THE ABOLITION OF SLAVERY

14 Pages·2014·0.69 MB·English

by  Robert Peal

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.