Lesson 3

Bellringer: Why would Europe want to conquer Africa?

Review

• Kingdoms• Empires• City-States

House of Slaves

Door of No Return

Middle Passage

Atlantic Slave Trade

• The Atlantic slave trade began in the 1500's– At first, Europe traded with the Northern

kingdoms of Ghana and Mali for gold and salt– After the 1500's, the relationship changed• Started as trade between equals• It turned into enslavement and forced migration

(movement)

Atlantic Slave Trade• The slave trade ended in the 1800's, but

Europe remained in Africa until recently– Wanted their resources– Divided up the continent

European Desire

• Portuguese explorers began exploring Africa in the 1400’s– Trade directly with

Africa– Technology in sailing

Power Shift

• At first they traded as equals– Gold, ivory, metal, pepper,

copper, brass, and clothing– Spread Christianity

• Soon the trade balance shifted– Portuguese sailors sailed

around the tip of Africa to East Africa and seized the city-states

– Controlled the trade along the East African coast

The Rest of Europe Joins

• The Dutch, French, and English soon followed; set up trading posts along the coasts– Settlers moved in– Spread out by force– Poor relations with

Africans

• Atlantic Slave Trade – Slavery occurred in

Africa before the slave trade, but under much different circumstances• All civilizations had

slavery• Africans would

enslave those they defeated in battle

• Most slaves were freed

Slavery in Africa

A New Kind of Slavery

• Europeans developed a new type of slavery– Treated slaves like property– Race-based slavery– Took them away from their homeland– No freedom

Slavery Grows

• Demand for slavery increased as European countries set up colonies in North and South America– Needed workers on

plantations– Hard to escape

when you don’t know where you are

– 78,000 each year

Tragedy

• Horrors of slavery– Captured Africans were branded with hot irons– Laid side by side, stacked in ships with little food or

water• Many died during this voyage, the Middle Passage

• Effects of Slavery– Loss of an entire generation from West Africa– Halted progress

• Lost youngest, healthiest people• Skilled workers

End of Slavery

• After the slave trade ended, the horror didn’t stop for Africa– Europe raided Africa for its resources– Built empires– Used force and weapons to take over Africa

Problems for Africa

• European countries met and decided how they would divide up Africa, or colonize it, settle an area and take over the government– Europe gained power by encouraging African

groups to fight with each other– Took the best land to farm for themselves– Drew new political boundaries which divided

ethnic groups and forced differing groups together• Caused conflict later

Slave Narrative

Primary account of Middle Passage by Olaudah Equiano.

Exit Card

What were some of the effects of slavery?

Timeline

– In pairs, make a timeline of African history to this point

– Use notes – No dates required, just put events in chronological

order