Elective History

Institution of Slavery

Fugitive slave act:

Law enforcement was required to arrest anyone suspected of escaping slavery
The person who condemned the slave was given $10 if the slave was proven to be a fugitive
- Only paid $5 if the proof was insufficient
- Anyone helping an escaped slave given six months’ imprisonment and a $1,000 fine.
People in the North didn’t like the act
- There was lots of resistance
- People started wanting abolition even more

Plantation: The place where slaves worked to grow crops such as sugar and rice

Field slave: The branch of slave who works on the field, specifically in plantations. Very hard work, regular punishment, poor diet and lack of proper medical care

House slave: The branch of slave who works inside their master’s house doing domestic work. They could do anything from cooks, butlers, housemaids, and children's nurses. They were dressed in finer clothing and fed more than field slaves, they also got to sleep an extra half hour in the mornings.

Indentured servant: Somebody who agreed to work without pay for a certain number of years in return for something e.g. freedom of the slave

Manumission: Freedom from slavery

Transatlantic Slave Trade and The Middle Passage

Slave trade: The institution of trading people for commodities

Thirteen colonies: The first colonies of colonized America

Transatlantic Slave Trade: Trading people for commodities, specifically over the Atlantic ocean, from Africa to the Americas

Triangular trade: Trading people for commodities - England produces the goods, sends them to Africa in return for people, who then get sent to the Americas, and the products of the plantations that the slaves work on gets sent back to England

Middle Passage: The passage of water between Africa and the Americas, where enslaved people travelled on ships after being enslaved

What were the key features of the slave trade in Africa?	How did the slave trade impact different African communities?
Resources being sent to africa Iron bars and guns Ships are involved in transportation People are kidnapped in west africa and transported to the americas Over 10 million people Slave trade was a distribution of goods for service and vice versa Forcibly removed Trade for enslaved people in exchange for guns and cloth East Africans trading their own well for profit	Towns and villages depopulated Citizens living in fear More powerful groups in charge People with less power being sold Slave trade meant that african people were spread worldwide Exposed ro western cultures Exposed to new diseases Didn't have immunity from them Loss of culture, knowledge and skills Families torn apart Intergenerational trauma

Ted Ed - Video Notes

Forcibly brought thousands of slaves to the americas
Natives were enslaves
- Resisted
- Died from disease
Used Africans
Indentured servants
- Offered goods for enslaved peoples
- A part of the masters family
Kingdoms in Africa prospered
- Used the offered weapons
  - Fight against raids
Capturing slaves was lucrative
- Motivation for war
Slaves
- Branded
  - Cut of an ear as proof of sale
- Shaved
- Loaded onto boats below deck
- Lack of sanitation on deck
  - Trown overboard if ill
- People committed suicide to avoid being enslaves
Lots of people takes
- Especially men
- African kingdoms collapsed
  - Lost their trade
    - Couldn't let their economy thrice
  - Open for colonisation
Started racism
- Inferior - destined to be enslaved
- Embedded in religion
  - Not christian
    - Couldn't enslave christians
Few things in textbooks
Have a defined hierarchy
- King
- Close family
  - Also had abusa - extended family
Trade already in place
- Farmers
- Merchants
Ghana - Cape Coast Castle
- Dungeons built in
  - Male and female separate
Ships
- Very cramped and crowded
Slave trade
- Many people died
  - kidnapped
- People are commodities
- Very lucrative trade for the white people
  - Economic impacts
Legal impacts
- Move from paying a fine to becoming enslaved
  - Changed crime dynamic
  - Resorted to kidnapping
They got the goods from England
- Had to provide England with whatever they wanted
  - More devastation in the north
    - Brought people in as captives
    - People in the north started warring together
Impacts
- Multigenerational trauma
  - Result of slave trade
- Took away independence
- Took away opportunities to develop in their own cultural way
- People trying to learn how to not repeat the mistakes of the past
- Psychological trauma
- Economical/political decline
Over 1 million Athenians (x10 to cover the continent of Africa - get a sense of the scale)
- Incredible trauma

Abolition

Abolition: The act of formally ending an institution or practice (e.g. slavery)

Emancipation: Being freed from restrictions and rules (liberation)

Underground railroad: A series of routes and safe houses used to bring slaves North and to Canada to be freed form slavery

Slave Auctions

Slaves were shackled
1841 new orleans - home of the slave trade
In the first half of the 19th century, more than half a million slaves were sold at auctions
Slaves commodified - customers feel them up
Scars on the backs of slaves were seen as a sign of rebelliousness
Slaves were fattened for auction like livestock
Rape was common
Most common were light-skinned teenage virgins
Children under eleven not to be taken from their parents in Louisiana - most taken anyway
Half of the sales at an auction tear families apart.

