Post on 05-Jul-2020
YEAR 5: THE ABOLITION OF
SLAVERY (4 lessons)
Contents Include:
The Slave Trade
The Atlantic Passage
Life as a Slave
The Abolition Movement
Suggested Teacher Resources:
There are many excellent online resources for slavery. The Understanding Slavery
initiative is excellent, as are the National Archives and the BBC pages on slavery.
The television series Roots (1977) is a fantastic resource, telling the story of a slave
named Kunta Kinte who is taken from the Gambia to an American plantation.
The Young Oxford History of Britain & Ireland, pages 250-253.
Lesson 1. The Slave Trade
The slave trade took off due to European nations (particularly Portugal, Britain and Spain) wanting slave labour to work their plantations and mines in North
and South America. Slave labour meant that New World products such as sugar, tobacco and cotton could be sold to the rest of the world for a very cheap
price. Slavery had always existed, but it was the scale of Atlantic Slave trade that has made it so infamous. An estimated 11 million Africans were transported
across the Atlantic between 1500 and 1867, and their descends make up much of the population of Brazil, the United States, and the Caribbean today.
See page 140 of What Your Year 5 Child Needs to Know.
Learning Objective Core Knowledge Activities for Learning Related Vocabulary Assessment Questions
To understand why African slaves were transported to the Americas.
The Atlantic Slave Trade was established to provide slave labour to work on plantations in the Americas. Up until 1807, the British shipped 3.5 million African people across the Atlantic to work as slaves. Slaves would be taken across the sea crammed into slave ships, sometimes for up to six months, in appallingly inhumane conditions.
Pupils label a map demonstrating the ‘triangular trade’ that British merchants were involved in, going between Britain, the West Coast of Africa, and the Americas (resource 1). Read Olaudah Equiano’s account of being captured by African slavers and loaded onto a slave ship. You can follow his story throughout this unit of work, so it would be good to spend some time introducing him and his amazing life to the class (resource 2). The BBC has three good educational videos on the triangular trade, here, here and here.
slavery plantation barracoon Atlantic passage trade
What does slavery mean? Why did the Slave Trade develop? What were conditions like on a slave ship?
1. The Atlantic Slave Trade
Great Britain
West Africa
The Americas
Stage 1:
Stage 3:
Stage 2:
1
2
3
1. The Atlantic Slave Trade (complete)
Great Britain
West Africa
The Americas
Stage 1:
Slave ships left British ports
such as London, Liverpool
and Bristol and sailed to
Africa. They carry goods
manufactured in Britain,
such as cloth, guns,
ironware and drink. On the
African coast, these goods
were exchanged for men,
women and children who
were captured by African
slave dealers and kept in
barracoons.
Stage 3:
The slaves were sold at
auction in America. The
slave ships filled up with raw
materials produced in
America, such as sugar,
cotton, timber and tobacco.
These were then sailed back
across the Atlantic to Great
Britain where they were
turned into manufactured
goods. Thus, each stage of
the triangular journey earnt
profits for the traders.
Stage 2:
African slaves were loaded onto the British ships, crammed side-by-side onto
wooden bunk beds and chained by the feet. They were then sailed across the
Atlantic in a journey lasting up to three months, unable to move. Disease spread
like wildfire, and one in ten slaves died before reaching America. This dreadful
journey was known as the ‘middle passage’.
1
2
3
“One day, when all our people were gone
out to their works as usual, and only I and
my dear sister were left to mind the house,
two men and a woman got over our walls,
and in a moment seized us both; and,
without giving us time to cry out, or make
resistance, they stopped our mouths, and
ran off with us into the nearest wood.
Here they tied our hands, and continued to
carry us as far as they could, till night came
on, when we reached a small house, where
the robbers halted for refreshment, and
spent the night. We were then unbound; but
were unable to take any food; and, being
quite overpowered by fatigue and grief, our
only relief was some sleep, which allayed our
misfortune for a short time.
The first object which saluted my eyes when
I arrived on the coast, was the sea, and a
slave ship, which was then riding at anchor,
and waiting for its cargo. These filled me
with astonishment, which was soon
converted into terror, when I was carried on
board. I was immediately handled, and
tossed up to see if I were sound, by some of
2. Olaudah Equiano #1
the crew; and I was now persuaded that I
had gotten into a world of bad spirits, and
that they were going to kill me.
