History Module 2.5 The African Slave Trade and the Growth of Slavery in the Colonies

What conditions led to the growth of the English colonies’ population?

Immigration.

Fertility (natural increase)

Richness and climate of the land.

The least- taxed people in the world.

Increasing reliance on slave labor.

What is the significance to American history of the southern colonies’ reliance on slave labor?

It fueled the plantation system, creating a powerful agricultural economy based on cash crops like tobacco and cotton, but also entrenched racial inequality and ultimately contributed to the Civil War. 

Slave labor was crucial for the Southern economy, as it provided the workforce for labor-intensive crops like cotton, tobacco, rice, and indigo, which were essential for export and trade. 

Explain the Middle Passage and its impact on Africans brought to the North American colonies:

Horrible trip across the Atlantic where slaves were chained below deck- given minimal food and water. 15% of slaves on ship died en route. Dehydration, rebellion, disease, 10 to 15% died within the first year.

Explain why slavery is considered the “central paradox” of American history:

Slavery is considered the "central paradox" of American history because the nation was founded on ideals of liberty and equality while simultaneously maintaining a system of chattel slavery that denied these very rights to millions of people.

Triangular Trade:

• Europe sent manufactured goods to Africa.

• Africa sent enslaved people to the Americas (this part was called the Middle Passage).

• The Americas sent cash crops like sugar, tobacco, and cotton back to Europe.

Mercantilism:

An economic theory that says that government should promote a favorable balance of trade.

Imperialism:

Is the practice of extending a country’s power by controlling the economic and political activities of other territories and people.

Who was Olaudah Equiano?

African who was kidnapped at 11 years old and separated from his sister. Sold to several different African slave traders until he made it to the coast of Africa, and then had to survive the Middle Passage and was a slave for some time after that, later buying his freedom.