What was the slave trade? - Info Pack - Year 5

The slave trade was a grim period in history where commerce was driven by the forced movement of African people to the Americas to work as slaves. It is believed that approximately 12 million Africans were transported across the Atlantic Ocean in a mass migration that was fuelled by a demand for labour. British ships played a significant role in this trade, carrying around 2.6 million slaves. The majority of these individuals, over 55%, ended up in Brazil and Spanish South America, while around 35% were taken to the West Indies. North America received a smaller fraction, with less than 5% of the slaves.

This trade was structured around a system known as the triangular trade, which began in the 15th century with Portuguese and Spanish merchants and saw the British becoming heavily involved by the 16th century. The 18th century marked a peak in this trade, with British vessels transporting at least a third of the 6 million Africans taken to the Americas during this time. The journey involved British traders taking goods to Africa to exchange for slaves, who were then transported on a harrowing voyage known as the 'Middle Passage' to the slave markets in the West Indies and North America. The final leg of the journey involved carrying goods such as rum and sugar back to England. The conditions on the Middle Passage were abysmal, leading to the death of a significant number of slaves during the crossing.