AP African American Studies Trans Alantic Slave Trade

Diaspora

The scattering of people from their homeland. For 17th century Africans, it describes their forced displacement through the trans-Atlantic slave trade

Natural barriers between Africa and Europe

The Sahara Desert, dense tropical forests, and dangerous coastlines made travel and contact between Africa and Europe difficult before the 17th century

Carrack or Caravel

Advanced sailing ships developed by the Portuguese for long ocean voyages during the Age of Exploration

Portugal’s role in the Age of Exploration and trans-Atlantic slave trade

Portugal pioneered exploration along Africa’s coast, establishing early trade routes and becoming one of the first European powers involved in the trans-Atlantic slave trade

Prince Henry “the Navigator”

Sponsored voyages of exploration, helping advance navigation and mapmaking that opened sea routes to Africa and beyond

Guanches

Indigenous people of the Canary Islands who were conquered and enslaved by the Spanish in the 15th century

Importance of Sugarcane to the TAST

Sugarcane plantations created a massive demand for labor, driving the expansion of the trans-Atlantic slave trade

Treaty of Tordesillas

Signed in 1494, it divided newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal along a specific meridian to prevent conflict

Line of Demarcation

The imaginary line established by the Treaty of Tordesillas dividing Spanish and Portuguese exploration zones

Ladino

Enslaved Africans who had adapted to European language and culture, often Christianized and Spanish-speaking

Tainos

Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean who were among the first to encounter Columbus and suffered devastation from colonization

Bozales

Newly arrived Africans who had not yet learned European languages or customs

Evolution of Slavery in the 17th Century

Slavery evolved from a system of indentured servitude to a race-based hereditary institution tied to plantation economies

Elmina Castle

Built by the Portuguese in 1482 on the West African coast, it became a major hub for slave trading

Asiento System

A Spanish license granting merchants mainly Portuguese or British the exclusive right to supply enslaved Africans to Spanish colonies

Catholic Church’s role in the TAST

The Church often sanctioned exploration and slavery under the guise of spreading Christianity, legitimizing the trans-Atlantic slave trade

Papal Bull of Dum Diversas

Issued in 1452, it authorized Portugal to enslave non-Christians, laying moral and legal groundwork for the slave trade

Triangular Trade

A three-legged trade system connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas where goods, enslaved Africans, and raw materials circulated between continents

Middle Passage

The horrific sea journey enslaved Africans endured across the Atlantic, marked by brutal conditions and high death rates

Three stages of the Middle Passage

Capture and transport to the coast, shipment across the Atlantic, and sale in the Americas

Coffle

A chain or line of enslaved Africans bound together during forced marches

Slave Hole

The cramped unsanitary space below deck where enslaved Africans were confined during transport

Bilboes

Iron restraints used to chain enslaved Africans together by their ankles

Door of No Return

A symbolic doorway at slave forts through which Africans passed onto ships, leaving their homeland forever

Fears and Concerns of the TAST

Africans feared death, disease, and permanent separation from home. Europeans feared rebellion, shipwrecks, and loss of profit

Tight Packing vs Loose Packing

Tight packing maximized the number of captives per ship despite higher death rates, while loose packing allowed slightly more space to reduce mortality

Management of Captive Africans on Slave Ships

Males were chained and kept below deck while females were given slightly more mobility but often faced sexual abuse

African Resistance during the Middle Passage

Africans resisted through revolts, suicide, hunger strikes, and attempts to sabotage ships or escape captivity