Their complexions, too, differing so much
from ours, their long hair, and the language
they spoke, (which was very different from
any I had ever heard) united to confirm me
in this belief. Indeed, such were the horrors
of my views and fears at the moment, that, if
ten thousand worlds had been my own, I
would have freely parted with them all to
have exchanged my condition with that of
the meanest slave in my own country.
When I looked round the ship too, and saw a
large furnace of copper boiling, and a
multitude of black people of every
description chained together, every one of
their countenances expressing dejection and
sorrow, I no longer doubted of my fate; and,
quite overpowered with horror and anguish,
I fell motionless on the deck and fainted.
...Soon after this, the blacks who brought me
on board went off, and left me abandoned to
despair.”
Equiano was a freed slave who moved to Britain to become a famous campaigner for the end of
slavery. In 1789 he published his autobiography, and this is an extract about his capture.
Lesson 2. The Atlantic Passage
The Atlantic passage was the most harrowing part of the slave trade. Of the 11 million slaves transported across the Atlantic, over 1 million died during the
journey. Slave traders calculated the maximum amount of slaves they could fit onto their ships, whilst ensuring that enough survived for the journey to
remain profitable. Slaves were chained onto wooden bunk beds below deck, and taken above board once a day to be washed and made to dance for exercise.
Very occasionally, slaves mutinied and took control of the ship. So foul were the conditions, sailors at sea could smell a slave ship before they could see one.
See page 141 of What Your Year 5 Child Needs to Know.
Learning Objective Core Knowledge Activities for Learning Related Vocabulary Assessment Questions
To understand the conditions faced by slaves during the Atlantic passage.
The ‘middle passage’ or ‘Atlantic passage’ was the journey taken in slave ships from West Africa to America.
Slaves were packed below deck and chained together side by side in unspeakable conditions. One in ten would die during the journey.
Conditions on a slave ship were so foul that sailors said it could be smelt before it could be seen.
Study the plan of the Brookes slave ship, a famous engraving produced by abolitionists to demonstrate the inhumanity of the Atlantic passage. Pupils try to work out how many slaves were forced into the hold of one ship, and consider why a trader would do this.
Study Olaudah Equiano’s description of the Atlantic passage (resource 3). Having read Equiano’s description, pupils write their own letter or diary entry on the experience of being forced aboard a slave ship.
The BBC has two videos, here and here, about the horrors of the Atlantic passage.
Atlantic passageslave shipWest AfricaAmerica
What was the ‘Atlantic passage’?
Why were so many slaves crammed into each ship?
What proportion of slaves would die during the Atlantic passage?
“I was soon put down under the decks, and
there I received such a greeting in my
nostrils as I had never experienced in my life;
so that, with the loathsomeness of the
stench, and crying together, I became so sick
and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I
the least desire to taste anything. I now
wished for the last friend, death, to relieve
me; but soon, to my grief, two of the white
men offered me eatables; and, on my
refusing to eat, one of them held me fast by
the hands, and laid me across, I think, the
windlass, and tied my feet, while the other
flogged me severely.
The white people looked and acted, as I
thought, in so savage a manner; for I had
never seen among my people such instances
of brutal cruelty. The closeness of the place,
and the heat of the climate, added to the
number in the ship, which was so crowded
that each had scarcely room to turn himself,
almost suffocated us.
The air soon became unfit for respiration,
from a variety of loathsome smells, and
brought on a sickness among the slaves, of
which many died. The wretched situation
was again aggravated by the chains, now
3. Olaudah Equiano #2
unsupportable, and the filth of the necessary
tubs, into which the children often fell, and
were almost suffocated. The shrieks of the
women, and the groans of the dying,
rendered the whole a scene of horror almost
inconceivable.
At last, we came in sight of the island of
Barbados, at which the whites on board gave
a great shout, and made many signs of joy to
us... Many merchants and planters now
came on board, though it was in the evening.
They put us in separate parcels, and
examined us attentively. They also made us
jump, and pointed to the land, signifying we
were to go there. We thought by this, we
should be eaten by these ugly men, as they
appeared to us; and, when soon after we
were all put down under the deck again,
there was much dread and trembling among
us, and nothing but bitter cries to be heard
all the night from these apprehensions,
insomuch, that at last the white people got
some old slaves from the land to pacify us.
They told us we were not to be eaten, but to
work, and were soon to go on land, where
we should see many of our country people.”
Equiano was a freed slave who moved to Britain to become a famous campaigner for the end of
slavery. In 1789 he published his autobiography, and this extract is about the Atlantic Passage..
