History^413
Iron chains
could be fixed
around necks
4 SLAVE CHAINS or ankles
Slaves were transported to the
Americas in chains. Many Europeans
and Americans campaigned against
slavery. It was abolished in the
British Empire in the 1830s and
in the USA in 1865.TOUSSAINT L’OUVERTURE
1743–1803
Toussaint was a freed slave
from the French colony of St
Dominque (Haiti). He joined a
slave uprising in 1791. When
revolutionary France abolished
slavery, Toussaint became a
respected leader. However,
after a change of government
he was seized and imprisoned.Slave Trade
People have been bought and sold as slaves around the world
through much of history. This trade reached new heights in the 16th
to 19th centuries, as Arabs and Europeans plundered Africa. In
the 18th century, it is believed that up to eight million
Africans were shipped across the Atlantic Ocean.
HOW WAS THE SLAVE TRADE ORGANIZED?
West African slaves were normally captured by
African raiders. At the coast they were exchanged
for European guns or textiles. The European traders
packed the slaves into ships and sailed for the New
World. Once the Africans were sold, the European
captains picked up cargoes before sailing home.HOW WERE SLAVES TREATED IN THE NEW WORLD?
After the ordeal of the Atlantic crossing, the slaves
were prepared for auction. Once sold, they were forced
to work long hours on. PLANTATIONS for no pay.
Many slaves were treated with cruelty, and were
chained and branded. Those who tried to escape were
punished by whipping or even hanging.4 AUCTIONED LIKE CATTLE
Slaves are auctioned off to plantation owners in the southern USA.
They were examined to see if they were strong and fit. Families
might be split up, never to see each other again.PLANTATIONS
Slaves in the Caribbean and the US were
forced to work on plantations – estates
where sugar cane, cotton, or other crops
were grown. The owners paid workers no
wages, so their profits were huge.
WHY WERE PLANTATIONS CREATED?
Plantations in the New World marked the start of
farming on an industrial, global scale. Plantations
produced cash crops – crops grown for sale and
export rather than local use. The use of slave labour
reduced costs.
PLANTATION IN GEORGIA 3
This is a cotton plantation in Georgia, USA, in
1895 – thirty years after the abolition of slavery. The work is
still exhausting in the heat of the day, the hours still long.FIND OUT MORE. American Civil War 424 • Medieval Africa 394–395
slave trade