By inch of candle: Slave auctions were only allowed to go on for the time that it takes to burn an inch of a lit candle

Slave Daily Life

Resistance

Slave Codes: Slaves sending secret messages and codes to help others escape, or resist slavery. E.g. embroidering directions for the underground railroad into quilts etc.

Slave Culture

Aspect of Slave Culture	Key Information, including how this aspect was a form of resistance
Family Life	Slave marriages were not recognised in American law Many large slaveholding plantations shifted around slaves Families were split up often At least 10-20% of marriages between slaves were split up Over a third of slave children grew up with at least one of their parents missing Occasionally families were allowed to see each other if their masters allowed it People had to share their living conditions with other slaves (family or not) Sometimes children had to live separately Most slaves married and stayed together until death Very loyal Families named their children after relatives to keep the memory alive Family separation created network of connections all over the country Strangers or relatives helped to look after children who had been separated from their parents
Religion	Had influences on aspects of American culture Some slang words such as bogus, phony, jazz, and funky have African roots Cuisine is also influenced by African Americans e.g. deep frying originates in Africa Music was influenced by slave culture Helped with the production of crops e.g. rice/sweet potatoes that were not previously used by the English They kept their religions and cultural practices which they used on the plantations to help them be reminded to their home e.g. burial rites American culture has aspects of African in it Legends, parables and folklore e.g. the hare and the tortoise, using the figures of a hare and a tortoise often found in African legends and stories Common stories are derived from African stories/traditions Religion as a resistance to slavery Enslaved people at Mt Vernon became Christian Also participated with Christian groups (sometimes) By 1790, 1/23 African American people in Virginia were part of a church or religious organization 80% were Baptists or Methodists Some religions present had influences of culture Islam in Mt Vernon
Language	Had influences on aspects of American culture Some slang words such as bogus, phony, jazz, and funky have African roots Used their language as a resistance to slavery Keeping their traditions and not 'becoming British' Language in music Types of music, yodelling, sea chanties and the use of falsetto were brought to America by the African American people Language in stories and folklore American culture has aspects of African in it Legends, parables and folklore e.g. the hare and the tortoise, using the figures of a hare and a tortoise often found in African legends and stories Common stories are derived from African stories/traditions
Music	Influenced American music Types of music, yodelling, sea chanties and the use of falsetto were brought to America by the African American people Ragtime was descended from slave music The 'call and response' often seen in music and sermons The importance of the holy spirit in songs and religion Influenced by African Americans - at least partially In leisure hours, slaves danced and sang Had their own culture in the music Types of clapping patterns Use of drums Slaveholders banned them in South Carolina in case they were used to communicate between plantations Important, as prevalent black artists could be praised as white people Less of a racial divide Slaves who could read and write music were considered important within the slave community Different meanings To help coordinate work To boost spirits Used in a religious context
Folklore/folktales	American culture has aspects of African in it Legends, parables and folklore e.g. the hare and the tortoise, using the figures of a hare and a tortoise often found in African legends and stories Common stories are derived from African stories/traditions Helps to continue the oral traditions of African American people Gave them a chance to explore alternate realities - as an escape from what they were facing in slavery Used them to impart knowledge and survival strategies to anyone who wanted to listen Used as ways to communicate without actually saying what they mean Analogies for freedom
Material Culture (eg arts and crafts)	Musical instruments were important to their culture Used for music and oral culture Leisure hours Women sewed quilts Used for warmth and creativity Made their living conditions a bit better Materials could be used to communicate Some quilts were said to communicate secret messages e.g. ways to find/navigate the Underground Railroad Men used creative expression in their arts as well Metalwork In iron gates Can still be seen today Advertisements to recapture escaped slaves show how many enslaved people were skilled in craft Many different types of crafts Art Blacksmiths Woodcutters Pressmen Musicians Used arts to communicate their feelings and experiences as a slave Used as symbols for their culture Symbols for fertility Ornamentation
Education	Slaves who could read and write were considered important within the slave community Southern slaveholders opposed literacy Thought that it could convince other slaves to revolt or consider themselves as a part of higher society South Carolina passed a law that prohibited people from teaching slaves how to read/write Some places in the South were more tolerant of slave education Some ministers or religious people established schools for slaves Education in the Christian religion and other forms of education Some slaves found alternative ways to learn, given that they were forbidden from a formal education Plantation workers pursued education Were taught by parents, family members, other slaves Some got tutors or were taught by their masters Some informal plantation schools were opened Enable Bible education Northern slaveholders thought that slave education was important Had access to formal schooling Were more likely to be able to read and write Quakers helped to educate slaves in the North 1860, less than 8% of black Bostonians were illiterate Overall in America, only around 5% could read or write Black schools often struggled to be funded for lack of white support White teachers often restricted the curriculum Education that was deemed 'appropriate' for slaves Used education to help gain support for the abolition movement Emancipated blacks tried to establish schools in order to educate slaves and help them understand how to support abolitionism Education was important for the abolition movement

