The impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on West African society
Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can explain how the Transatlantic Slave Trade impacted West African rulers and local people.
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.
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
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.
Teacher tip
When explaining the impact on the rulers in West Africa, Benin can be emphasised as a single (but significant) example of successful resistance to the Transatlantic Slave Trade in the 1600s.
Content guidance
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
Supervision
Adult supervision recommended
Licence
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.The first European merchants to arrive in West Africa were from which of the following countries?
Q2.What was the name of the voyage across the Atlantic Ocean that took enslaved people took to the Americas?
Q3.Which religion had spread to West Africa and converted many local rulers by the 1400s?
Q4.Which European nations initially became wealthy from using enslaved people from West Africa on their plantations in the Americas in the 1500s?
Q5.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?
Q6.What happened to the power of West African kingdoms due to the arrival of European merchants?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What was the main item that attracted Muslim traders to West Africa before the arrival of the Portuguese?
Q2.How long did the Middle Passage journey typically last for enslaved people?
Q3.What change occurred in the lives of local African people when the Portuguese started building colonies in the Americas?
Q4.Which kingdom suffered significant power loss due to Portuguese arrival and internal issues?
Q5.What impact did the expansion of the Transatlantic Slave Trade have on the social groups targeted for enslavement by the 1700s?
Q6.Which of the following was a consequence of increased conflict between African kingdoms due to the expanding slave trade?
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: The impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on West African society, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...
To help you plan your 8 history lesson on: The impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on West African society, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs.
The starter quiz will activate and check your pupils' prior knowledge, with versions available both with and without answers in PDF format.
We use learning cycles to break down learning into key concepts or ideas linked to the learning outcome. Each learning cycle features explanations with checks for understanding and practice tasks with feedback. All of this is found in our slide decks, ready for you to download and edit. The practice tasks are also available as printable worksheets and some lessons have additional materials with extra material you might need for teaching the lesson.
The assessment exit quiz will test your pupils' understanding of the key learning points.
Our video is a tool for planning, showing how other teachers might teach the lesson, offering helpful tips, modelled explanations and inspiration for your own delivery in the classroom. Plus, you can set it as homework or revision for pupils and keep their learning on track by sharing an online pupil version of this lesson.
Explore more key stage 3 history lessons from the Transatlantic Slavery: how were West African societies impacted? unit, dive into the full secondary history curriculum, or learn more about lesson planning.