORY AND POLITICS

South America

1 EUROPE TO

AFRICA The

Europeans traded

copper, iron, cloth,

wine, glassware, and

guns with African

landlords for people.

2 AFRICA TO

AMERICAS Called

“The Middle Passage,”

people were snatched

from villages and fields

and marched to the

coast to slave ships.

3 AMERICAS TO

EUROPE Sugar,

rice, cotton, coffee,

tobacco, and rum

from the plantations

were brought back

to Europe.

1

Africa

North America Europe

Caribbean Sea

Atlantic

Ocean

Slaves

Coffee

Guns

Sugar

cane

Cotton Wine

 BROOKS SLAVE SHIP This ship

was designed to carry around 450

slaves, but more than 600 were often

packed in, chained together.

THE TRIANGULAR TRADE

The slave trade was all about money. European

traders exported goods to Africa, then used the

ships to pick up a new cargo: people. They were

taken to work on plantations in southern North

America, South America, and Caribbean islands.

3

2