Year 8 History Assessment: The Transatlantic Slave Trade

Instructions: Answer all questions to the best of your ability.

Section 1: What was the Slave Trade? (20 marks)

1. The term "Transatlantic Slave Trade" refers to: (1 mark)

a) Trade between Europe and Africa.

b) The forced transportation of Africans to the Americas.
c) The exchange of goods between the Americas and Europe.
d) The movement of enslaved people within Africa.

2. The "Triangular Trade" system involved which three continents? (1mark)

a) Europe, Asia, and Africa
b) Africa, the Americas, and Asia
c) Europe, Africa, and the Americas
d) The Americas, Europe, and Asia

3. Which of the following best describes the "Middle Passage"? (1 mark)

a) The journey from Europe to Africa.
b) The journey across the Atlantic Ocean from Africa to the Americas.
c) The sale of enslaved people in the Americas.
d) The process of capturing Africans in the interior.

4. The British government abolished slave trading in which year? (1 mark)

a) 1789
b) 1807
c) 1833
d) 1900

5. Which of the following European countries was a major participant in the Transatlantic
Slave Trade? (1 mark)
a) Italy
b) Spain
c) Germany
d) Russia

6. Which of the following was a major consequence of the Transatlantic Slave Trade for
Africa? (1 mark)
a) Increased population growth
b) Economic development and prosperity
c) Massive population loss and social disruption
d) Political stability and unity
7. The "Triangular Trade" was called "triangular" because: (1 mark)
a) Ships followed a roughly triangular route across the Atlantic Ocean.
b) Three types of goods were traded.
c) The trade involved three groups of people.
d) The trade was controlled by three European countries

8. Which of the following goods was typically transported from Africa to the Americas in
the Triangular Trade? (1 mark)
a) Manufactured goods
b) Enslaved people
c) Raw materials
d) Gold and silver

9. Which of the following statements about the impact of the slave trade on Africa is most
accurate? (1 mark)
a) It led to increased wealth and prosperity for all African societies.
b) It caused significant population decline and disrupted social structures.
c) It had little to no impact on African societies.
d) It resulted in the rapid industrialization of the African continent.

10. Which of the following European goods was often exchanged for enslaved people in
Africa? (1 mark)
a) Silk
b) Spices
c) Firearms
d) Tea

11. Which formerly enslaved person wrote a bestselling autobiography in 1789 that
massively raised awareness of the cruelty of the slave trade? (1 mark)
a) Harriet Tubman
b) Mary Prince
c) Olaudah Equiano
d) Toussaint L’ Ouverture

12. What was the typical duration of the "Middle Passage"? (1 mark)
a) A few days
b) 1-2 weeks
c) Several weeks to months
d) 1-2 years
13. What was the name of the huge farms where many enslaved people worked and lived? (1
mark)
a) Plantations
b) Empires
c) Smallholdings
14. As well as London, which two English ports made vast fortunes from the slave trade?
a) Hartlepool and Brighton
 b) Ipswich and Grimsby
c) Bristol and Liverpool
15. Who is commonly reffered to as Britain’s first slave trader?
a) John Hawkins
b) Francis Drake
c) The Duke of York

Section 2: Life of a Slave (25 marks)

16. Describe the methods used to capture Africans in the interior of the continent and
transport them to the coast. (4 marks)

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17. What happened to enslaved people upon their arrival in the Americas? Explain the
process of sale and how it impacted families. (4 marks)

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18. Describe the typical working conditions for enslaved people on plantations in the
Americas. (2 marks)

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19. Enslaved people did not always accept their conditions passively. Describe two different
ways in which they resisted slavery, both actively and passively. (4 marks)
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20. Name three prominent individuals who were important figures in the movement to
abolish slavery? (3 marks)

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21. Write down three reasons why slavery was abolished? (3 marks)

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22. Describe the difference between a slave auction and a slave scramble? (2 marks)

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23. Give three reasons why people were chained together for most of the voyage? (3 marks)

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 Section 4: Source Analysis (10 marks)

Analyze the image below, which is a diagram of a slave ship.

1. Describe what you see in the image. What does it show about the conditions on board a
slave ship? (4 marks)

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2. What does this image reveal about the attitudes of slave traders towards the enslaved
Africans? (3 marks)

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3. How might this image have been used by abolitionists in their campaign against the slave
trade? (3 marks)

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