Starter quiz
- The first European merchants to arrive in West Africa were from which of the following countries?
- Britain
- France
- Spain
- Portugal ✓
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- What was the name of the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean that took enslaved people took to the Americas?
- 'The Middle Passage' ✓
- Which religion had spread to West Africa and converted many local rulers by the 1400s?
- Islam ✓
- Christianity
- Hinduism
- Buddhism
-
- Which European nations initially became wealthy from using enslaved people from West Africa on their plantations in the Americas in the 1500s?
- France
- Britain
- Spain ✓
- Portugal ✓
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- Which of the following countries played a significant role in the Transatlantic Slave Trade by transporting half of the enslaved people from West Africa to the Americas by 1700?
- France
- Britain ✓
- Spain
- Portugal
-
- What happened to the power of West African kingdoms due to the arrival of European merchants?
- most lost power to the European merchants, but some were able to thrive ✓
- all kingdoms collapsed as result of the growing power of European merchants
- all kingdoms continued to thrive, as most formed alliances
- most continued to thrive, although some began weaker
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Exit quiz
- What was the main item that attracted Muslim traders to West Africa before the arrival of the Portuguese?
- spices
- gold ✓
- silk
- ivory
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- How long did the Middle Passage journey typically last for enslaved people?
- 2 weeks
- 6 weeks
- 12 weeks ✓
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- What change occurred in the lives of local African people when the Portuguese started building colonies in the Americas?
- they gained more social status
- they were treated as indentured labourers
- they were no longer taken as prisoners of war
- they were forced into chattel slavery ✓
-
- Which kingdom suffered significant power loss due to Portuguese arrival and internal issues?
- Songhay ✓
- Wolof
- Benin
- Allada
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- What impact did the expansion of the Transatlantic Slave Trade have on the social groups targeted for enslavement by the 1700s?
- Only prisoners of war were enslaved
- Wealthier groups were protected from enslavement
- Only people of low social status were enslaved
- More diverse groups, including the wealthy, faced the risk of enslavement ✓
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- Which of the following was a consequence of increased conflict between African kingdoms due to the expanding slave trade?
- Strengthened alliances between African kingdoms
- Weakened the power of European merchants
- Strengthened the power of European merchants ✓
- Weakened the power of local rulers ✓
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Worksheet
Presentation
Video
Lesson Details
Key learning points
- West African kingdoms were rich in culture and wealth due to trade across the Sahel.
- African Kingdoms traded in people who were enslaved due to war.
- The arrival of Europeans meant an increase in wars in West Africa leading to more people being enslaved.
- Many West African kingdoms became reliant on trade with the Europeans which destabilised the African kingdoms.
- The Transatlantic trade exacerbated the trade in weapons and people leading to collapse of many kingdoms.
Common misconception
All kingdoms in West Africa saw the same changes as a result of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
Some kingdoms were weaker as a result of wars between kingdoms, others were weakened because of alliances and others continued to thrive.
Keywords
Prisoners of war - prisoners of war are people captured by the opposing side during a war
Indentured labour - indentured labour is a system where someone is made to work without pay for a set period of time
Chattel slavery - chattel slavery is when people become legal property and cannot be freed without the permission of their slave holder
Enslaved people - enslaved people are people who have been forced to work without pay, lose their freedom and become the property of another person
Society - a society is a large group of people who live within the same area and usually share similar cultures and beliefs