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The Atlantic Slave Trade - 16th-19th century

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 13mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

When did the Atlantic Slave Trade mostly occur?

a)

1200 to 1450 CE

b)

1520 to 1866 CE

c)

1866 to 1994 CE

d)

480-870 CE

2.

Which is an appropriate definition of the word "slave"?

a)

a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them

b)

a person who works for another person and has to obey them

c)

a person who owes a debt to another person and works it off over the period of a few years, then is released

3.

The "Middle Passage" refers to

a)

Transport of slaves from Africa to the US

b)

Transport of slaves from US to Africa

c)

Transport of slaves from North to South America

d)

Transport of slaves from South to North America

4.

Which two countries expanded the slave trade into South America?

a)

Portugal and Spain

b)

Spain and England

c)

England and France

d)

The Netherlands and Belgium

5.

What of the following are cash crops?

a)

Tobacco, coffee, sugar

b)

Rice, wheat, sugar

c)

Sugar, cotton, wheat

6.

The first African slaves in the US (13 Colonies) went to:

a)

Jamestown, 1619

b)

Plymouth, 1620

c)

New Amsterdam, 1633

d)

Montreal, 1599

7.

Why did Europeans use African slave labour instead of Indigenous North/South Americans?

a)

Less expensive

b)

Better resistance to European diseases

c)

Lived longer lives

8.

What was the purpose of these brands? (were red-hot and burnt permanent image into slaves' skin)

a)

To inflict pain during punishments

b)

To show which company the slaves belonged to

c)

As a warning to others

9.

Of the 11-16 million slaves that were transported from Africa to the New World, which proportion went where?

a)

50% to Brazil and SA, 45% to Caribbean, 5% to USA

b)

50% to Brazil and SA, 5% to Caribbean, 45% to USA

c)

5% to Brazil and SA, 50% to Caribbean, 45% to USA

10.

Even though slavery was illegal in Britain, what loophole did slave companies use?

a)

Authorities turned a "blind eye" to use of slaves in British colonies

b)

They petitioned the King for it to be legal

c)

It flip-flopped between being legal and illegal, companies would capitalize on this

11.

In 1808, importation of slaves became illegal in the USA, how did they get around this law?

a)

Smuggling became common

b)

Slavery was outlawed and they were freed in the same year

12.

If a slave gave birth to a child, what was his/her fate?

a)

He/she would be freed and could move to the slave free states in the North

b)

He/she would be also a slave

13.

Which of the following is true?

a)

Slave markets existed in Western Africa long before Europeans entered it, but markets increased in scale dramatically during the Atlantic Slave Trade

b)

Slave markets never existed in Western Africa until Europeans arrived

c)

Europeans established and ran slave markets in Africa's west coast, and took it upon themselves to capture and sell slaves

14.

What were the key crops that slave labour was used for?

a)

Rice, cotton, sugar

b)

Wheat, cattle ranching, rubber

c)

Indigo, potatoes, tomatoes

15.

The demand rose for slaves and slave markets West Coast in Africa, what was the result?

a)

Raids, local wars

b)

Peace and prosperity

c)

Greater cooperation

16.

Who benefited the most in Africa from slave trade and slave markets?

a)

Lower classes

b)

Middle classes

c)

Upper classes

17.

Even though slavery was illegal in Britain, what benefits did Britain see locally?

a)

Exotic consumer goods like rum, sugar, tobacco

b)

More slaves doing domestic work in major cities like London, Leeds, and Manchester

c)

More slaves doing farming work, especially in Northern England

18.

Which Caribbean country saw a slave revolt against the French, which led to its liberation in 1803?

a)

Haiti

b)

Cuba

c)

Jamaica

d)

Dominican Republic

19.

By 1776 when the USA became its own country, slave labour was used extensively for tobacco and cotton _____________ (choose the right word)

a)

Plantations

b)

Plantanes

c)

Gardens

d)

Fields

20.

Which part of the United States relied heavily on slave labour, where 1/3 of all households owned slaves?

a)

Northern States (Union)

b)

Southern States (Confederacy)

c)

Western States (Occidental)

d)

Eastern States (Ornamental)

21.

Fundamental disagreements on this issue of slavery in the USA directly led to:

a)

The Declaration of Independence

b)

Reconstruction

c)

The US Civil War

d)

The Constitution

22.

What is the term (not slavery) when a person signed a contract where they agreed to work for a certain number of years in exchange for transportation to the New World and, once they arrived, food, clothing, and shelter.

a)

Indentured servitude

b)

Foreign labourers

c)

Recruited workers

d)

Part time slavery

23.

Which side of the African coast contained most of the slave markets for the New World?

a)

Northern

b)

Southern

c)

Eastern

d)

Western

24.

What's the difference between a cash crop and a crop?

a)

Cash crops have much shorter growing seasons and can make more money

b)

Crops are essential for soil health

c)

Cash crops include luxury crops that are sold for money but aren't essential for survival.

25.

Which countries exported the most slaves by volume/numbers, starting with the most, ending with the least?

a)

Portuguese (most), British, Spanish, French, Dutch, and Danish (least)

b)

Spanish (most), Portuguese, Danish, French, Dutch, and British (least)

c)

French (most), Spanish, British, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch (least)