Key Dates

Circa 1660-5, English come to Ghana in Africa after Portugese captains introduce Atlantic slave trade in the 15th century

What is American Slavery, and what is the legacy of slavery/ where is evidence of slavery still visible in contemporary America?

· Slavery is the condition in which one human being was owned by another. An enslaved person was considered by law as property, or chattel, and was deprived of most of the rights ordinarily held by free persons.

· In Am

· A shackled legacy – tools of oppression

· Evidence still visible in monuments

· Stories passed down through generations

· Trauma can’t be forgotten

· Protests across the country – still a gap visible

How and why did slavery develop in America?

· North vs south

· Southern states agricultural and depended upon labour-intensive crops

· Needed someone to do hard, cheap labour à supply of indentured servants begins to slow and plantation owners in need of cheap supply of labour

· other three sources of labour began to slow - english prisoners, indentured labourers, native american population - native americans began to die out - colonisers turned to africa

· With the colonisation of America came the establishment of the thirteen original colonies, divided into North and South. The Southern colonies were formed as economic ventures and in them lived families with links to the nobility in Britain. The Northern states however contained people who wanted to live a new life and form a new society, independent from Britain.

· Being economic ventures, the Southern states aimed to produce wealth for Britain, and one of the main methods to do this was by producing what was known as ‘cash crops’. People could not actually survive on these crops, as they were things like tobacco and cotton, but they definitely produced a heap load of money. However, these crops were what is known as labour intensive. This means they required huge tracts of land and a great deal of unskilled labour. Someone therefore had to do this work, and that was how the institution of slavery was first developed. Although it was also present in the Northern colonies, it was most prevalent in the south, with plentiful farms and more rural locations.

Why was the practice of slavery different in the Northern and Southern colonies of America and how did it impact the different colonies?

· Practice of slavery was different as the northern states were more industrial and depended less on crops

· Southern states more agricultural and depended on ‘cash crops’ à labour intensive

Southern poor, dependent on England, needed trade to survive - northern opposite

· Geography was different – southern colonies had more rural locations à grew crops in abundance but had almost no industry à needed trade to survive

· Cotton required large tracts of land and intensive labour to be grown successfully.

Thus views towards slavery in the different colonies varied widely
By 1766 roughly 300 000 slaves in southern colonies

What were the key features of the slave trade in Africa?

Slavery had existed in Africa, as in other parts of the world, from the earliest times.
In the 15th century Portuguese explorers moved down the west coast of Africa establishing trading stations and building fortresses to protect the possessions they had seized - defense
By the end of the century they were importing 10,000 African slaves into lisbon every year
Many of the slaves were put to work on the Portugese sugar plantations in Madeira and elsewhere.
In the early years of colonisation, the Spanish and Portuguese settlers in Central and South America used a relatively small number of African slaves as domestic servants and farm labourers.
From the beginning of the 16th century and increasing number of African people were brought to work on sugar plantations in the Caribbean, Brazil and Mexico
Most of these enslaved people were not kidnapped by white traders but brought from African slave dealers
Large states, controlled by powerful African political and military rulers, were being set up in Africa at this time.
Some of the people bought by Europeans had been enslaved for debt and others as a punishment for crime but the great majority had been captured during fighting between warring African groups.

· African slaves had arrived in America before the first English settlements were even established à imported by the Spanish as labour to replace the native Indian population à quickly dying out

· 1510 onwards Africans were captured, enslaved and brought to the shores of America.

