World historyLesson 3 of 3 in the course Foundations of the Atlantic World

Atlantic Slavery: Trade, Plantation Labor, and African Societies

5 flashcards · 5 quiz questions · 5 match pairs · 5 fill-in sentences · English

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Summary

European empires sought wealth from American colonies by producing crops that were in high demand in Europe. This lesson explains why colonists turned to enslaved African labor and how trade linked Europe, West Africa, and the Americas.

European colonies produced cash crops such as sugar, tobacco, rice, indigo, and coffee for export. These crops required large amounts of labor. Indigenous peoples were initially forced to work, but disease, violence, and harsh conditions caused catastrophic population losses. On Hispaniola, the Taíno population fell from several hundred thousand at the time of Columbus’s arrival in 1492 to about 32,000 by 1514; disease was the main cause, alongside killing and forced labor.

All flashcards

What were cash crops?
Crops grown primarily for sale and profit rather than just for the farmers’ own use. American plantations produced crops such as sugar, tobacco, rice, indigo, and coffee for export.
What does triangular trade refer to?
A simplified model of Atlantic exchange linking Europe, West Africa, and the Americas through manufactured goods, the trafficking of enslaved Africans, and plantation commodities.
What was the Middle Passage?
The forced transatlantic journey of enslaved Africans from Africa to the Americas. It was the middle leg in the commonly described triangular trade.
Why did colonists turn to enslaved African labor?
Indigenous populations were devastated by disease, violence, and forced labor, while European indentured servants were too few and often died from disease and harsh conditions. Colonists chose enslavement to secure a coerced, lifelong workforce.
What traveled on the final leg of the triangular trade?
Plantation products such as sugar, tobacco, rice, and indigo were shipped to Europe or other colonies, where they were consumed or processed.

Quiz questions

  1. What made enslaved status hereditary under American colonial chattel slavery?Answer: A child born to an enslaved woman was also legally enslaved.
  2. Why did sugar cane need to be crushed soon after harvest?Answer: The cane's sap evaporated if crushing was delayed.
  3. What did the 1781 Zong case reveal about insurance in the slave trade?Answer: The captain ordered enslaved people thrown overboard, treating their deaths as insured losses.
  4. How did Atlantic demand affect the capture of people in parts of Africa?Answer: It encouraged some traders and rulers to capture people and conduct raids farther inland.
  5. Which action is an example of resistance by enslaved plantation workers?Answer: Damaging tools or machinery to disrupt plantation production.

Based on World History Volume 2, from 1400 by Ann Kordas, Ryan J. Lynch, Brooke Nelson, Julie Tatlock (OpenStax), licensed CC BY 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.

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