ebook img

THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY PDF

14 Pages·2014·0.69 MB·English
Save to my drive
Quick download
Download
Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.

Preview THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY

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 The Atlantic Slave Trade was Pupils label a map demonstrating the slavery What does slavery African slaves were established to provide slave ‘triangular trade’ that British merchants plantation mean? transported to the labour to work on plantations in were involved in, going between Britain, barracoon Americas. the Americas. the West Coast of Africa, and the Atlantic passage Why did the Slave Americas (resource 1). trade Trade develop? Up until 1807, the British shipped 3.5 million African people across Read Olaudah Equiano’s account of What were conditions the Atlantic to work as slaves. being captured by African slavers and like on a slave ship? loaded onto a slave ship. You can follow Slaves would be taken across the his story throughout this unit of work, so sea crammed into slave ships, it would be good to spend some time sometimes for up to six months, introducing him and his amazing life to in appallingly inhumane the class (resource 2). conditions. The BBC has three good educational videos on the triangular trade, here, here and here. 1. The Atlantic Slave Trade Stage 3: Stage 1: Great Britain 3 The Americas 1 West Africa 2 Stage 2: 1. The Atlantic Slave Trade (complete) Stage 3: Stage 1: The slaves were sold at Slave ships left British ports Great Britain auction in America. The such as London, Liverpool slave ships filled up with raw and Bristol and sailed to 3 materials produced in Africa. They carry goods America, such as sugar, manufactured in Britain, The cotton, timber and tobacco. Americas such as cloth, guns, 1 These were then sailed back ironware and drink. On the across the Atlantic to Great African coast, these goods Britain where they were were exchanged for men, West turned into manufactured Africa women and children who 2 goods. Thus, each stage of were captured by African the triangular journey earnt slave dealers and kept in profits for the traders. barracoons. 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’. 2. Olaudah Equiano #1 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. “One day, when all our people were gone the crew; and I was now persuaded that I out to their works as usual, and only I and had gotten into a world of bad spirits, and my dear sister were left to mind the house, that they were going to kill me. two men and a woman got over our walls, Their complexions, too, differing so much and in a moment seized us both; and, from ours, their long hair, and the language without giving us time to cry out, or make they spoke, (which was very different from resistance, they stopped our mouths, and any I had ever heard) united to confirm me ran off with us into the nearest wood. in this belief. Indeed, such were the horrors Here they tied our hands, and continued to of my views and fears at the moment, that, if carry us as far as they could, till night came ten thousand worlds had been my own, I on, when we reached a small house, where would have freely parted with them all to the robbers halted for refreshment, and have exchanged my condition with that of spent the night. We were then unbound; but the meanest slave in my own country. were unable to take any food; and, being When I looked round the ship too, and saw a quite overpowered by fatigue and grief, our large furnace of copper boiling, and a only relief was some sleep, which allayed our multitude of black people of every misfortune for a short time. description chained together, every one of The first object which saluted my eyes when their countenances expressing dejection and I arrived on the coast, was the sea, and a sorrow, I no longer doubted of my fate; and, slave ship, which was then riding at anchor, quite overpowered with horror and anguish, and waiting for its cargo. These filled me I fell motionless on the deck and fainted. with astonishment, which was soon ...Soon after this, the blacks who brought me converted into terror, when I was carried on on board went off, and left me abandoned to board. I was immediately handled, and despair.” tossed up to see if I were sound, by some of 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 The ‘middle passage’ or ‘Atlantic Study the plan of the Brookes slave ship, Atlantic passage What was the ‘Atlantic conditions faced by passage’ was the journey taken in a famous engraving produced by slave ship passage’? slaves during the slave ships from West Africa to abolitionists to demonstrate the West Africa Atlantic passage. America. inhumanity of the Atlantic passage. America Why were so many Pupils try to work out how many slaves slaves crammed into Slaves were packed below deck were forced into the hold of one ship, each ship? and chained together side by side and consider why a trader would do this. in unspeakable conditions. One in What proportion of ten would die during the journey. Study Olaudah Equiano’s description of slaves would die the Atlantic passage (resource 3). Having during the Atlantic Conditions on a slave ship were read Equiano’s description, pupils write passage? so foul that sailors said it could be their own letter or diary entry on the smelt before it could be seen. experience of being forced aboard a slave ship. The BBC has two videos, here and here, about the horrors of the Atlantic passage. 