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Nature of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade (Triangular nature and items of trade):

Triangle trade
- Slaves from Africa to America (gold, pepper, ivory, slaves)
- Plantation crops from America to Europe (cotton, run, tobacco, sugar, molasses)
- Material goods from Europe to Africa (guns, pots, pans, copper cloth, trinkets)
Slavery definition
- slavery is one form of exploitation. Its special characteristics include the idea that slaves were property; that they were outsiders who were alien by origin, or who had been denied their heritage through judicial or other sanctions’ that coercion could be used at will; that their labor was at the complete disposal of a master; that they did not have a right to their own sexuality, and by extension, to their own reproductive capabilities; and that the slave status was inherited unless provisions was made to ameliorate that status
How slaves acquired
- Europeans believed Africans were uncivilized and the Indigenous people weren’t being enslaved. The lack of centralized governments led Africans to be enslaved, as well as a demand for slavery (labor in the US)
Effects of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade
- Industrial growth- brought raw materials to the new world, economic growth for Europe, American industries
Types of Servitude
- Roman slavery- serfdom
- African- : not permanent
  - debt bondage- served until their labor paid off their debt
  - Lineage servitude- enslaved people were seen as part of their master lineage
  - War captives- people who were captured during war were then enslaved
Erroneous Perceptions about the Slave Trade
- Africans were not civilized
- Africans were the only ones who were ever enslaved
Slavery as a crime against Humanity
Statistics of the TAST
- 4 in 5 immigrants to America were African
- 1 in 5 female immigrants were Women
- 1 in 10 slave voyages had a major rebellion
- Early slave voyages left from Europe, not Africa
- 10% of Portugal's population was black in 1455
- 1st slave voyage from Africa 1526
- 7 out of 10 Africans went to Portugal (Brazil) and England
Why Africans became the Slave population
- religion justifications, couldn’t run away, already adapted to disease, racial justification
- Ocean-going technology
- Plantation economics
- Strategies against the TAST
  - Defensive:
    - environmental- plant poisonous thorny trees and bushes, fortresses
    - Migration- leave where they were
    - Habitual- reconfigure towns, change the size, and look
  - Protective:
    - Redemption- protecting their relatives to sacrifice many stranges (didn’t work since the number of people becoming enslaved kept increasing)
  - Offensive:
    - Raids- on European vessels
    - Attack- on slave castles and fortresses
    - Stole- guns and ammunition
    - Challenged Slavery- ran away and made their free communities
    - Revolts- on ships

Race, Class, and Gender distinctions in the treatment of Atlantic Women

as compared to men
- All women were seen less then men, couldn’t vote, own land,
Black, White, and Mixed race
- White women
  - Could marry white men
  - Could not be enslaved
  - Free, could work- teachers
- Free Enslaved (mixed)
  - Could not marry men - but still had relationships
  - Could not vote
  - Illegally enslaved
  - Promiscuous, sexually abused
  - Domestic laborers
- Black women
  - Could be enslaved
  - Jezabel, mammy, superwoman
  - Only mentally weaker then men
  - Could not vote
  - Market women
Constructions of gender in Europe
- Limited opportunities to work and have a job
- Men controlled women's work
- A smaller number of European women
Constructions of gender in Africa
- Women had rights to their labor
- Larger number of African women coming to the americas
Stereotypes of Black Women:
- Mammy,- kind, gentle, happy, domesticated slave. seen as a caregiver. loyal friend to the family, 2nd mother to the kids
- Sapphire, - rude, loud, overbearing
- Jezebel- promiscuous

Arguments About Slavery

Eltis arguments
- Europeans were able to justify enslaving Africans
- The inability of native Americans to enforce the use of Africans
- African labor led to industrial growth in Europe and the Americas
Inikori arguments
- Africa didn't have strong centralized governments like Europe did, which led to being able to enslave people easily
- Oyo, Dahomey, and Asante were able to survive due to centralized governments

Eltis argues that Europeans justified enslaving Africans due to the lack of Native American enforcement and the economic benefits of African labor. Inikori highlights Africa's weaker centralized governments, making it easier to enslave people. Both emphasize the role of African labor in industrial growth.

Native American exploitation

Slavery
Mita
- Peru/ Andes, compulsory rotational labor draft
Resgate
- Brazil, Portuguese “ransomed” natives who were captured in inter-tribal warfare and held as salves
Encomienda
- Spanish America- grant to the individual the right to the labor of a group of Indians for the promise of protection

European Servitude

Convicts
- European convicts (500,000)
- Slavery as punishment
Engages
- french, served 3 years, treated very poorly, West Indies

Redemptioners
- German, similar to indentured servants but would be with their family and would get a few weeks to find a relative after being released