The Atlantic Slave Trade: Crash Course World History #24
TLDRThe video examines the history and economics of slavery, especially the Atlantic slave trade between Africa and the Americas from 1500-1880 CE. It notes the massive scale of the slave trade, with 10-12 million Africans forcibly moved across the Atlantic, and the horrible conditions slaves faced. The video stresses that slavery depended on economic demand, with European traders exchanging goods for African slaves captured by other Africans. It dispels misconceptions of slavery, explaining complex dynamics across history, including how various cultures justified slavery. However, Atlantic slavery was uniquely appalling in its scale and dehumanization of slaves. The video urges grappling with how our ancestors accepted such atrocities, so we can acknowledge the full tragedy of slavery.
Takeaways
- 😢 Slavery has existed throughout history and involved forced labor and dehumanization
- 💰 The Atlantic slave trade was driven by economic factors and consumer demand
- 🚢 Over 12 million Africans were forcibly moved to the Americas; 15% died in transit
- 🌍 Europeans obtained African slaves by trading manufactured goods
- 🔗 Slavery was justified using religious, philosophical and scientific arguments
- 🛢 Key crops cultivated by slaves (sugar, tobacco) were non-essential consumer goods
- 🚜 Most slaves worked under horrific conditions on agricultural plantations
- ⚰ Average life expectancy for a Brazilian plantation slave was only 23 years
- 👪 In some areas, slave populations grew naturally through reproduction
- 🤕 Slavery involves violent, lifelong domination of displaced persons
Q & A
What percentage of slaves brought to the Americas ended up in the United States?
-A relatively small percentage, around 5%, ended up in the United States. The majority went to Brazil and the Caribbean.
What was the average life expectancy for a Brazilian slave working on a sugar plantation?
-The average life expectancy was shockingly low at only 23 years.
Why were slave populations in the United States able to grow through natural reproduction?
-Living and working conditions were better in the US compared to places like Brazil, so more slaves survived and had children.
What is the definition of chattel slavery?
-Chattel slavery indicates that slaves were movable property that could be bought and sold.
How did African rulers obtain slaves to trade with Europeans?
-Africans captured other Africans from places like villages and cities and then traded them to Europeans in exchange for goods.
What jobs did slaves perform in the Americas?
-Slaves performed all kinds of jobs including housework, crafts, sailing, and the majority worked in agriculture - harvesting and processing crops like sugar.
What distinguished Atlantic slavery from other forms in history?
-The combination of hereditary slave status, racist attitudes, inhumane transport conditions, and harsh/deadly working conditions made Atlantic slavery exceptionally brutal.
What evidence did John Green provide that slavery is linked to consumer culture?
-None of the major crops grown by slaves were necessities for life, rather they were used to produce luxury items for entertainment/pleasure.
What religious ideas were used to justify slavery?
-Passages from the Bible were used, especially the belief that Africans were cursed descendents receiving punishment.
Who first connected Aristotelian ideas about natural slaves to Africans?
-Muslim Arabs first connected the racist belief that Africans were destined to be slaves to the Aristotelian philosophy.
Outlines
😞 History and Horrors of Slavery
Paragraph 1 provides background on slavery, noting its long history but highlighting the immense scale and brutality of the Atlantic slave trade from 1500-1880 CE. It discusses the number of Africans forcibly transported to the Americas, the difficult journeys and high mortality rates, and destinations where slaves were sold. The paragraph also notes that most slaves were sent to the Caribbean and Brazil, with a relatively small percentage going to the U.S.
😱 Harsh Working Conditions for Slaves
Paragraph 2 focuses on the extremely harsh working conditions for slaves, especially on sugar plantations in Brazil and the Caribbean. It describes the back-breaking and dangerous labor involved in planting, harvesting and processing sugar cane. The short life expectancy of 23 years for Brazilian slaves is noted as indicative of the appalling abuse.
😥 Dehumanization and Justifications for Slavery
Paragraph 3 analyzes the fundamental dehumanization of chattel slavery and how Atlantic slavery combined the worst aspects of earlier slave systems. It discusses how various cultures contributed to the racist ideology underlying Atlantic slavery, including Greek, Roman, Christian and Muslim traditions. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing that many groups bear responsibility for this tragedy.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡slavery
💡Atlantic slave trade
💡Middle Passage
💡consumer culture
💡chattel slavery
💡social death
💡latifundia
💡Zanj
💡dehumanization
💡hereditary slavery
Highlights
Slavery is as old as civilization itself
10 to 12 million African slaves were forcibly moved from Africa to the Americas
Only about 5% of total slaves were imported to the U.S.
Slaves worked processing sugar, tobacco, coffee - none necessary to sustain human life
Africans were captured by other Africans and traded to Europeans for goods
To understand tragedy of slavery, understand the economics of it
Each slave had 4 square feet of space aboard ships
Life expectancy for Brazilian slave was 23 years
Natural population growth meant owners could sell slaves' children
Definition of slavery: permanent, violent domination of alienated persons
Greeks believed some were naturally slaves, Romans expanded plantations
Bible widely used to justify slavery, curses Ham as "lowest of slaves"
Arabs first to import Africans as slaves on large scale
Spanish and Portuguese spread racist attitudes towards blacks
Blame for slavery extends to whole world over millennia
Transcripts
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