3. Olaudah Equiano #2 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.. “I was soon put down under the decks, and unsupportable, and the filth of the necessary there I received such a greeting in my tubs, into which the children often fell, and nostrils as I had never experienced in my life; were almost suffocated. The shrieks of the so that, with the loathsomeness of the women, and the groans of the dying, stench, and crying together, I became so sick rendered the whole a scene of horror almost and low that I was not able to eat, nor had I inconceivable. the least desire to taste anything. I now At last, we came in sight of the island of wished for the last friend, death, to relieve Barbados, at which the whites on board gave me; but soon, to my grief, two of the white a great shout, and made many signs of joy to men offered me eatables; and, on my us... Many merchants and planters now refusing to eat, one of them held me fast by came on board, though it was in the evening. the hands, and laid me across, I think, the They put us in separate parcels, and windlass, and tied my feet, while the other examined us attentively. They also made us flogged me severely. jump, and pointed to the land, signifying we The white people looked and acted, as I were to go there. We thought by this, we thought, in so savage a manner; for I had should be eaten by these ugly men, as they never seen among my people such instances appeared to us; and, when soon after we of brutal cruelty. The closeness of the place, were all put down under the deck again, and the heat of the climate, added to the there was much dread and trembling among number in the ship, which was so crowded us, and nothing but bitter cries to be heard that each had scarcely room to turn himself, all the night from these apprehensions, almost suffocated us. insomuch, that at last the white people got some old slaves from the land to pacify us. The air soon became unfit for respiration, They told us we were not to be eaten, but to from a variety of loathsome smells, and work, and were soon to go on land, where brought on a sickness among the slaves, of we should see many of our country people.” which many died. The wretched situation was again aggravated by the chains, now 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 The treatment of slaves was Look at six images associated with life as auction What happened to sorts of conditions extremely cruel. They would be a slave, and match the description to the branding slaves when they in which slaves lived split from their families, given no image (resource 4). Many of the images plantation arrived in the once they arrived in holiday, whipped for you would need can be found on this the resistance Americas? the Americas. disobedience, and on average Understanding Slavery website. Once only lived for eight years. this is done, pupils write a diary entry/ Why were slaves letter describing their life working on a branded? Once they arrived in the sugar plantation in the Caribbean. Americas, slaves would be bought Why were slaves taken at auction, braded by their The Understanding Slavery site has two away from their owner, and sent to work on a useful information sheets on resistance, families? plantation. and on Toussaint Toussaint L'Ouverture’s slave rebellion in Haiti. Pupils plan their What happened to Some slaves managed to save own slave rebellion, and devise ideas disobedient slaves? money earned through extra about how to resist slavery. work, and buy their freedom from their owner, but this was The BBC has some excellent clips about very rare. life as a slave: one on auctions, one on plantation work, one on beliefs and traditions, and one on resistance. 4. Life as a slave Slaves did backbreaking manual labour for Slaves would be separated from their families. hours on end, six days a week. This image If a slave owner needed more money, or fewer shows slaves are cutting down sugar cane, one slaves, he would sell his slaves to another of the most difficult jobs. Sugar plantations owner, splitting apart families. This was bitterly were enormous, and slaves worked all day in hated by the slaves. the burning Caribbean sun without rest. Slaves were whipped if they did not work hard A branding iron was a metal stamp with the enough, tried to escape, or broke the rules of initials of a slave owner, used to show that the the plantation. One slave, named Gordon, slave was their property. Irons would be escaped from his Mississippi plantation, and heated in a fire, and then burnt onto a slave’s said that one of his whippings left him in bed skin. for two months. On arrival in the Americas, slaves would be A punishment collar was put around the neck sold like cattle in a slave auction to. The slave of slaves who tried to run away. The iron neck traders would try to make the slaves appear brace had four spikey prongs, which would healthy and obedient. Sores and cuts would be catch on any trees and bushes, preventing covered with tar, slave bodies would be oiled, another escape. The collar also make it and slaves would be calmed with alcohol. impossible for a slave to lie down and rest. 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 The Abolitionists were a group of Pupils investigate the different tactics boycott What was an sorts of conditions British campaigners, including used by abolitionists to campaign for the petition abolitionist? in which slaves lived black former slaves, who end of slavery. Once the tactics have Abolitionists once they arrived in persuaded Parliament to end the been studied, pupils discuss which were British Empire What methods did the Americas. slave trade. likely to be most successful (resource 5). abolitionists use to end slavery? The Abolitionists were well Pupils write a speech as William organised, using methods such as Wilberforce in Parliament, arguing for Why did some people speeches, boycotts and petitions slavery to be abolished. They must oppose the ending of to spread their message. explain what happens to slaves, why it is slavery? so cruel, and why it must end (resource The abolitionists achieved their 6). Read Equiano’s argument for What is a boycott? aim in 1807, when the slave trade inspiration (resource 7). was abolished, and 1833 when Which of the slavery was abolished throughout The BBC has a selection of clips on the abolitionists methods the British Empire. abolitionist movement. This and this are of protest were most general overviews, this is about black effective? abolitionists, this is about Macaulay, and this is about Wilberforce.

Description:
There are many excellent online resources for slavery. The television series Roots (1977) is a fantastic resource, telling the story of a slave.
See more

The list of books you might like

Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.