WIC en de Slavernij

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• Leerjaar 2

WIC en de slavernij

Wat ga je leren tijdens deze les?

• Waarom werden afrikaanse slaven uit Afrika gehaald en naar de plantages in de Amerikas gebracht?
• De rol van de WIC in de intercontinentale slavenhandel

Het eerste land dat slaven van Afrika naar Amerika bracht was?

1. ENGELAND
2. SPANJE
3. FRANKRIJK
4. Nederland

Afrikaanse slaven werden ... genoemd

1. Zwart Goud
2. Snelle winst
3. goedkope arbeid
4. Hollandse weelde

Slavenhoudende plantages

 

 

What was a plantation and why did it use slaves?

American plantation slaves could earn their freedom

1. true
2. not true

WIC

The Dutch not only used slaves in all their colonies, but also traded in slaves. The West Indies Company (WIC), set up in 1621, ran the Dutch West Indies trade, including the slave trade. Between 1621 and 1730, 

WIC ships from Vlissingen carried almost 279,000 slaves from Africa to West Indian colonies and WIC ships from Amsterdam carried over 73,000. After 1730, the Dutch government let the Middelburg Commercial Company (MCC) trade slaves, as well as the WIC. Almost all MCC trade was across the Atlantic. In all, it carried just over 31,000 slaves - about 4 500 died at sea. The appalling conditions in which many traders and planters transported and kept slaves horrified many people even if they did not object to the idea of slavery itself.

How many slaves from Africa did the WIC take to the Dutch colonies?

1. 73,000
2. 279,000
3. 352,000
4. 206,000

How many slaves from Africa did the MCC take to the Dutch colonies?

1. 31,000
2. 26,500
3. 73,000
4. 104,000

What percentage of the MCC slaves died during the journey?

1. about 34,3 %
2. about 9,8 %
3. about 2 %
4. about 11,3 %

If the same percentage died how many WIC slaves would have died during the journey? Explain your answer.

Triangular Trade

Explain in your own words the working of the triangular trade.

Suriname

The Dutch gained Suriname (now the modern republic of Suriname in South America) in the treaty that ended the second Anglo-Dutch War in 1667. 

Planters there grew mostly coffee, sugar and cocoa. The colony was never a great success, partly because the jungle offered runaway slaves a good hiding place. The runaways (called 'maroons') set up their own communities, 

co-existing with the local people. 

Which of the following products was NOT grown in Surinam?

1. coffee
2. tea
3. sugar
4. cocoa

Who were maroons?

1. Dutch planters
2. freed slaves
3. runaway slaves
4. native Surinam people

Maroons

Maroons often attacked plantations, to free slaves. Slaves were encouraged to run away, and revolt, by just knowing that the maroons existed. The planters of Surinam were especially harsh in their punishments. This made slaves more likely to want to run away. 

There were regular revolts from 1715 to 1763. During the worst of the revolts in 1763, the planters freed some slaves to set up an army to fight the maroons.

Harsh punishments prevented slaves from running away

1. true
2. not true

SOURCE A. An 18th century engraving of how a slave ship was loaded.

SOURCE D. An engraving of a Surinam plantation, printed in 1820

Summarise this lesson in three sentences.

important words

plantation

slave

maroon

WIC

important dates

1619: first African slaves arrive in America

1621: founding of the WIC

1667: Surinam becomes a Dutch colony

1865: slavery in America abolished

more information

films about slavery:

• Twelve Years a Slave
  
• Amistad
  
• Glory
  
• Roots
  

or watch the crash course in the final slide