1. When Portuguese traders began sailing to West Africa, what key item did they trade that significantly increased local conflict?
- A. Food supplies
- B. Medical knowledge
- C. Firearms
- D. Gold coins
2. What false idea did Europeans promote to defend the practice of chattel slavery?
- A. That African climates were too harsh for Europeans to work in.
- B. The racist belief that Africans were not equal to them.
- C. That the trade was a temporary measure to help colonial economies grow.
- D. The claim that they were protecting Africans from regional conflicts.
3. 'Chattel slavery' is a term used to describe a system where...
- A. workers are paid very low wages for their labor.
- B. people work for a set number of years to earn their freedom.
- C. enslaved people are considered legal property.
- D. landowners protect workers in exchange for their service.
4. Which European nation was the first to establish a large-scale slave trade from West Africa in the 1400s?
- A. Spain
- B. Portugal
- C. Great Britain
- D. France
5. What was the main economic reason European nations first sought enslaved people from West Africa in the 1400s?
- A. To learn new farming techniques for their own countries.
- B. To establish peaceful diplomatic ties with African leaders.
- C. To supply a large workforce for their new colonies in the Americas.
- D. To find new trade routes to Asia for the spice trade.
6. Why was the ship's crew often extremely cruel to the captured Africans?
- A. To teach them skills for their future work
- B. To maintain control and prevent uprisings
- C. Because they were following international laws
- D. To prepare them for the climate in the Americas
7. The term 'Middle Passage' refers to which part of an enslaved person's journey?
- A. The forced march from their village to the African coast
- B. The ship voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas
- C. The sale at an auction block in the colonies
- D. The first year of labor on a colonial plantation
8. What was a primary reason for the high death rate among enslaved Africans during the Middle Passage?
- A. Frequent storms that caused ships to sink
- B. Organized revolts that were rarely successful
- C. The rapid spread of disease in crowded, filthy conditions
- D. Attacks on the ships by pirates and rival traders
9. The text states that captured Africans were treated like 'cargo.' What does this reveal about the crew's perspective?
- A. They believed the Africans were valuable guests on the ship.
- B. They saw the captured people as human beings with rights.
- C. They considered the Africans to be property to be sold for profit, not people.
- D. They were under orders to provide comfort and care during the journey.
10. Which of the following best describes the conditions for enslaved people below the deck of a slave ship?
- A. They were given small private cabins with basic beds.
- B. They were chained together in dark, crowded spaces with no room to stand.
- C. They had freedom to walk around the lower deck during the day.
- D. They were kept in clean areas with plenty of fresh air and food.