The trade triangle and the horrors of the middle passage

What did Britain need out of the slave trade?

Raw materials like sugar cotton and tobacco.

What did the West African Tribe leaders want?

Manufactured goods like guns, hardware, and cloth.

What did plantation workers in the Americas and the West Indies want?

Slaves to work on the plantations to meed with the European demands for crops.

How many Africans were shipped through the middle passage between the 16th and 19th centuries?

About 12 to 15 million Africans.

What percentage of Africans died on the journey?

10 to 20 percent of slaves.

Aboloitionist

Someone who campaigns for something to be banned or stopped. In this case, someone who campaigns for the slave trade to be brought to an end.

What did the West African slave trader do (in the transatlantic slave trade)?

He captured people from neighbouring communities and sold them to European traders.

What did the European Monarch do (in the transatlantic slave trade)?

He or she granted licences to allow my traders to sail to West Africa and buy slaves there.

What did the plantation owner in the West Indies do (in the transatlantic slave trade)?

He needed slaves to grow sugar, in order to meet the demand in Europe.

What did the West African leader do (in the transatlantic slave trade)?

He allowed the Europeans to trade with his people, as long as they gave him goods and money.

What did the captain of a slave ship do (in the transatlantic slave trade)?

He sailed between West Africa and the Americas. He is well paid for his work.

What did the European banker do (in the transatlantic slave trade)?

He invests money in ships that complete the trade triangle. If it succeeds he could earn a lot of money.

What did the European factory owner do (in the transatlantic slave trade)?

His factory produces guns and hardware, a lot of which are shipped to West Africa.

What did the European textiles factory worker do (in the transatlantic slave trade)?

Their job relies on cotton imported from the plantations. Though they are paid badly, they might not have a job at all.