Before the king there was chiefs, working together with the elders of states - like the president and cabinet ministers in modern times, running the system
‘Abusua’ - extending family units within a states - running the political system of various places
Sophisticated commercial system
Portugese ship captains introduced the Atlantic slave trade to Ghana in the 15th century
Circa 1660-5, English come
In the 16th century, high demand for enslaved workers on Caribbean sugar plantations brought British slavers to the region in large numbers. They made their headquarters at Cape Coast Castle.
The British and other European ships would come up there to purchase people.
Kingdoms needed weapons to fight against raids
Europeans offered goods for enslaved people
Kings in Africa (kingdoms) prospered
Human beings were commodified - people who were sold were criminals, prisoners of war etc - no value for their life
Slavery became an arms race
Shaved, branded etc
20% of them never to see land again
Lack of sanitation caused many to catch disease - thrown overboard if ill
Cutting off slaves ears as proof of purchase
Loaded onto boats below deck
Loss of population, especially men
Kingdoms in Africa collapsed, open to colonisation
African kingdoms open to conquest and colonisation

How did the slave trade impact different African communities?

Those who dug for gold now went into capturing people.
Those who would spend time farming are being captured
Decreasing productive activities, people kidnapped, economic impact
Took away independence
Took away opportunity to develop in their own cultural way.
Kingdoms in Africa collapsed, open to colonisation
African kingdoms open to conquest and colonisation
Atlantic slave trade contributed to the development of racist ideology
The Atlantic slave trade was an injustice on a massive scale, and its impact will continue to affect generations to come.

What were the key features of the transatlantic slave trade?

Portugese ship captains introduced the Atlantic slave trade to Ghana in the 15th century

· The Atlantic slave trade transported most African slaves to the Americas

· Trade network between Europe, Africa and the Americas.

· Began in the 16^th century

Spanning three continents
Forcibly brought nearly 10 million Africans to the Americas

· textiles and guns in exchange for slaves

· many of the raw goods slaves produced were transported to Europe

Northern colonies depended on trade for their prosperity - they brought molasses from the West Indies, made it into rum and sold the rum to Africa for slaves
These in turn were sold to the west Indies to provide more labour on the sugar plantations that produced the molasses.
Ships from the northern colonies provided the transport and merchants from the North greatly profited from the trade
As the southern colonies developed and their demand for labour increased, it was only natural that northern traders would bring slaves from Africa, not only for the West Indies, but also for the south - traders were paid in gold or a share of the crop in return
Massive expansion of slavery as Portuguese and Spanish established control of the New World and exploited the wealth of its natural resources

· also called the trade triangle

Crops grown - sugar, tobacco cotton, labour-intensive - demand
Some slaves were indentured servants
Some were like European serfs
Conditions were so bad that many captives died before even embarking on a ship
Cape coast castle - This would be when the merchants would come to buy, and when the castle would supply their colonies
Walls and cannons were mounted to secure the slaves from rescue or escape
Conditions were so bad that many captives died before even embarking on a ship
The British officer’s living quarters were directly above the dungeons in which the slaves were housed.
This was very profitable for English companies involved

What were the key features of the Middle Passage?

· Was the name given to the sea lane west from Africa to the Americas used to transport the slaves

What were the different living and working conditions like for enslaved people?

Shackled
Enslaved people were often raped by their white owners, particularly women and children
Conditions were so bad that many captives died before even embarking on a ship
Slavery became an arms race
Shaved, branded etc
20% of them never to see land again
Lack of sanitation caused many to catch disease - thrown overboard if ill
Cutting off slaves ears as proof of purchase
Loaded onto boats below deck
Loss of population, especially men

What were the key features of slave culture?

Music
dress

How did enslaved people resist slavery?

music

Alexander the Great:

Who was Alexander the Great and what were his achievements?
What were the key features of Alexander's historical context?
What were the key features of Alexander's early life and background?
What are the value and limitations of ancient sources for an historian studying Alexander the Great?
How historically significant is Alexander the Great?

Who has remembered Alexander as “Great” and why?

