HIS 247 Transatlantic Slave Trade(AFR)

The Transatlantic Slave Trade (TST), also known as the Atlantic slave trade, was a horrific
chapter in human history, spanning roughly from the 16th to the 19th century. European powers,
primarily from Portugal, Spain, France, the Netherlands and England, engaged in the systematic
capture, transportation, and sale of millions of West African people to the Americas for forced
labor. Under brutal conditions, Africans traveled below the decks of slave ships across the
Atlantic Ocean through the Middle Passage. While 12.5 million Africans reached their final
destinations, millions of other newly enslaved Africans did not survive the heinous journey due
to disease, malnutrition, violence, and despair. Although Spain and Portugal initiated this
inhumane trade, England by the 17th century would perfect, dominate and become the hub of the
slave trade. The country would be responsible for enslaving 3.2 million African people; most of
which were sent to plantations in the Caribbean and North America. This course explores the
history, impact, and legacies of England’s role in TST. Through readings, discussions, and
multimedia materials, students will examine the origins of the slave trade, its economic and
social dynamics, the experiences of enslaved individuals and the lasting effects of the TST on
contemporary Great Britain and the Black Atlantic.

Credits

1 Course Credit