Atlantic slave trade

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/atlantic-slave-trade

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the approximate duration?Early 15th century to mid-19th century (approx. 400 years)
2. What is the estimated number of africans embarked?Over 12.5 million individuals
3. Why did Europeans start enslaving people from Africa?Europeans first tried to enslave Indigenous people, but disease and resistance made it hard, so they turned to Africa. They traded goods such as weapons and alcohol for enslaved people, using forts and trading posts along the African coast.
4. How were enslaved people transported across the ocean?The journey across the Atlantic, called the Middle Passage, was very dangerous. Enslaved people were packed into dark, crowded ship holds with little food or water, and many did not survive the trip.

Chattel Slavery: A system where enslaved people are treated as personal property, bought and sold like commodities.
Mercantilism: An economic theory where nations sought to increase their wealth and power through trade and the accumulation of colonies.
Abolitionism: The movement to end slavery and the slave trade.
Triangular Trade: A historical network of trade routes connecting Europe, Africa, and the Americas, often involving enslaved people.