The Atlantic Slave Trade: Leading FactorsThe use of African slave labour was not new. The Spanish and Portuguese had been using African slaves since the 16th century.

However, the Atlantic slave trade of the 18th century was a new kind of slavery and on a scale much greater than ever before.

It was the British who played a major part in this trade. The West Indian plantation owners increasingly turned to African slaves for labour.

The importance of the West Indian colonies

Increasing numbers of slaves were transported across the Atlantic because of the new form of farming that developed in the European colonies of the New World.

As Europeans conquered the Americas, large amounts of fertile land in tropical climates became available. This land was used for plantations.

Growth of plantations

Plantations were a new economic and social institution. They were both farm and factory.

Unlike landed estates in Britain, most plantations specialized in one crop such as sugar cane, cotton or tobacco for export production.

Large scale specialist plantations of at least 80 to 100 hectares (33 to 41 acres) were much more efficient than small farms.

Many plantations were big businesses. Operations were directed by hired managers (often on behalf of absentee owners back in Britain).

Plantations required a large labour force to sustain production. Planters turned to slave labour as their main source of labour. In the West Indies, Europeans created large plantations. Their success led owners to replicate the plantation model on neighbouring islands. More and more planters sought to purchase enslaved Africans in growing numbers.

The rush to produce sugar

Settlers in the tropical parts of America had found a crop that was in massive demand - sugar.

Sugar was cheaper than other sweeteners, and could transform a drab and monotonous diet. There was a ready market in Europe. As more was grown, it became cheaper and more people could afford it. In 1600 sugar was a delicacy for the rich. By 1800 many ordinary people were taking it in their tea. The sugar trade could be very profitable. Sugar could be made from sugar cane but the process was very intensive. It took 50 tons of sugar cane to make one ton of sugar.

Production required a large labour force to plant, maintain, harvest and process the sugar cane. All of this was in harsh and unpleasant conditions.

Cheap labourTo keep profits high, plantation owners wanted a cheap labour force, and quickly, to cultivate and process the sugar. The ready answer was African slaves. As a result the Atlantic slave trade developed.

The most dramatic surge in sugar production took place on the largest islands - St Dominique, Jamaica and Cuba. By 1775, Jamaica produced half of Britain’s sugar.

These three islands were the largest disembarkation points for slaves in the West Indies. The numbers of slaves arriving on the islands grew to rival the Brazilian ports.

The shortage of labour

At first European farmers had attempted to use native populations as a source of labour.

Indigenous peoples

Enslaving indigenous peoples proved problematic. There were never enough on the islands to meet the planters' demands. Death rates were high due to:

lack of immunity to European disease epidemics such as smallpox

the ill-treatment and killing of those who resisted

the harsh conditions of slavery

Racial attitudes

Entrenched racism among Europeans meant that slavery took on a racial tone. Ideas of racial differences made it easier to justify slavery. The enslavement of Africans was justified by the belief that Africans were inferior to Europeans.

Several ideas from the time supported the enslavement of Africans:

Africans were more suited to work on the plantations African captives would be executed if the slave trade was abolished African slaves benefited from being looked after by the superior Europeans

Religious factors

The Church of England generally accepted the idea of slavery. It had links to the slave trade through the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel and plantations in Barbados. Its slaves were branded on their chest with the word ‘society’. The Church of England supported laws not to educate slaves. In addition the Church was very much part of the state and therefore followed the political doctrine of those in power.

Some Bible passages were used to justify slavery. In Genesis Noah placed the 'curse of Ham' on the descendents of his son, starting with his grandson Canaan.

Christians believed that Canaan's descendants settled in Africa. They saw a direct link between Canaan being cursed into slavery with the enslavement of Africans.

Other biblical passages were seen to oppose slavery. Chapter 21 of Exodus includes laws about slaves, including rules on their freedom.

This passage was banned in British colonies due to its perceived hostility to slavery.