Atlantic Slave Trade
Erin Dempsey and Nathan Sims
1. Describe the social effects of the slave trade.
Due to the slave trade, there were declines in African Societies declined. Some societies were vunerable to slave raids because of their close location to slave trade ports. The slave trade also distorted the sex ratios. In African civilizations, the female population increased and the male population decreased. This happened because slave traders preferred young males.
2. Describe the political effects of the slave trade.
Several battles and conflicts occured in Africa during this period. Even though most were not primarily cause by slave trade, the slave trade caused tensios to rise and supplied people with anger. At this time, firearms were on the rise as well. Neighboring societies wanted to capture more slaves so they could trade them for these new European firearms to aid them in the latest outbreaks.
3. How did the plantation system work in the New World (What cash crops were produced)?
The main crops grown were sugar, tobacco, rice, indigo, cotton, and coffee. Plantations were based on the idea of cash crops where each plantation specialized in a specific crop for profitable purposes. Agriculture relied solely upon the labor of African slaves, who recieved poor hospitality.
4. How did slaves resist? (Forms of resistance?)
Smaller level resistances included: sabotage of equipment, slow labor, and sabotage of the plantations. One of the largest forms of resistance was blatantly running away from the plantation and starting their own self-governed communities in secluded areas. Slaves also created violent revolts as they outnumbered the plantations masters. These revolts saw only little intermittent success and only gave some slaves their freedom.