Lesson 3. Life as a Slave
Once they arrived in the Americas, slaves were sold to the highest bidder at slave auctions. Much of what owners did to slaves was intended to rob them of
their individuality. Slaves were separated from their families; separated from fellow tribespeople who spoke the same language; given western names; and
banned from practicing African religions or speaking African languages. The best job to gain was as a ‘house slave’, but the great majority of slaves did
backbreaking manual labour in farms and mines. The average life of a slave was just eight years, and only a small minority escaped or bought their freedom.
See page 141-142 of What Your Year 5 Child Needs to Know.
Learning Objective Core Knowledge Activities for Learning Related Vocabulary Assessment Questions
To understand the sorts of conditions in which slaves lived once they arrived in the Americas.
The treatment of slaves was extremely cruel. They would be split from their families, given no holiday, whipped for disobedience, and on average only lived for eight years.
Once they arrived in the Americas, slaves would be bought at auction, braded by their owner, and sent to work on a plantation.
Some slaves managed to save money earned through extra work, and buy their freedom from their owner, but this was very rare.
Look at six images associated with life as a slave, and match the description to the image (resource 4). Many of the images you would need can be found on this the Understanding Slavery website. Once this is done, pupils write a diary entry/letter describing their life working on a sugar plantation in the Caribbean.
The Understanding Slavery site has two useful information sheets on resistance, and on Toussaint Toussaint L'Ouverture’s slave rebellion in Haiti. Pupils plan their own slave rebellion, and devise ideas about how to resist slavery.
The BBC has some excellent clips about life as a slave: one on auctions, one on plantation work, one on beliefs and traditions, and one on resistance.
auction brandingplantationresistance
What happened to slaves when they arrived in the Americas?
Why were slaves branded?
Why were slaves taken away from their families?
What happened to disobedient slaves?
A branding iron was a metal stamp with the
initials of a slave owner, used to show that the
slave was their property. Irons would be
heated in a fire, and then burnt onto a slave’s
skin.
A punishment collar was put around the neck
of slaves who tried to run away. The iron neck
brace had four spikey prongs, which would
catch on any trees and bushes, preventing
another escape. The collar also make it
impossible for a slave to lie down and rest.
Slaves would be separated from their families.
If a slave owner needed more money, or fewer
slaves, he would sell his slaves to another
owner, splitting apart families. This was bitterly
hated by the slaves.
Slaves were whipped if they did not work hard
enough, tried to escape, or broke the rules of
the plantation. One slave, named Gordon,
escaped from his Mississippi plantation, and
said that one of his whippings left him in bed
for two months.
Slaves did backbreaking manual labour for
hours on end, six days a week. This image
shows slaves are cutting down sugar cane, one
of the most difficult jobs. Sugar plantations
were enormous, and slaves worked all day in
the burning Caribbean sun without rest.
On arrival in the Americas, slaves would be
sold like cattle in a slave auction to. The slave
traders would try to make the slaves appear
healthy and obedient. Sores and cuts would be
covered with tar, slave bodies would be oiled,
and slaves would be calmed with alcohol.
4. Life as a slave
Lesson 4. Abolition
The story of how abolitionists ended slavery is inspiring. The abolition movement began around 1780, but there was opposition from merchants who owed
their fortunes to slave labour. The abolitionists used many of the features of a modern campaign, delivering speeches and petitions, publishing pamphlets,
and organising boycotts of slave made goods. Their tactics involved ‘awareness raising’, such as circulating images of slave boats, or showing shackles and
chains in public speeches. Finally, in 1807, the slave trade was made illegal, and in 1833 slavery became illegal throughout the British Empire.
See page 141-142 of What Your Year 5 Child Needs to Know.
Learning Objective Core Knowledge Activities for Learning Related Vocabulary Assessment Questions
To understand the sorts of conditions in which slaves lived once they arrived in the Americas.
The Abolitionists were a group of British campaigners, including black former slaves, who persuaded Parliament to end the slave trade.
The Abolitionists were well organised, using methods such as speeches, boycotts and petitions to spread their message.
The abolitionists achieved their aim in 1807, when the slave trade was abolished, and 1833 when slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire.
Pupils investigate the different tactics used by abolitionists to campaign for the end of slavery. Once the tactics have been studied, pupils discuss which were likely to be most successful (resource 5).