His horse was called Bucephalus

Alexander Intro/Timeline

Known for his good hair
Title of the Great:
- Implies that they did something important with his life
  - Benefitted the whole country not just himself
  - Will be remembered
  - Many people thought that he did something great
    - Widespread thing, not just something people called him
  - Protects others
  - Achievements - military and political
- Needs
  - Leadership
  - Fairness
  - Power - power to make a change and be remembered so significantly
    - Respected
  - Wealth
  - To encourage reforms within their country that benefits the people - a revolutionary
  - Bravery
  - Strength
    - Both physically and mentally
      - Has extensive tutorage
Key info
- He took over many countries and was the king of Persia by 25
- Very ambitious
- Was very smart
- Was very strategic
Countries part of his empire
- Egypt
- Turkey
- Israel
- Jordan
- Lebanon
- Syria
- Palestine
- Iraq
- Iran
- India
- Afghanistan
- Macedonia
Basic Video timeline:
- Never lost a battle
- Became kind of Macedonia at 20
- Created the largest empire in Greek history
  - It had parts of Asia, Greece, Mesopotamia etc.
- 13, he is taught by Aristotle
- 18, he leads a cavalry charge against Thebes
  - He conquers most of Greece
- At 20 he becomes king
- At 23 he invades the Persian empire
  - Defeats the Persian king
- Conquers cities in Lebanon, Israel etc.
- Claims he is son of Zeus
- Goes as far as Pakistan and names around 20 cities after himself
- Wants to continue east into India, but his army turns back
  - Return to Babylon
- 323 BCE - he dies suddenly
  - His generals share his empire among themselves

Historical Context

What did the Greek city states have in common?
1. The poleis of Ancient Greece were separate city-states with different political climates and economies, however they were linked through religion and language
In what main way did they differ?
1. Different leaders and political climates
Which empire invaded the Greek states in 388-387 BCE?
1. Persia invaded Greece
2. Forced the Greek states to accept ‘The King’s Peace’ meaning that King Artaxerxes had supreme control over all the defeated city states
3. In the mainland the city states were allowed to be continued to rule by their ruler, however in Asia Minor they were ruled by Persian governers
Outline the geographical features and natural resources of Macedonia.
1. Had good access to food and timber
2. Had gold and silver mines
3. Surrounded by mountains on 3 sides, and water on another creating a natural barrier for defence
Describe the nature of kingship in Macedonia.
1. Kingship was generally hereditary, but they had to prove themselves worthy in fighting, hunting and drinking first
2. Nobility also played a role in promoting the future king
How did Macedonia emerge as a powerful leading state?
1. Macedon was not defeated by Persia and so was able to maintain their wealth within the country
2. In the 4th century BCE it began to expand
  1. Under rule of Phillip II
How did Philip consolidate his political position?
1. He expanded the country through some of the Persian empire
2. He reformed the military by improving catapults etc. to make them stronger
What was the purpose of the League of Corinth?
1. To unite the Greek military to fight the Persian empire (under Macedon’s rule)
In which year was Philip assassinated and who succeeded him?
1. Assassinated in 336 BCE and was succeeded by Alexander the Great who was 20

Background and Early Life

Who was Alexander’s father?
1. Phillip II
Who was Alexander’s mother?
1. Olympia
From whom was Alexander thought to have descended through his mother and his father?
1. Zeus
According to Plutarch, how did Alexander’s mother influence him?
1. She encouraged him to oppose his father
Who were Alexander’s tutors?
1. Leonidas and then Aristotle
How did Alexander’s education prepare him for his future role?
1. He was taught how to fight by Leonidas
2. Taught how to do public speaking, and all other facets of being a ruler by Aristotle
What military and political experience did Alexander have before he became King? Why might this be significant to his future role as King?
1. Appointed regent at 16 - father was fighting a war in Thrace (gave him ruling experience)
2. Helped fight in some wars, giving him military experience
  1. Had more experience than his other siblings
  2. Know how to be a good ruler
3. Taught how to defend his country, and lead them into military victory
4. Spent more time learning how to please the people by being regent, gaining himself supporters for when he actually took over as king

"Alexander is possibly one of the greatest military commanders of all time" - Phil Grabsky
His empire stretched very large within a decade
- Egypt, Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and into India
Born in 356 BC in Macedonia in Northern Greece
Father was Phillip II
- "Man of war" - Phil Grabsky
Him and his father led the conquest on Greece
- Taught him how to fight
When his father was assassinated, Alexander became king
Was a young ruler and military leader
He was well liked by his people

Character:

Great publicist (promoter of causes)
He had charisma
Very self-promoting
- Named so many cities 'Alexandria"
Was taught Art, Literature and Music
- Was a good student - didn't trouble the teachers with any childish questions or temperament
He was very powerful
Arrogant
Pompous
Very endurance
Hungry for popularity
Super smart
Brave and adventurous
Seen as a master by his troops
- Inspired them and gave them confidence to be able to do the things they did

Key Dates

356 BC - Alexander is born
336 BC - Alexander is declared King after the assassination of Phillip II
334 BC - Alexander’s world conquest begins
323 BC - Alexander dies suddenly in Babylon aged 32