Review
Spanish Empire Established
Spanish Monopoly Challenged Claims the Treaty of
Tordesillas 1494 gave them all rights in MOST of Americas [including Caribbean]
Origins in Papua New Guinea
Reached China & India Chewed for energy
4th Century reached Mesopotamia & Persia
7th century Arabs spread it across Middle East, Nile Delta & Mediterranean
1400’s grown on West African Islands
Accounts put sugar cane arriving as early as Columbus’ voyages
1700s was the peak of sugarcane production using African Slave labour in the Caribbean
Driving Question
Did Europeans enslave Africans because they were racist or did they become racist because they enslaved Africans?
RAC ISM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efI6T8lovqY
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CaptureMiddle Passage
Auction
Slavery was driven by economic. The increase demand for sugar, tobacco & cotton required an increase
in production, which meant an increase in plantations in the Americas. An increase in production drove
producers to source cheap and efficient labor to meet demands.
THE MIDDLE PASSAGE The moment of being captured was shocking, however; he experience Africans face during the middle passage across the Atlantic was a horrifying introduction to what their unfortunate fate now is.
C o n d i t i o n s
- Under
fed/malnutrition
- Stocked up in
smelly confined
space below
deck
- Whippings
- Women were
raped
- Sick slaves
killed to collect
insurance
Queen Nzinga (Nzinga Mbande), the monarch of the Mbundu
people, was a resilient leader who fought against
the Portuguese and their expanding slave trade in
Central Africa.
During the late 16th Century, the French and
the English threatened the Portuguese near monopoly on the
sources of slaves along the West African coast, forcing it to
seek new areas for exploitation. By 1580 they had already
established a trading relationship with Afonso I in the
nearby Kongo Kingdom. They then turned to Angola, south of
the Kongo
http://www.blackpast.org/gah/queen-nzinga-1583-1663
Social Composition of a sugar plantation
Whites
• Owners or attorney Inhabitants of Great house; overseer; bookkeeper; indentured servants
Blacks with possibly a few
mixed coloured
• Domestic Slaves
Blacks• Skilled slaves
• Field slaves Blacks
Slave Control in the Caribbean
Why the need for slave control? The arrival of new African slavesto the Caribbean resulted in an increase in the African slavepopulation in the territories. This resulted in the increase fear amongstthe “plantocracy” towards slaves outnumbering their ability toproperly control them. With this, a series of “black code” and “PoliceLaws” policies were implemented in the British, French and SpanishCaribbean.
Social Organisation of the British Caribbean Society in 18th
Century -Born in Europe, or in the Caribbean of European parent
-held all the political power
-controlled most of the land
-Mixed European & African parentage born in the Caribbean -separate from whites by law-limited amount of land -no political power
-Born in Africa or of African parents in the Caribbean
-Separated from whites by law-No political power
-no legal rights
Constantly resisting condition
W C S• Women were forced mainly into domestic household
work
• 1- nursing & raising children
• 2- cleaning the house
• 3- cooking
• …….this made them a greater subject for abuse like rape and beatings.
- Women also worked in the field
• - Often cheaper for planters to purchase slaves already adults. However- In the cases of children born into slavery they were placed in “Pikni Gangs”.
“Police Laws”: British Caribbean Suppression of Culture
• Blocked traditional celebrations by prohibiting music, dancing or buying alcohol
• Illegal to blow horns, beat drums or assemble in large numbers
Restriction on mobility
• Illegal to carry weapons
• Tickets giving destination & time of return
Break up of the Family and African leadership
• Mixed gangs- Africans with different backgrounds & languages
• Rotate males to prevent leadership roles
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