Pupils write a speech as William Wilberforce in Parliament, arguing for slavery to be abolished. They must explain what happens to slaves, why it is so cruel, and why it must end (resource 6). Read Equiano’s argument for inspiration (resource 7).
The BBC has a selection of clips on the abolitionist movement. This and this are general overviews, this is about black abolitionists, this is about Macaulay, and this is about Wilberforce.
boycott petitionAbolitionists British Empire
What was an abolitionist?
What methods did abolitionists use to end slavery?
Why did some people oppose the ending of slavery?
What is a boycott?
Which of the abolitionists methods of protest were most effective?
5. Life as a slave
Boycotts:
Speeches:
Petitions:
Pamphlets:
Publications:
5. Life as a slave (complete)
Boycotts: In 1791, Thomas Clarkson convinced
300,000 people to boycott sugar farmed by West
Indian slaves. This caused financial loss to the
slave owning plantation farmers.
Speeches: Abolitionists such as Thomas Clarkson
travelled the country making speeches. He rode
35,000 miles in seven years, and was almost
killed by angry slavers in Liverpool.
Petitions: Whenever Clarkson made a speech, he
asked listeners to sign a piece of paper pledging
opposition to slavery. This is called a petition. By
1792, Clarkson’s petition had 400,000 signatures.
Pamphlets: Abolitionists published pamphlets
showing the horrors of slavery, most famously
the plan of the Brookes ship. An abolitionist
badge was designed by Josiah Wedgewood.
Publications: Many abolitionists were black former
slaves, who described their experiences to British
audiences. Olaudah Equiano, who wrote an
autobiography, was the most famous.
6. William Wilberforce Speech
William Wilberforce was a member of Parliament, and a leading abolitionist. As an
evangelical Christian, he believed it was against Christian morality to allow slavery. He
was also a Member of Parliament, so he introduced bills proposing the abolition of
slavery. However, they were always voted against. For eighteen years Wilberforce
continued to campaign, and finally in 1807 the slave trade was abolished by Parliament.
Slavery nevertheless remained legal in the British Empire. Wilberforce campaigned until
his death in 1833. One month later, slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire.
Imagine you are William Wilberforce. Write a speech explaining to the House of Commons
why the Members of Parliament should vote to abolish slavery. Your speech should
explain what happens to slaves, why it is so cruel, and why it must end.
“Such a tendency has the slave trade to
debauch men’s minds, and harden them to
every feeling of humanity! For I will not
suppose that the dealers in slaves are born
worse than other men—No; such is the
fatality of this mistaken avarice, that it
corrupts the milk of human kindness and
turns it into gall. And, had the pursuits of
those men been different, they might have
been as generous, as tender-hearted and
just, as they are unfeeling, rapacious and
cruel.
Surely this traffic cannot be good, which
spreads like a pestilence, and taints what it
touches! which violates that first natural
right of mankind, equality and
independency, and gives one man a
dominion over his fellows which God could
never intend!
For it raises the owner to a state as far above
man as it depresses the slave below it; and,
with all the presumption of human pride,
sets a distinction between them,
immeasurable in extent, and endless in
duration! Yet how mistaken is the avarice
even of the planters. Are slaves more useful
by being thus humbled to the condition of
brutes, than they would be if suffered to
enjoy the privileges of men?
...When you make men slaves, you deprive
7. Olaudah Equiano #3
them of half their virtue, you set them, in
your own conduct, an example of fraud,
rapine, and cruelty, and compel them to live
with you in a state of war; and yet you
complain that they are not honest or
faithful! You stupify them with stripes, and
think it necessary to keep them in a state of
ignorance. And yet you assert that they are
incapable of learning; that their minds are
such a barren soil or moor, that culture
would be lost on them; and that they come
from a climate, where nature, though
prodigal of her bounties in a degree
unknown to yourselves, has left man alone
scant and unfinished, and incapable of
enjoying the treasures she has poured out
for him! An assertion at once impious and
absurd.
Why do you use those instruments of
torture? Are they fit to be applied by one
rational being to another? And are ye not
struck with shame and mortification, to see
the partakers of your nature reduced so
low? ...But by changing your conduct, and
treating your slaves as men, every cause of
fear would be banished. They would be
faithful, honest, intelligent, and vigorous;
and peace, prosperity, and happiness would
attend you.
Equiano was a freed slave who moved to Britain to become a famous campaigner for the end of
slavery. In 1789 he published his autobiography, and this is an extract arguing for abolition.